Laptop: Change from Windows Vista to Windows 7

Dell Laptop – Change of OS from Windows Vista 64 bit to Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit.

Someone that I know does not have Restore DVD(s) for their Dell Laptop. The Recovery Boot Menu to Restore from the Recovery Partition is messed up (option missing). I researched this on the web and found out that a significant number of people have had a similar problem. I told the person to order Dell Recovery DVD(s) but this was never done. Finally I told the person to just order a Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit OEM for $80 so that they will have a better Operating System and NO Crapware. The person finally listened to me and ordered Windows 7.

I have already used Ubuntu Linux to backup their personal files to a USB hard drive.

My plans are:

1. Delete all partitions on the Laptop’s hard drive.

2. Install Windows 7 to the Laptop’s hard drive (allowing Window 7 to partition and format the hard drive).

Questions:

1. It is my understanding that Windows 7 will automatically create the small System Reserved Partition and the C: partition. However, I have read that if the hard drive has already been Partitioned and Formatted NTFS, Windows 7 will only make the C: Partition and install everything there. Is this correct? Is this the recommended way to install Windows 7?

2. If I want to split the hard drive into two (2) Partitions (One OS & One Data), what would you recommend as the minimum size of the C: Partition?

Thanks in Advance.

 

You can do in an in place upgrade. If memory serves, one of the companies created software to allow you to migrate data and files from Windows Vista to Windows 7 during the upgrade and recover them later once Windows 7 boots up!

After installing Windows 7, you can get back the good old Windows 95/98 or Windows XP start menu by simply installing Classic Shell!

 

100 GB.

 

1. Yes.
2. For the OS itself:

Windows 7 system requirements

Windows 7 and SSDs: Cutting your system drive down to size

 

Hi TheKid7,

You have an excellent plan. Delete all partitions and then install Windows 7. You don't need to format as Windows 7 will take care of it. After installation of Windows 7, perform the following:

1. Remove the 100MB System Reserve Partition, as this is only required for BitLocker, and with Home Premium Edition, you don't have BitLocker.

2. Then partition your hard disk, leaving about 80GB ~ 100 GB for the OS Partition, meaning the 'C' Partition.

3. Depending then how big your hard drive is, you can then make further Partition(s). You can have upto 4 Primary Partitions, and that includes your OS Partition too.

4. This is an OPTION, in the DVD bay, you can remove the DVD Drive and insert a 120GB SSD for your OS. Then the original hard disk can serve as secondary drive, with upto 4 Primary Partitions on it for DATA and Imaging BackUp!

Best regards,

Mohamed

 

About the partition size, you didn't say what the total size of the hard drive is.

I read that most DVD bay's are SATA I or II, so if your hard drive bay is SATA-III you should put the SSD in the hard drive bay and the HDD in the DVD bay.