question on installing Win7 and deinstalling Winxp

[Santuzzo]

Well the thing about Acronis is this. If you ever wish to go back to XP, this will restore it in the exact same way you have it setup when you do the image. Including software and files. So you wont lose anything that way. But at the same time, if there is something you want to access when you install Win7, you wont have access to it unless you back it up to the other drive first cause your going to format that drive.

I see you mention you have 2 partitions? What are the sizes of these partitions as they are now? What is on the other partition, not the one you have XP installed to now?

Yes, what you say about Acronis only goes for it's 'cloning' feature, right?
It can also just make a normal back-up of a drive or partition. Those files will be accessible from Win7, no? Isn't a regular back-up just the same as copying the files?

My C partition is 100GB and it has WinXP on it as well as some software (like AV software). The D partition is 500GB and it holds almost all my software (I will need to re-instal all of this software under Win7)l. This is mostly software for music production (digital audio workstation/sequencer, software synthesizers, etc).

Both of these partitions are on one physical drice (the on I will have to format).

Then I have a 1TB data drive (actually it's 2 of them in a mirrored RAID set-up) and these hold projetcs, data, files, mp3s, etc. But this one I don't have to reformat, right? Even if I go from a 32bit OS to a 64 bit OS?

 

[KSoD]

As far as Acrnois goes, it depends on which software you got from them. Acronis True Image can only do the clone as far as i know. I havent used the software in quite some time so i could be wrong. I have found other free software that does the clone job much better for me. So i dropped the paid software.

Well what you can do is this. You can create another partition from that 500GB partition. Use some of that free space that it has and just shrink it down and create a whole new partition. From there you can install Win7 and have yourself a Dual Boot. That way you have everything and you can choose which OS you want to use. That way if you have software that only works in XP, you can use it without having to go through so much extra trouble. Cause i would be willing to bet that not all of our music production software is going to be Win7 compatible right off the bat.

You wouldnt have to format the RAID setup. So that isnt an issue. I would go to this site here:

Windows 7 Compatible Software Programs, Updates & Downloads

Make sure that the software you are using for your music production is compatible. Also i would highly suggest running this as well:

Free Download PC Upgrade Advisor Windows 7 Hardware Programs Issues

Just to make sure that everything you want to do is possible. This will tell you everything you need to know upon your update and save you a ton of work afterwards.

 

[Santuzzo]

As far as Acrnois goes, it depends on which software you got from them. Acronis True Image can only do the clone as far as i know. I havent used the software in quite some time so i could be wrong. I have found other free software that does the clone job much better for me. So i dropped the paid software.

Well what you can do is this. You can create another partition from that 500GB partition. Use some of that free space that it has and just shrink it down and create a whole new partition. From there you can install Win7 and have yourself a Dual Boot. That way you have everything and you can choose which OS you want to use. That way if you have software that only works in XP, you can use it without having to go through so much extra trouble. Cause i would be willing to bet that not all of our music production software is going to be Win7 compatible right off the bat.

You wouldnt have to format the RAID setup. So that isnt an issue. I would go to this site here:

Windows 7 Compatible Software Programs, Updates & Downloads

Make sure that the software you are using for your music production is compatible. Also i would highly suggest running this as well:

Free Download PC Upgrade Advisor Windows 7 Hardware Programs Issues

Just to make sure that everything you want to do is possible. This will tell you everything you need to know upon your update and save you a ton of work afterwards.

Thanks man ! That is a good idea, and I have been thinking about a dual boot, but since my XP already showed some small problems I thought I'd have to re-install it, and that actually made me consider getting win7. I figured if I have to re-install, might as well upgrade.

As for Win7 64bit compatibility, I did my research: prior to purchasing Win7 I contacted all my software supports and made sure it would run on Win7 64 bit. All the replies were positive, in some cases I had to download a little update, but everything should be fine. So bottom line I tihnk tjhe dual boot system won't be neccessary.

But one more tihng about the Acronis back-up: the program has different options to choose, one is called clone disc and another one is called back up drive or partition. Would that be a regular back up of files? Wouldn't that mean rthe files get simply copied and can be accessed later at any point evne form my new OS?

Thanks so much for your help, I appreciate it!

 

[KSoD]

I would read the FAQ on Acronis' site. They will be better equipped to answer that. I do know that some backup programs are not used the way your thinking. They put the backup in a file that only that program can read. Requiring you to install that program in order to access it. Kinda how they get you. That could be the case as well for this Acronis program. But i cant answer as i dont use it.

 

[Santuzzo]

I would read the FAQ on Acronis' site. They will be better equipped to answer that. I do know that some backup programs are not used the way your thinking. They put the backup in a file that only that program can read. Requiring you to install that program in order to access it. Kinda how they get you. That could be the case as well for this Acronis program. But i cant answer as i dont use it.

Thanks !

I will look into their info/website.
In case of doubt I can also just use the software that came with my extrnal drive (HD my book essnetial) it's a back up software, so that should work fine.
If all fails I guess I will have to copy files manually?

 

[KSoD]

If all else fails, yes. You will have to copy/paste them manually.

 

[Santuzzo]

If all else fails, yes. You will have to copy/paste them manually.

Thanks !

I will start with all of this tomorrow (already past 3am over here), but now I have an 'action plan'!

Lars

 

[Santuzzo]

I was just booting from the CD I made with Gparted, and it loads up fine, but now I'm confused about what exactly to do.
I printed out your post from your GParted thread and I read it all through, but I still have some questions:

I want to keep the partitions I have (100GB and 500GB, on the Gparted menu both show less than that, and there is some part unallocated, whatever that means).

Should I delete the partions and create them again by installing Win7 or should I re-create them in GParted, or should I just leave them and only re-format them?

And in case I only need to format each partition, would a format in MS-DOS be fine? or would that only do the same as a quick format?

Thanks and merry x-mas

Lars