I'm taking an old computer from Vista to 7. I fit the system requirements, but it looks like I can't just upgrade without a fresh install? Is that real?

I don't see why you shouldn't be able to. Did you try and not succeed?
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What are your specs because the jump from Vista to Windows 7 is pretty big. I'm sure you meet the minimum specs ((1 GHz Processor, 1 GB Ram, 16 GB Hard Drive), but Windows 7 is a little bit heavier than Vista if memory serves.

I also believe you should do the full reinstall. It's time consuming but hear me out.

Get an external and back up your shit. The delay is worth it.

Part of the fun of installing a new OS is the ability to run without all of the gunk that you had previously. Chances are (I'm assuming) you haven't been running Disk Defrag and other System Utilities regularly...so installing a new OS w/o that proper Disk Drive format is the equivalent of putting a blanket over an unmade bed.

Back up your PC....do a full format of your C: Drive....PARTITION YOUR DRIVE so that you have a certain amount for your C: and store all of your files on another drive (D: on the internal or in your external USB connected drive), and keep it moving.

(PS: partitioning your drive helps because when you want to upgrade to a new OS...all of your shit is stored somewhere else so you can just format that C: Drive and go)

D

> ...so installing a new OS w/o that
>proper Disk Drive format is the equivalent of putting a
>blanket over an unmade bed.
>

Good analogy. I'm stealing this.

it was that much better, you needed a shit ton of RAM to move vista, and 7 was more forgiving. I have no idea how 10 compares.

www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

>What are your specs because the jump from Vista to Windows 7
>is pretty big. I'm sure you meet the minimum specs ((1 GHz
>Processor, 1 GB Ram, 16 GB Hard Drive), but Windows 7 is a
>little bit heavier than Vista if memory serves.
>
>I also believe you should do the full reinstall. It's time
>consuming but hear me out.
>
>Get an external and back up your shit. The delay is worth it.
>
>Part of the fun of installing a new OS is the ability to run
>without all of the gunk that you had previously. Chances are
>(I'm assuming) you haven't been running Disk Defrag and other
>System Utilities regularly...so installing a new OS w/o that
>proper Disk Drive format is the equivalent of putting a
>blanket over an unmade bed.
>
>Back up your PC....do a full format of your C:
>Drive....PARTITION YOUR DRIVE so that you have a certain
>amount for your C: and store all of your files on another
>drive (D: on the internal or in your external USB connected
>drive), and keep it moving.
>
>(PS: partitioning your drive helps because when you want to
>upgrade to a new OS...all of your shit is stored somewhere
>else so you can just format that C: Drive and go)
>
>D

Defrags have been scheduled and occurring so I think I'm good there. But I'm sure I'm holding all sorts of junk and programs I don't need/use.

Duo Core 2.1 GHz
4 GB Ram
64-bit
1 TB hard drive (half full)
1 TB external (backups, music, and random stuff)

I was also gonna 'download some RAM' since I think I can go up to 8GB. AKA I'm pricing that out before I Amazon it up or duck into Micro Center. I trust myself with that task, but this was the first time I got stuck holding an old computer/operating system. Between all the Apple products at the house and my work computer, I hadn't really been on this old thing as much.

My dad's old ass computer had a hard drive conk out on him a couple weeks ago so I'm now the zone of messing with stuff, copying files, and trying to improve my computing quality of life.

you should probably get a new computer, but I don't know of any reason that you can't do an in-place upgrade (which may or may not be true, I probably wouldn't know if that were the case, but I upgraded my desktop from vista to 7 when 7 came out)


www.engadgethd.com - the other stuff i'm looking at

windows 10 is actually pretty great.

Vista was shit and you don't want any traces of that shit near Win 7

>I'm taking an old computer from Vista to 7. I fit the system
>requirements, but it looks like I can't just upgrade without a
>fresh install? Is that real?

Good looking out folks.

Confession: I'm trying to be cheap more than anything else. AKA I'm trying to use this laptop a few more years so I could spend a few hundred bucks by doubling up from 4GB RAM and going to Windows 7 instead of spending 1000 (new laptop with 12 GB ram, half a TB hard drive).

Don't worry though. I certainly know how to download more RAM. So that part is all but done...hehe.