Gaming XP to 7

[Tokiopop]

Basically, I want to put XP on my windows partition on my macbook. Currently there's XP on it, and I'm waiting for official windows 7 bootcamp support.

Thing is, I don't want to have to download 80GB worth of games and software again. Is there any reliable and trustworthy software where I can back up everything (every file, every setting, every save, every game, every program) to my external, wich I can then restore to my laptop when windows 7 is installed?

 

[Elritha]

For the majority of your sofware you will have to reinstall them again if you upgrade to Windows 7 directly.

Microsoft have provided a tool on the Windows 7 disk to help with migrating. It's called 'Windows Easy Transfer tool' and should be in the support folder on the dvd. With this tool, you will be able to migrate all user accounts, email, user data etc. What it won't be able to handle is any third party program/application. Those you will have to reinstall.

There is another alternative to keeping your data and programs intact. You could upgrade XP to Vista, and then Vista to 7. This should keep all your programs intact, provided you aren't trying to upgrade from a 32bit OS to a 64bit one. I just wouldn't recommend this route.

 

[Tokiopop]

For the majority of your sofware you will have to reinstall them again if you upgrade to Windows 7 directly.

Microsoft have provided a tool on the Windows 7 disk to help with migrating. It's called 'Windows Easy Transfer tool' and should be in the support folder on the dvd. With this tool, you will be able to migrate all user accounts, email, user data etc. What it won't be able to handle is any third party program/application. Those you will have to reinstall.

There is another alternative to keeping your data and programs intact. You could upgrade XP to Vista, and then Vista to 7. This should keep all your programs intact, provided you aren't trying to upgrade from a 32bit OS to a 64bit one. I just wouldn't recommend this route.

I was thinking about going to Vista then 7, but as you said, I can't go 32 to 64 bit, which is something I was wanting. Another problem could be that some of my software might not like going to Vista then to 7, and I might have to reinstall some anyway.

Thanks for the help, but I think I'll probably end up doing a fresh install.

 

[mkoo]

You can install 7 into the same partition as XP, Windows dir and program files will be moved into winodws.old but any other files will be kept intact.
However backing up is always good.

 

[Quick-zeno]

"and I'm waiting for official windows 7 bootcamp support."

I've installed Windows 7 on my iMac with bootcamp, 64bit.
Everything almost worked out-of-the-box, Windows Update got most of the drivers, like Gfx drivers for aero.

One thing that didn't work (and still doesn't because I'm lazy) is the Built-in iSight.

As for backing up, copy and paste ftw

 

[jesterscourt]

I have been running RC1 on my Mac mini since 2 days after release with Bootcamp with no problems. Just back up your stuff on a portable hard drive, and bite the bullet

 

[Tokiopop]

"and I'm waiting for official windows 7 bootcamp support."

I've installed Windows 7 on my iMac with bootcamp, 64bit.
Everything almost worked out-of-the-box, Windows Update got most of the drivers, like Gfx drivers for aero.

One thing that didn't work (and still doesn't because I'm lazy) is the Built-in iSight.

As for backing up, copy and paste ftw

Interesting. I never use my iSight when I'm on windows anyway

You can install 7 into the same partition as XP, Windows dir and program files will be moved into winodws.old but any other files will be kept intact.
However backing up is always good.
I know, I id this on my other computer. but that had a load of old software I didn't care about and didn't want to get again. But it seems whatever I do, I'll have to reinstall all my old software. And for some reason I see something going wrong with windows trying to move everything into windows.old, so I'l lprobably do a manual backup instead.
QUOTE(jesterscourt @ Jan 6 2010, 07:24 AM)

I have been running RC1 on my Mac mini since 2 days after release with Bootcamp with no problems. Just back up your stuff on a portable hard drive, and bite the bullet

Hmm, looks like this is my best option. I'm wondering what would be the best way to backup my files (including all my gamesavs and stuff). Just copy the contents of the hard drive to my external one, or is there some nifty 3rd party software (I'd like to stay away from microsoft software as much as possible).

Windows 7 64 bit fresh install it is

Thanks guys.

Oh, and I was just wondering, for anyone who's been using Windows 7 (preferably 64 bit), have you had any problems? I've only been using it a week or so on my old PC, and that's 32 bit.

 

[Elritha]

Oh, and I was just wondering, for anyone who's been using Windows 7 (preferably 64 bit), have you had any problems? I've only been using it a week or so on my old PC, and that's 32 bit.

No problems here on my 64bit version. I use it on my desktop. Most of my games work fine, even old titles. Some software I used on older Windows did need a newer version. That's about it.

 

[Raki]

To quote Steve Ballmer here: You should better buy a new PC - upgrading from XP to 7 is so hard.

 

[Tokiopop]

To quote Steve Ballmer here: You should better buy a new PC - upgrading from XP to 7 is so hard.

Well, to be honest, this isn't even a PC to begin with so...

 

[Raki]

To quote Steve Ballmer here: You should better buy a new PC - upgrading from XP to 7 is so hard.

Well, to be honest, this isn't even a PC to begin with so...

PC = Personal Computer...Apple even invented the first PC

 

[Myidentityisasec]

Well, you can use diino.com, They give you 30 days and 100GB Free

 

[Thoob]

Well, you can use diino.com, They give you 30 days and 100GB Free

What relevance to this have to the topic?

 

[jesterscourt]

How big is your portable HDD?

 

[Tokiopop]

How big is your portable HDD?

1.5TB, but about 1.25TB free space left, why?

 

[Tokiopop]

How should I backup everything? I don't like those weird backup files, I'd rather just have the folders with their contents copied over onto my hard drive.

When I do this on Mac (I can access the windows partition from Mac), it gets to around 80 out of 120 gigs, then finder crashed and wouldn't re-open. The second time I tried I got a kernal panic (these are the first two problems I've EVER had since I installed snow leopard).

When I try copy them over from Windows, it keeps telling me certain files are being used and can't be copied.

Is there something that will just back up every file (from my documents, to game saves) but will really just copy the files over, not put them in some weird backup/restore format?

Thanks. This is being more of a pain than I thought.

 

[Raki]

what are you trying to copy when you are in windows? You should just copy what you really need and not everything what is on your windows partition

 

[Tokiopop]

Well, all my music, videos, documents etc, settings, and game saves, game addons etc. Thing is, I don't know where most of this stuff is (mostly in Program Files and Documents and Settings, which, is pretty much everything). It's just easier to copy everything, install windows 7, then find what I need after, rather than picked each individual file out now.

 

[Elritha]

The files that are in use are more then likely windows system files you won't need. Just ignore them and copy the rest that can be copied.

 

[Tokiopop]

The files that are in use are more then likely windows system files you won't need. Just ignore them and copy the rest that can be copied.

It just cancels the copy, no option to skip