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Question

installing Win 7 on Vista desktop

Aug 8, 2014 5:58AM PDT

When I purchased my Dell XPS 210 in late 2006, Win Vista was included in price, but it arrived with Win XP (probably b/c Dell had these in stock!). A few weeks later I received 2 installation disks for "installing" Vista.

Unlike many users, Vista has worked well for me, so I've kept using it. Now I'm giving this computer to my son. I've had it thoroughly "cleaned" (so it runs well) and I'd like to upgrade it to Window 7.

First, is this a good idea? When will MS discontinue support for Vista? For Win 7?

Secondly, am I correct in thinking it would be too much to attempt to replace the Vista OS with Win 8.1?

Is Win 7 available for installing on an older computer? Is this something a non-tech could do? Would it be advisable to pay the Geek Squad (or s.o. else) to do?

I realize that this is a well-worn question, one that's been answered many times, but I haven't found these answers. So I'd appreciate very much any comments Forum members make -- info, advice, warnings, etc

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Define "support"
Aug 8, 2014 6:05AM PDT

For some it means being able to call in and for a minimal or no charge get help. For others it's patches.

OK, the days of free support are closing so for a fee you can still get support for xp.

You can try the Windows 7 and 8 readiness tests before you do this but I think Microsoft and makers are losing a lot of folk to tablets and new machines as Windows has never been that easy to install. Well, it is for me but I know the basic order of drivers to install and to look for help apps to turn on wifi and more.
Bob

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Answer
I did
Aug 8, 2014 6:07AM PDT

4 or so years ago with no problems on an Toshiba laptop. A friend gave me a set of Windows 7 upgrade disc's and it's great. It didn't mess up anything. Go For IT . I wouldn't press your luck trying to upgrade to Win *

Digger

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Win*
Aug 8, 2014 6:08AM PDT

should be Win 8

Digger

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Just remembered
Aug 8, 2014 7:01AM PDT

I did it on an Dell 530S also with prefect results

Digger

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I see I'm getting thimbs down here
Aug 8, 2014 9:59PM PDT

and see why. I didn't realize how much the Windows upgrade costs. I got it for free with a Dell computer that was given to me. I didn't realize it cost around $300 lol. But it did install ok.

Digger

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No
Aug 8, 2014 10:48PM PDT

No, it's likely the anti-Windows 8 crowd who can't seem to tolerate the fact that there are a few people out there capable of looking past the surface, and aren't immediately scared off by the tile interface, who actually find a fair bit to like about Windows 8. It's a little clunky on a non-touch system, but it still manages to make some improvements over the old Start button and menu, which were terrible ideas in 1995 and never got significantly better.

You can go to the Windows 8 forum and make a post that is barely even coherent within any given sentence, but as long as you seem to be generally complaining about Windows 8, people will up vote it. On the flip side, you can make a well reasoned argument for why there are plenty of things to like about Windows 8 or even just that it's not the worst OS ever produced by MS and people will be all over you like a pack of jackals.

It was the same thing with Vista or even the health care reform law in the US. Mention the individual improvements of either one, in isolation, and people like them. Put them into the context of Vista/health care and suddenly people are against it. In both cases you can argue how the current system was pretty much at the cliff's edge so the only alternative was to go over, and how while the implementation we ended up with might not be the ideal it still is a significant improvement over the old system, people will still complain and rail on you for even them perceiving you as doing anything other than giving a full throated war cry of negative sentiment.

A lot of these same people will claim that XP was the greatest OS that MS ever came up with. No one seems to want to remember how those first 2-3 years were rather bumpy with a lack of drivers, developers being slow to adopt not only to the concept of a multi-user system but the idea that now the OS is going to enforce the best practices like not directly accessing the hardware. Forget about the weekly remote exploits that would be found in Internet Explorer, most of which would lead to total system compromise that went on for 2-3 years. Or how this is when MS was at its peak monopoly wise and was strangling the life out of any company that posed even a little bit of competition to Microsoft's cash cows.

In short: Make even a neutral comment about Windows 8 and get down voted. Make a negative comment about Windows 8 and get up voted vigorously.

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Man, All I ws doing
Aug 9, 2014 5:27AM PDT
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As much as I hate the saying
Aug 9, 2014 8:28AM PDT

As much as I hate the saying, it fits: Haters are gonna hate.

Frankly, who cares? Particularly people who can't offer up any kind of rebuttal to whatever they think is wrong with what you said. Let them have their petty little victory because it's probably the only thing they have going for them in life. If you've got something to say, say it. If people find it useful, great, if not, oh well.

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Answer
Considering
Aug 8, 2014 9:51AM PDT

Considering the driver model hasn't really changed between Vista and 8.1, if the unit was compatible with Vista it SHOULD work fine with 8.1. There are always exceptions, so keep that in mind. Poor quality drivers is probably the single biggest issue with Vista in the early years. MS hardened the driver model security wise compared to 2000/XP and it took a couple of years for hardware vendors to catch up, but most people will have one bad experience and that's it. No second chances to see if things have improved and most certainly not even the slightest consideration that it was their own dumb-**** fault.

The catch here is, there's no more Windows 7 retail discs being sold and the license for the OEM versions specifically prohibit using them for personal use. They are only to be used on computers that are sold commercially. So if you want to stay on the right side of copyright and contract law, your only choices are to stay with Vista or go with Windows 8. Before going the latter route, it'd probably be a good idea to run Microsoft's update adviser program to check for any big issues that may make the decision very easy and also look around for people who have already blazed that particular trail and documented what they did to make it work.

Personally, I might just stick with Vista until you decide to upgrade. Your system is around 8 years old now, so I would probably limit the amount of money I sunk into it. According to Microsoft's lifecycle page, Vista will still be getting security updates for around another 3 years. You've got to figure your system is already living on borrowed time, so again I'd just wait for it to die of natural causes and then you can buy a new computer. There's little point to sinking a lot of money into a system that could crap out on you any day. But say it lasts until the 2017 cutoff date of Vista. You can still buy a new one and then turn your current one into a ridiculously overpowered HTPC, use it to experiment with Linux, keep it around for vintage games that won't run on newer versions of Windows, etc.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/lifecycle

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Answer
Don't muck with it
Aug 8, 2014 10:22AM PDT

You have a 8 year old machine.
Consider yourself lucky that it still functions.

Msft says they will provide security upgrades until 2017 for vista.

You have a small/budget machine.
It will take your son less than a month to be on your butt about why this piece of junk won't play Bf4 or the like.

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Answer
Win 8.x or Win7
Aug 8, 2014 3:08PM PDT

Two items i look for when upgrading any PC to Win 8.x is that it have 2Gb and a duo-core or better cpu. Anything part of OEM PC usually works well once you get the drivers, etc. installed. However, in most cases drivers aren't that big of a problem once you realize "exactly" what the drivers are needed for. It maybe as simple as that but if you find no new drivers, the usual native drivers are capable, excluding any unique chipset/item/device.

Alas, most Vista users can easily upgrade to Win7. In fact Vista is more demanding OS that Win7. If you're capable you can DIY, but if you need help find the IT people that aren't going to charge that much. In fact, you may want to consider with all these costs involved for few $ more, just buy a new laptop/tablet and be done with it.

Vista is still around and even if it was to go, Win7 will fit-in readily in its place. So, decide but if you like I do suggest install as much ram as the laptop can take for best overall performance. yeah, the XPS210 is long in tooth.

tada -----Willy Happy

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Answer
how old is the son?
Aug 9, 2014 2:51PM PDT

If he's an adult, or even a teen, ask him what he'd like on there. Also consider some of the favorite Linux distros available like Zorin, Mint 17, Ubuntu 14.04

That way you can leave the XP or Vista on there and add a very current new operating system beside it. You will have a bootloader which allows to choose the windows or the linux.

osdisc.com
distrowatch.com