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XPS 700 - Upgrading to Windows 7
Hi all,
Have just been gifted an XPS 700 (lucky chap!) and am looking at the most effective ways of updating it without breaking the bank or the PC.
As my knowledge is reasonably limited (though not totally absent) I thought I'd stand a better chance of not coming a-cropper by crowd sourcing and asking for a little assistance.
I'd like to upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium and bump the RAM up to 8GB or so. If anyone can recommend places to pick up a reasonably priced copy of the OS that would also be useful.
I'd very much appreciate it if anyone knows of anything specific that might cause an issue. I was going to install 4x 2GB sticks (correct speeds and everything of course) and simply bung the W7 disk into the tray and do a full install (rather than upgrade).
To prep the PC I've upgraded the graphics card drivers (2x GeForce 7900 GS in SLI) as I'd read in a few places that outdated drivers can cause an issue.
Other than that I'd like to make sure I'm not walking into certain death.
Cheers
tgsmith
2.9K Posts
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August 30th, 2011 05:00
B4ne1,
First off, I recommend that you go to Microsoft's Windows 7 Compatibility site: www.microsoft.com/.../default.aspx
Click on the "Scan your PC for compatibility" link. After the scan completes, print out the compatibility checklist and review it. Pay particular attention to installed programs and device drivers that may require upgrading to work correctly with Windows 7.
Since no Windows 7 drivers are available from Dell for the XPS 700, you might be able to use some of the Vista drivers. Worst case scenario, would be to visit the sites of the individual device chip manufacturers to find suitable Windows 7 drivers.
Hopefully, someone who has already attempted or performed a Windows 7 installation on an XPS 700 will come along and offer their advice.
PS: I found this post on Crucial's forum, so apparently the XPS can handle Windows 7: forum.crucial.com/.../8552
Note the user's post regarding RAM; 8Gb installed, but 4GB usuable due to Soundblaster issue.
Hope this information helps.
Tony
b4ne1
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August 30th, 2011 07:00
Excellent, thanks for your input Tony.
I ran the Compatibility tool a while back and it seemed relatively happy, but I should probably do a more detailed investigation now I'm set on upgrading.
Thanks also for the note on RAM. As the PC already has 2x 1GB installed would I be better off using the remaining two sockets or buying 2x 2GB sticks? Not sure how that would impact efficiency, if at all.
Fingers crossed that someone who has upgraded to 7 sees this thread. I've never upgraded an OS so not really sure how to go about it; other than stick the disk in and hope!
Cheers
Philip_Yip
7 Technologist
7 Technologist
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16K Posts
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August 30th, 2011 09:00
For doing a clean install of Windows 7 64 bit, refer to my guide below, it will take you through each step.
Use the Vista x64 drivers from the drivers and downloads page.
Crucial states a maximum of 4 GB of RAM, however these might work.