clean install vs upgrade

  • Thread starter Thread starter Jeremy Schubert
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Jeremy Schubert

We have XP in our school's labs. I'd like to upgrade a few to Vista
(business edition).
Any opinions about clean installs vs upgrades?
 
Jeremy Schubert said:
We have XP in our school's labs. I'd like to upgrade a few to Vista
(business edition).
Any opinions about clean installs vs upgrades?
Click to expand...

A clean install is always better. Of course, that's a personal opinion. Make
sure you back up all your important files. You will undoubtedly need to find
new drivers for your programs.

C.B.
 
Do a full backup and then an upgrade install. Many will tell you without
thinking that you should always do a clean install. The fallacy of this is
that there is nothing to lose and a lot to gain by trying the upgrade. It
usually works out fine (assuming the machine is clean, malware free, and
stable) and there is no real downside if, for some reason, it doesn't. Then
you simply do the clean install and have lost nothing but a little time.
When it does work out, as is usually the case, you can save many hours of
reinstalling software, reconfiguring settings and preferences, and restoring
data.
 
Yep,
I backup with Acronis then did the upgrade.
Worked fine so eventually deleted the backup.
 
There may be preconditions for doing an upgrade install. Things like
installed software or drivers that may need to be removed before installing
Vista, or upgraded for compatibility. The Vista upgrade advisor should list
those if there are any. An upgrade install may be desirable if the computers
have OEM software and drivers in them that could not be reinstalled if you
replaced the OS with a clean install of Vista. Also a clean install may
require that you acquire required drivers before you start, including
motherboard chipset drivers.

You do have the option of testing out a dual-boot on one of them to see
whether a clean install of Vista would be the more desirable route in your
particular circumstance.
 
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