Best way to go from 32bit XP -> 64bit 7?

[Vidd]

My Windows XP partition is getting claustrophobic and it's about time I upgraded from an 8 year old OS.

Anyway, what's the easiest way to do this? I assume it'll have to be a clean install to go from XP to 7 and 32bit to 64bit.
I have a fair number of programs and several gigabytes of Steam games which is why I haven't done it yet.

 

[Gav2k]

Back everything up format and install there is no option to upgrade from xp only vista.

What hardware are you running? 64bit windows isn't always the best option!

 

[Rotator]

Back everything up format and install there is no option to upgrade from xp only vista.

What hardware are you running? 64bit windows isn't always the best option!

Yep, if you have 2 gigs of RAM like me, you'll want a 32 bit OS. If you have more than that (4 gigs usually) than you'll want a 64 bit OS. ALSO REMEMBER some programs are not compatible with 64 bit OS's!

 

[Vidd]

iMac Core2Duo 2.4Ghz with 4GB RAM.
I think I'll risk installing the 64-bit version.

 

[Stridder44]

iMac Core2Duo 2.4Ghz with 4GB RAM.
I think I'll risk installing the 64-bit version.

Good call. 64-bit is awesome. Anyway, your only option is to back up any important data and do a clean install. I mean, whenever you install an OS you should always do a clean install, but you can't even use the upgrade option when going from 32-bit to 64-bit (and vis versa).

 

[bartzilla]

My Windows XP partition is getting claustrophobic and it's about time I upgraded from an 8 year old OS.

Anyway, what's the easiest way to do this? I assume it'll have to be a clean install to go from XP to 7 and 32bit to 64bit.
I have a fair number of programs and several gigabytes of Steam games which is why I haven't done it yet.

iirc there's a migration tool for data and that on the win 7 disk. Clean install is the way to go, and windows x64 all the way - you won't regret it.

 

[Rotator]

Wait.. When you say upgrade do you mean install the OS without wiping the HD?

When you do a CD bootup from the win 7 disk doesn't it allow you to wipe the HD?

 

[hideous.ape]

Yes you will have to do a reformat of the HD because XP uses FAT32 while Vista + Win 7 use NTFS. Also 32bit cannot be upgraded to 64bit. So you will have to do a clean Bootcamp install for Win 7.

- Backup whatever data you want to keep from XP.
- Run Bootcamp Setup Assistant in MacOSX and use the Restore feature to reset your HD back to one Mac partition. Now insert your Win 7 disc and run Bootcamp Setup Assistant again.
- You can skip down to the "Direct installation of Windows using Boot Camp" section of the following guide:

http://www.appleinsider.com/print/0..._7_on_the_mac_installation_via_boot_camp.html

If you have problems with Win 7 please bare in mind that Apples hands are tied until Microsoft go live with Win 7. So while Apple may have bug fixes already lined up for various issues in Bootcamp they have to legally hold off until Microsoft launch the product.

Regards,
h.a

 

[Stridder44]

Yes you will have to do a reformat of the HD because XP uses FAT32 while Vista + Win 7 use NTFS.

Hate to be the one who nit-picks, but XP also uses NTFS. It's just that with Vista and 7, NTFS is required (as in FAT32 is no longer supported or even an option).

 

[hideous.ape]

Hate to be the one who nit-picks, but XP also uses NTFS. It's just that with Vista and 7, NTFS is required (as in FAT32 is no longer supported or even an option).

Ya I knew that but I don't know many people that ever actually used NTFS with XP. Figured it was easier to avoid unnecessary info seen as the OP is leaving XP behind.

 

[gugucom]

If you download Winclone from Twocanoes you can make a clone of your 32-bit system. The clone will be an image stored on a HFS+ Mac OS X disk. Obviously that can be stored externaly from a laptop. If you set the right preferences you can even mount a Winclone image. If you have a NTFS driver in OS X you can later get any data from your mounted image. You can also re-install your 32-bit system.

 

[Stridder44]

Ya I knew that but I don't know many people that ever actually used NTFS with XP. Figured it was easier to avoid unnecessary info seen as the OP is leaving XP behind.

Fair enough. Although I had used NTFS for many years with XP (and I stopped using XP a couple of years ago) and never had a single issue with it.

 

[hideous.ape]

I had planned to try out NTFS on XP but once I had a perfect image made of XP I never really bothered. I second the plan to use Winclone...excellent app.

 

[Eric S.]

I don't know many people that ever actually used NTFS with XP.

I do for my Boot Camp partition, only because NTFS is said to be a more solid filesystem (less prone to corruption I suppose).

 

[thejadedmonkey]

If you have problems with Win 7 please bare in mind that Apples hands are tied until Microsoft go live with Win 7. So while Apple may have bug fixes already lined up for various issues in Bootcamp they have to legally hold off until Microsoft launch the product.

I'll nitpick too, Windows 7 is already finalized. Actually, there are many people (myself included) who are running the final version. It's just that Apple's so lazy when it comes to drivers, that there aren't always stable versions for the computer.

Case in point, my MBP runs Windows 7 most stable when I use Microsoft's drivers, instead of the bootcamp drivers.

To the OP: If you put your steam folder onto a removable drive, you don't actually have to reinstall steam, you can just run it from the folder.

 

[Stridder44]

I'll nitpick too, Windows 7 is already finalized. Actually, there are many people (myself included) who are running the final version. It's just that Apple's so lazy when it comes to drivers, that there aren't always stable versions for the computer.

Case in point, my MBP runs Windows 7 most stable when I use Microsoft's drivers, instead of the bootcamp drivers.

Thank you! Finally someone who doesn't blame these driver problems on Microsoft. I mean don't get me wrong, I appreciate that Apple develops these drivers in the first place, I just wish they'd work on/support them a little better.

 

[Eric S.]

I mean don't get me wrong, I appreciate that Apple develops these drivers in the first place, I just wish they'd work on/support them a little better.

Agreed. It took Apple a long time to make the trackpad on the unibody MBs even usable under XP. Now it is at least usable although still frustrating.

 

[gugucom]

Talking about drivers I just want to drop a word of warning about Bootcamp 3.0. The HFS driver is realy bad and buggy. People get BSDs quite often. It is located in Windows/system32/drivers/AppleHFS.sys

 

[valvehead]

Talking about drivers I just want to drop a word of warning about Bootcamp 3.0. The HFS driver is realy bad and buggy. People get BSDs quite often. It is located in Windows/system32/drivers/AppleHFS.sys

Is it possible to install Boot Camp 3 without Apple's HFS driver? If not, can it easily be removed?

I ask because I already have MacDrive 8, which is working just fine on Win7 RC.

 

[gugucom]

Is it possible to install Boot Camp 3 without Apple's HFS driver? If not, can it easily be removed?

I ask because I already have MacDrive 8, which is working just fine on Win7 RC.

I don't know which particular installer file creates AppleHFS.sys, but you can disable it by renaming it to AppleHFS_disabled.sys

 

[hideous.ape]

I'll nitpick too, Windows 7 is already finalized. Actually, there are many people (myself included) who are running the final version. It's just that Apple's so lazy when it comes to drivers, that there aren't always stable versions for the computer.

No its not...you are all still using a free Beta version of Win 7, it is the RTM (Released To Manufacturer) build but until the code is signed off by Microsoft and released for sale it is not the same as the final release version that you will buy in the shops. Not a single piece of code may change from your build and the release build but that does not make it the same. Try getting support from MS or Apple in a years time with your RTM version.

You are all missing my point...Apple cannot provide public support to an OS that has not been released yet. Legally Microsoft could sue if Apple release any fixes in advance of the Win 7 launch. Just because you have a build installed at home from a public beta test does not mean Apple can provide support. No company in the world would release fixes for an OS still in Beta phase, even if that buiild looks 99% certain to be the final version. If MS changed some code at the last minute then months of work could be wasted. Fixes are lined up waiting to go but we cannot move until Win 7 goes live.

Regards,
h.a

 

[flopticalcube]

So I gather that the consensus is to use the Windows migration tool if you can (32bit -> 32bit) and just reload everything if you can't (32bit -> 64bit)?

 

[balamw]

Try getting support from MS or Apple in a years time with your RTM version.

Some of us have RTM bits and permanent RTM keys from Microsoft (via TechNet, MSDN, MSDNAA, launch events/parties, etc...) that will definitely be supported a year from now. They come straight from Microsoft.

Just because it's not yet available retail, it does not mean we are running an unsupported beta.

Plus there are plenty of hardware vendors out there with Windows 7 drivers on their sites. http://www.nvidia.com/Download/index.aspx?lang=en-us pul down Windows 7, is MS planning to sue Nvidia now?

It's just not in Apple interest to have folks running Windows 7 yet.

B

 

[hideous.ape]

It is an unsupported beta from an Apple point of view...your running it on Apple hardware not a PC so until Apple release drivers it is completely unsupported, no matter what drivers available online may or may not work.

Your mixing PC drivers and Mac drivers together incorrectly. Essentially you are all running an unsupported OS that just happens to work on some units. Win 7 installs at all because it is basically Vista SP3 or SP4 so current Bootcamp treats it like Vista, which is fully supported. However some Apple configs produce BSOD's during Win 7 installation, etc. These Apple drivers have to be signed off by Apple, Microsoft, Nvidia, etc before they will be released for Win 7.

Why would Microsoft sue Nvidia for releasing Windows PC drivers?

Nvidia are part of the MS public beta test. Apple are not. Microsoft would sue Nvidia if they released Apple drivers for Win 7 before the release. I'll say it again as a BootCamp tester working for Apple...WE CANNOT RELEASE APPLE DRIVERS, UPDATES OR FIXES FOR WIN 7 UNTIL MS GOES LIVE WITH WIN 7.

Microsoft would sue Apple for releasing Apple drivers that allow Win 7 to run on Apple hardware before its public release. Its the way Apple and MS have worked up until now with both XP and Vista.

You guys should really just hold off using Win 7 on Apple hardware until we get our fixes out, that will only happen after Win 7 gets released.

 

[balamw]

Your mixing PC drivers and Mac drivers together incorrectly.

Thanks for the comedy bit, I needed a laugh.

I'm glad to hear that Apple is actively working on an update to Boot Camp, but if you really are a beta tester you probably should not be talking about it on an open forum and talking nonsense.

The part of Boot Camp that interests most people is a bunch of PC (read Windows) drivers. There is nothing magical about the Boot Camp drivers. If you think there is, you need to step out of the RDF for a bit for some fresh air. The Boot Camp Assistant is great if you don't know how to handle partitioning yourself, and the BIOS compatibility layer is invisible once installed.

Since the Intel switch and the release of Windows compatible firmware, Apple is a system integrator of Windows compatible hardware like Dell, HP, Acer, Toshiba, ... Only difference is that Macs can also run OS X out of the box. They all can also run Linux, but that's unsupported too right?

Dell already has their Windows 7 drivers out http://support.dell.com/support/top...t/dsn/document?c=us&docid=361553&l=en&s=gen#2 and I'm sure the others do too.

It is definitely in Microsoft's best interest to have as much hardware fully supported and tested as early as possible, preferably BEFORE the retail launch, so they would not sue anyone, including Apple, for releasing drivers early.

Apple is just waiting because it isn't in their interest, and they are just using the retail release date as cover for their decision. Plus Apple doesn't really support any part of the Boot Camp process.

Apple does not provide support for installing or running Microsoft Windows software. To find help for Windows issues, go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows.

B