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upgrading from vista to windows 7
HI,
I'm attempting to upgrade from Vista to Windows 7. The only thing left to do is create enough disk space for the procedure. I've still got a few gig to go.
Is it possible to move some of the available disk space on the D:drive to the C:drive ?
Also, I have an expansion drive with 450 GB . Can I utilise that in some way ?
Cheers,
David
Philip_Yip
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July 9th, 2018 07:00
The Inspiron 6400 supports a 32 Bit only architecture unless it has a T7200, T7400 or T7600 processor. However even with these processors the chipset allows a maximum of 3.24 GB of RAM so there is little point in putting 64 Bit Windows on it.
I had Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 and Windows 10 Insider Preview running on one of them a long time ago... Media Direct kind of worked with Windows 10 (if installed correctly) however I did not try it after a build upgrade.
I think some people have experienced minor issues with such old wireless cards on Windows 10 Version 1709 and Windows 10 Version 1803. Disabling the (hidden) Microsoft Wi-Fi Direct Virtual Adapters in the Device Mangers has helped in some cases.
Mary G
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July 8th, 2018 08:00
No one can help without knowing anything about your model computer except to suggest replacing a Vista computer with a newer model.
jphughan
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July 8th, 2018 08:00
You can't transfer free space from one partition to another without third-party partition management tools. But be aware that Microsoft will be ending support and all updates, including security updates, for Windows 7 in less than 18 months (January 2020), so this plan would have you moving from an obsolete OS to a nearly obsolete one. If you intend to keep the system longer than that, you may want to consider buying a Windows 10 license, and if you DON'T intend to keep it longer than that, then it may not be worth the effort to upgrade the OS at this point.
However, note that if you go with Windows 10, you'll have to perform a clean install rather than an in-place upgrade, but honestly that might not be such a bad idea at this stage. In fact, even though an in-place upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 is technically supported, that was back in the days where in-place upgrades could create a fair number of problems that wouldn't exist if you had performed a clean install on the same system, so regardless of whether you go with Windows 7 or 10 here, I would strongly consider backing up your data and any application installers onto your 450 GB expansion drive, then wiping your internal hard drive and installing a modern version of Windows from scratch.
Philip_Yip
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July 9th, 2018 05:00
What model of Dell is this? If it is a Vista model it is likely >10 years old now. Also the Windows Vista Installation is also likely to have cluttered up quite a lot since that time. You should clean install Windows 7 directly or clean install Windows 10 directly using your Windows 7 Retail Key. Let us know the model of Dell, processor (some models shipped with Vista had only 32 Bit architecture processors) and RAM. You can check this out by powering up your Dell and pressing [ F2 ] to enter the Legacy BIOS setup.
Deeks1
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July 9th, 2018 06:00
Sorry, should have mentioned it was an Inspiron 6400. I have in fact, bought an ex lease Dell Latitude, which runs beautifully. Was also trying to resurrect the old one.
Deeks1
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July 9th, 2018 07:00
Thanks very much for the reply. Some great information in there. Will give it a good look. Cheers.
Deeks1
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July 9th, 2018 07:00
Thanks Phillip. It is a Dell Inspiron 6400. And is about 11 years old. Not my only computer :) , but thought I'd try and update it. It is 32 bit