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Objective upgrade Netbook with XP to Netbook with Win 7

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cranioscopical:

In a classic case of the blind leading the blind I have to help someone upgrade her XP netbook to Windows 7.

At the moment I don't have an available copy of Windows 7 so I'd welcome any suggestions about where to get one these days.

The netbook will boot from a USB stick.
It has an Atom N270 1.6 GHz processor.
1 GB memory.
160 GB hard drive.

So, my questions are

    Assuming I can get my hands on new Windows 7 DVD, what's the best way to go about creating a bootable USB stick and getting the DVD contents onto that?

    Any idea if Windows 7 will update the existing XP leaving things intact (data and executables)?

    Which version of Win7 should I be looking for?


(The software now on the machine is legitimate but nobody knows where the installation media are, nor does there appear to be a record of serial numbers. Having to wipe the drive will therefore have unhappy consequences.)

Your help would be appreciated.
 

wraith808:
As far as I know, there is no upgrade path from XP to Windows 7.  You have to do a clean install.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/help/upgrading-from-windows-xp-to-windows-7#T1=tab01

As far as where to get it, I just purchased copies from Newegg a bit ago.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116986

Ath:
As far as I know, there is no upgrade path from XP to Windows 7.  You have to do a clean install.-wraith808 (October 07, 2013, 10:42 PM)
--- End quote ---

Correct, but it's possible to do the in-between step of Vista. It'll feel like hell, taking ages for 2 consecutive upgrades, but if an upgrade is required to keep some unique application installed, it's a solution.

Though I do advise to make a clean W7 install, if only for stability and sanity.
W7 can quite easily be installed from an USB stick. Step-by-step procedures all over google.

oblivion:
Though I do advise to make a clean W7 install, if only for stability and sanity.
W7 can quite easily be installed from an USB stick. Step-by-step procedures all over google.
-Ath (October 08, 2013, 01:39 AM)
--- End quote ---
In case it's available at a discount from the standard version, I would also say that my netbook (which came preinstalled with Win7 Starter Edition) works fine with that version. The only notable issues for me are: you can't set wallpaper (but there's a freebie called Oceanis Change Background that works very nicely) and you can't spread your desktop over multiple monitors (but if your netbook allows you to plug in an external monitor W7SE will cheerfully use it AND remember what screen resolution is appropriate for it.) There probably are other deficiencies but I've never found any reason to consider upscaling to a fuller version of W7...

mouser:
Given your scenario, the first order of business is to make a full image backup of the netbook hard drive, onto an external usb hard drive, which you should already own.  Any drive imager software will work, but I use Macrium Free edition in such situations.

That will give you both peace of mind if you have to go back, and just as importantly, access to the installed programs and data if you need them later.   If you think you might need access to the files and have enough room on your external usb drive, do a normal COPY of all files on the netbook hd in addition to the drive image, just to make it easier to access the files until you know you have them all transfered.

One option to installing using a windows 7 dvd on a netbook pc, is to buy an external dvd drive.

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