Oh For the Love of God, Can Someone Tell Me . . . .

[Foxfyre]

People still use Vista?

Sadly yes we do. It was all that was available on my Sony VAIO laptop and I got too good a deal on it to pass it up. Since I retired, I don't do a lot with the Sony other than e-mail, surfing, and playing games and it is working pretty well for that.

But. . . .

As it ages it is developing some 'issues'. So. . . .

If. . . .

I decide to install Windows 7, do I first uninstall Vista and then install Windows 7? Or vice versa? And will I need to reinstall MS Office et al after I install Windows 7?

The best policy is never upgrade, always do a clean install, that way you save yourself a lot of potential headaches. I always advocate using an exterior hard drive to back up or "ghost" your existing drive or adding a new internal hard drive which, believe it or not is often ridiculously simple. With a new hard drive you simply reboot your computer with the disc in the optical drive and follow the instructions. With an old drive format then install the new operating system.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obVF-OQ5lAY&feature=related]YouTube - Clean Installing Windows 7 from Hard Disk[/ame]

It is "ridiculously simple" only if you know what you're talking about and know what you're doing. Remember, I am about as untechy as it comes when it comes to this computer stuff. I recognize a computer three out of four times when I see one now, and I can usually find the on switch. I can run the software that I have and I know how to control-alt-delete to bring up the task manager and how to reboot if nothing else works.

And that's it.

 

[Foxfyre]

The Youtube video is helpful, but I have already removed all my work files from this computer and saved everything I want to keep to my PC and/or an external hard drive.

So there really isn't anything to back up.

So can I just uninstall Vista and then install Windows 7?

 

[Ringel05]

The Youtube video is helpful, but I have already removed all my work files from this computer and saved everything I want to keep to my PC and/or an external hard drive.

So there really isn't anything to back up.

So can I just uninstall Vista and then install Windows 7?

Simply toss Win 7 in the CD/DVD drive and reboot. Follow the instructions, it will probably give you the option to upgrade or do a clean (full) install, choose the full install option. If it asks if you want to install alongside Vista or us the entire disc select use entire disc.
After the install is complete you will want to let it do the updates including the service pack 1, this is going to take a while so find something else to do while it's updating but check back periodically in case it wants any interaction from you to continue.
Oh, if it doesn't automatically reboot to the disc then reboot again and hit F2, F12 or 'esc' to select the boot menu then click on boot from disc.

 

[Ringel05]

Sadly yes we do. It was all that was available on my Sony VAIO laptop and I got too good a deal on it to pass it up. Since I retired, I don't do a lot with the Sony other than e-mail, surfing, and playing games and it is working pretty well for that.

But. . . .

As it ages it is developing some 'issues'. So. . . .

If. . . .

I decide to install Windows 7, do I first uninstall Vista and then install Windows 7? Or vice versa? And will I need to reinstall MS Office et al after I install Windows 7?

The best policy is never upgrade, always do a clean install, that way you save yourself a lot of potential headaches. I always advocate using an exterior hard drive to back up or "ghost" your existing drive or adding a new internal hard drive which, believe it or not is often ridiculously simple. With a new hard drive you simply reboot your computer with the disc in the optical drive and follow the instructions. With an old drive format then install the new operating system.
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obVF-OQ5lAY&feature=related]YouTube - Clean Installing Windows 7 from Hard Disk[/ame]

It is "ridiculously simple" only if you know what you're talking about and know what you're doing. Remember, I am about as untechy as it comes when it comes to this computer stuff. I recognize a computer three out of four times when I see one now, and I can usually find the on switch. I can run the software that I have and I know how to control-alt-delete to bring up the task manager and how to reboot if nothing else works.

And that's it.

It wasn't that long ago I was I your shoes.