First, choose the installation method
Now you have downloaded the ISO image and burned to DVD. Next you have two options to run the installer. The performance of the Windows Installer depends on which method you choose.
If your system already has windowsxp, Vista, or an earlier version installed, you can launch the installer from the Windows operating system. Alternatively, you can boot the system from the installation media. Either way, you will see a dialog box.
What is the difference? If you run the installer in Windows.
1, can not run the 64-bit installer in the x86 version of Windows.
2, install Windows7 and the existing Windows version of the same volume.
3, must use the existing partition, can not be changed, the installer does not recognize the unallocated space.
If you boot from Windows 7 DVD:
1, you can not upgrade the existing Windows version, you can only customize the installation.
2, you can delete an existing partition, create a new partition, extend an existing disk partition, or specify an unallocated space as the installation location.
3, install Windows7 and the existing Windows version of the same volume.
In addition, if you launch the installer in Windows, you can choose to run a compatibility check on your existing system.
Second, how to install a new
If you plan to do a clean installation, it is recommended that you back up, then launch the installer from Windows7DVD, eliminating any existing partitions. Because this will save you time and reduce some trouble. Now assume that you have already made a backup. Because all the data will disappear, so be sure to save it before you start.
There are four steps to the new installation:
1. Start the program from WindowsDVD, follow the prompts to select a custom (advanced) installation, then click Next to enter the screen;
2, click the drive option (Advanced) displays all available disk management tools;
3, select a partition from the list, and click Delete;
4, repeat any other extra volume until everything except the unallocated space Did not stay.
Now, you can complete the installation using all the unallocated space on the drive.
Three, find the old driver is not afraid
In my test, so far, windows7 is very detailed on the driver. But it's not perfect, some devices are blank, or replaced by generic drivers.
If you have already installed an earlier version of Windows Vista or Windows 7, you do not need to use a special program to back up the driver from the old system. Windows Vista and Windows 7 save a local copy of all drivers in a folder called FileRepository, which is in a subfolder of the DriverStore folder. The full path is C:WindowsSystem32DriverStoreFileRepository.
In a clean Windows 7X86 installation, the FileRepository folder contains more than 900 MB of files. If you add some new devices or updates, this number can easily exceed 1GB.
After you have completed the new installation of Windows 7, you can use Device Manager to install or update any driver, or just click on the old driver you saved to install.
Four, fearlessly overwrite old folders
When you instruct Windows Installer to do a custom installation, it will move the old Windows, ProgramFiles, and User Folders (DocumentsandSettings) to a file called Windows. Old folder. The new installation creates a new set of top-level folders on the current system drive: windows, ProgramFiles, and Users.
The benefit of doing so is that when a single disk on a system has only one partition and a lot of free disk space, it gets a fresh install without losing any data. A new, non-destructive installation gives you a new start, and old data files are safely hidden in the Windows.old folder.
To perform a clean and non-destructive installation, you can launch the Windows 7 installer on Windows or from Windows 7DVD, click on the installation steps, select the Custom (Advanced) option, then, in the list of available disk partitions, select one that contains your current Windows The installed partition. For most people, it is drive C.
After clicking OK, you will see a warning dialog.
After completing the setup, when you start Windows 7 for the first time, you will see that all your data and program files are in the Windows.Old folder. If you have any old data files to retrieve, you can find them in Usersfolder (WindowsVista) or DocumentsandSettings.
5. Hard disk capacity requirements return to the original
Under the current standard, you do not need a lot of disk space to install Windows7. Microsoft announced the RC minimum hardware recommended 16G free disk space. But that's not a hard requirement. After installing Windows7Ultimate on a 10G drive (9.9G format) virtual machine, I still have 3.95G of free disk space.
The author later noticed that the full installation of Windows7Ultimatex86 requires 6 to 9G space. Obviously, this amount will increase when you install additional programs or create data files. But how big should the system partition be? According to the author's experience, 15G is a minimum scale, but sooner or later it will become tight, so if you have enough spare disk space, it is recommended to reserve at least 30G.
Finally, the author also collected some popular knowledge about Windows7RC and shared it:
RC is the latest test version in the development process of Windows7. Available in x86 and x64 formats. It is the last version before Microsoft officially released Windows 7. A full installation of Windows 7RC should be completed in one and a half hours. As for the slower machine, it can be completed in two hours.
Although it is possible that Microsoft will add some new desktop background or screen saver. But currently Windows 7RC is already a full-featured version. Microsoft's work from now on is to fix the final error, most of which will be related to the original equipment manufacturer's configuration and hardware support.
The RC version is like a trial version and the public will be able to download and install it. No need to pay any fees.
Windows 7 cannot be installed on top of Windows XP. Windows 7 must be installed as a net, or installed on a Vista-based basis to migrate data and personalization settings from xp.
The virtual machine has its special purpose, and the virtualized hardware does not support the Aero graphics feature, so the real desktop experience cannot be performed.
Most of the mainstream commercial and entertainment programs that run on Vista can run on Windows 7.
You will be prompted to enter your product key during the installation process. If you leave this box blank, the installer will continue and there are no restrictions on your Windows 7. But before you activate, you must enter a valid product key. By default, it will be activated automatically within 3 days after installation, or it can be disabled during the installation process.