Switching from Windows Vista 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit

[jrdegaetano]

First time poster, long time reader. Usually I can find everything I need through some extensive "Google-ing" and forum surfing, but there's so much at stake for what I am attempting to do, and I can't afford to just utilize advice given to someone with a different set of circumstances, to end up experiencing anything short of complete success. So here we go.

I bought my Dell XPS 410 in 2007, and at that time I was using for very basic purposes. Here are the specs as of today (only changes made were to the GFX Card when the old one died, the RAM from 2gb to 4gb, and the use of my Audio Interface):

-Dell Dimension DXP061 (Purchased under the name "Dell XPS 410")
-Intel Core 2 Quad CPU Q6600 @ 2.40GHz 2.39 GHz (Number of processer cores: 4)
-4 GB Ram (PC2-5300 4X1GB Sticks with 4 total slots)
-288 GB Internal Hard Drive
-NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS (Stock GFX Card died, and I replaced it with this less than a year ago)
Windows Vista Home Premium 32-bit (64-bit capable/compatible)
-Single 22" Dell E228WFPC
-Behringer USB U-Control UCA200 Audio Interface (It is a miserable excuse for an Audio Interface, and I am going to be getting a better firewire Audio Interface)

Today, I use my PC for Music Production. Currently, I run Cubase 5, Reason 5, and Fruity Loops Producer simultaneously. This can be (for my computer) a task at times, and I am pretty limited in the amount of tracks I can run in one session. Once you throw in a few live audio recordings, the program crashes. Now I recognize that this can be attributed to a few things: 1) RAM, and 2) Audio Interface. About a year ago I upgraded the 2gb RAM my computer came with to 4gb. I saw a slight increase in efficiency, but not as much as I had hoped. After doing research, I found that Windows Vista 32-bit does not support the full 4gb of ram that I have installed. Also, I found out that my computer is quite capable of operating on a 64-bit OS. The audio interface I already know is the source of some other sound issues that I am having, but that's about it. Given all this new information, here are the things I would like to do and the questions associated with them:

1) Upgrade from Windows Vista 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit (I recognize that this will have to be a clean install, removing all of the files and programs I have on the computer).
-Do I have to buy the full version of Windows 7 to do this, or can it be done just as well/easily in the upgrade version of the software?
-Will most of my 32-bit Music related programs and files function fine?
-Will files backed up externally from current 32-bit operating system be accessible in a 64-bit system?
-Since I have 4 slots for ram, after upgrading to 64-bit, am I capable of going from 4gb to 6 or 8gb?

2) Replace current primary internal hard drive with larger one.
-Should I do this before I upgrade the OS, or after?

3) Utilize second monitor.
-I know that my current GFX Card (NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS) and OS can support it, but would it be of ANY benefit/need for me to upgrade?

4) Install Firewire PCI Card
-Before or after OS upgrade?

If you've gotten this far, you are probably as exhausted as I am, but PLEASE HELP! This is so important and I can't afford to make any mistakes I can't reverse.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Nukem]

1. Upgrading from Vista anything can have it's challenges. Unless you are going to buy another machine later on I would say buy retail. This way if you decided to build your own, you can use the same OS for anything you put together. Our own TF Windows guru's can give you a better answer than I can if you wanted to just upgrade. I know XP to 7 cannot happen, but from Vista it can be done. I just had LOTS of issues when I tried it once.

1a. 32-bit will function in a 64-bit environment, you just might have to run the program as administrator and run it as 32-bit.
1b. Yes... no worries about that.
1c. If you mobo can handle the ram then after you install the 64-bit OS it will work.

2. That would depend on the size you have now, but I have found that I use a smaller HDD for my OS and main program, then a larger one for my media/games, etc... this way I don't lose everything if I have to reload the OS.

3. unless you needed to, I wouldn't see a reason to.

4. either way, but Windows 7 will give you a much easier time to install hardware.

 

[jrdegaetano]

Thanks for the quick reply! A few questions:

1. Upgrading from Vista anything can have it's challenges. Unless you are going to buy another machine later on I would say buy retail. This way if you decided to build your own, you can use the same OS for anything you put together. Our own TF Windows guru's can give you a better answer than I can if you wanted to just upgrade. I know XP to 7 cannot happen, but from Vista it can be done. I just had LOTS of issues when I tried it once.

Would those issues not have occurred if you did a full install rather than an upgrade?

1c. If you mobo can handle the ram then after you install the 64-bit OS it will work.

Now this has been tough for me to find an answer to. Currently, my limits are listed pretty much universally are 4GB, but I know that that is mostly based on the 32-bit OS. Are there any diagnostic tools or resources that would tell me ONLY what my motherboard can support?

 

[Nukem]

not sure, but I hated Vista, so to be honest I would say if you have the money, it's not going to hurt to buy the retail 64-bit. BUT... do you plan on upgrading/building/buying a new machine in the future? if you are buying... the OS will be installed for you. You see what I'm getting at? So why buy or upgrade if you plan on a new machine?

open up the machine and take a look at the motherboard itself... some where on it, it should say a series of numbers/letters "DELL... something, or INTEL.... something, or MSI something, or ASUS something (but not always with the company name before it) Quick research tells me the same thing... your going to be stuck at 4GB regardless of OS. That's just based on the tech of the time...

 

[KSoD]

1) Upgrade from Windows Vista 32-bit to Windows 7 64-bit (I recognize that this will have to be a clean install, removing all of the files and programs I have on the computer).
-Do I have to buy the full version of Windows 7 to do this, or can it be done just as well/easily in the upgrade version of the software?
-Will most of my 32-bit Music related programs and files function fine?
-Will files backed up externally from current 32-bit operating system be accessible in a 64-bit system?
-Since I have 4 slots for ram, after upgrading to 64-bit, am I capable of going from 4gb to 6 or 8gb?

2) Replace current primary internal hard drive with larger one.
-Should I do this before I upgrade the OS, or after?

3) Utilize second monitor.
-I know that my current GFX Card (NVIDIA GeForce 8400 GS) and OS can support it, but would it be of ANY benefit/need for me to upgrade?

4) Install Firewire PCI Card
-Before or after OS upgrade?

If you've gotten this far, you are probably as exhausted as I am, but PLEASE HELP! This is so important and I can't afford to make any mistakes I can't reverse.

Thanks in advance!

1. As you said, it will have to be a clean install, there is no direct upgrade path from a 32 Bit OS to 64 bit OS.
1a. Since you know it has to be a clean install, I would suggest just buying a full retail version. Buying the upgrade will only cause you issues. The reason being is if you ever have to reinstall, you must first reinstall Vista, then again do the nasty upgrade path to 64 Bit Windows 7. If you buy the full media, you wont have to install Vista first at all. You can just install Win7 and be done.
1b. As long as the programs you use are compatible with Windows 7, then they will operate just fine in a 64 Bit system.
1c. Yes you will be able to access them and use them. After the install or upgrade can even transfer them back to the system for ease of access.
1d. You will be able to upgrade your RAM to the maximum amount that the Dell Mother board allows for. Visit Crucial.com and run its scanner, it will give you all the information you need on this.

2. That is your personal choice. If you go with this hard drive now, the new drive will just be a storage drive. You could upgrade to a larger drive now and use that and use your current drive as storage. The one thing I would suggest would be to utilize partitioning so that if you have to reinstall, you dont have to backup your files first, you can just reinstall Windows and your programs and have your files be on another partition and always ready for access.

3. That is a personal preference. I never thought I would need a 2nd monitor till I got one. Now my 2nd monitor has my Twitter Feeds and my gadgets on it while my main monitor is used for web surfing and everything else. This way I can interact with my IM's and Twitter without having to many overlapping Windows.

4. Either or. Just make sure to install the drivers and you will be good to go.