Migrating to W7?

[yurka]

There are many webpages similar to this one: http://www.askvg.com/transform-windo...mization-pack/

I wonder, is it real W7 or just "looks and feels like W7"?
Does anyone has any experience with it?
I don't mind paying $120 (although I am not going to record TV shows, but there is no cheaper version of W7); my XP Pro is more than enough for me, it just became too slow to start. My PC is 7 yrs old; would it make sense to buy a new PC with W7?

[Steve R Jones]

Thats a "theme" to turn parts of XP into LOOKING like win7.

[SuperSparks]

Even if you don't want to use it to record TV, Media Centre is still a useful program for other multimedia stuff, such as watching DVDs. I'd definitely recommend a new PC with Win7, even a low-end new PC will feel incredible compared to your 7 year-old rig.

[yurka]

Thank you, guys.
I probably will go with my local repair shop guy. I know, he'll charge me more but I'll get "personalized" machine, as I have now. Besides, I have had bad experience with brand names: Dale, Getaway, two HPs were returned to the manufacturer. My first custom-assembled PC lasted 7 years, the current one is still Okay, just it takes at least 5 min to start. Perhaps, I'll go for the next version of W7, for $200. However, I got to do some research first.
Thanks again.

[Train]

Might want to look into OEM versions.
http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...rating-Systems

Once installed, they do die when the motherboard does though.

[SpywareDr]

Might want to look into OEM versions.
http://www.newegg.com/Store/SubCateg...rating-Systems

Once installed, they do die when the motherboard does though.

Activation of an OEM reinstallation of XP, even after the death of a motherboard, has never been a problem. At worst is a 5-6 minute, (automated voice commands), phone call.

[yurka]

My preliminary search fished out this: http://www.jr.com/emachines/pe/EMH_ET183107/.
I read more reviews and most of them are positive; besides, J&R has 14 day "no questions asked" return policy.
I don't play games, watch TV or even DVDs: occasionally I burn music CDs and make copies of DVDs. I think the only Windows app. I use routinely is M$ Word, even Excel is opened once in a blue moon. Now I back up the entire HD (three partitions) once a month to an external HD using COMODO Backup. The whole thing takes ~20GB of space. I guess what I am saying is this: this inexpensive PC is much more that I'll ever need!
I think I will be able to restore my entire backup (minus Windows XP Pro, as I think having two Windows versions, XP and W7, on the same HD will be confusing for the PC [as well as for myself ]. I am sure that all my personal data, like text, tables, pics and music will be restored in W7. But what about third party apps? Many of them were installed in pre-W7 era. Will they function in W7? If I can find the manufacturer/author, I may ask for an updated version and install it anew, even if it costs me some (decent companies, like Logitech, distribute updated versions of their SW or even HW, to registered customers for free) but some manufacturers/authors are not in business anymore.
I guess switching to a new PC (and new OS) once in seven years is a bad habit: apart from obvious reasons, I forget how to transfer data, etc. from the old PC to a new one, i. e. how I did it last time.
Every advice is appreciated.




























?

[SuperSparks]

For the same kind of money this is a much better specified PC. And Dell have a better rep than Emachines too.

http://www.dell.com/us/en/home/deskt...on-570-anav2~~

[Welshjim]

Buying a new PC often is the best way to get a new operating system. The price of the OS, when bundled with the hardware, is very low.
In any event have you checked your old PC to see if it can handle Win7?
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...displaylang=en

[yurka]

You were absolutely right when you said

Buying a new PC often is the best way to get a new operating system

. I ran the Wizard; some programs are compatible, many "will not work on Windows 7" and for some "you may experience issues running this program on Win7". Still for some the advice was "go online to find out more" or "go to manufacturer's site...", etc. I think I'll buy Dell, as SuperSparks suggests, and will keep my dinosaur plugged, nearby or even as a small network and use it for some things incompatible with Win7. Right now it looks the easiest way to go around!

[SuperSparks]

If you go for a machine with either Professional or Ultimate edition, you get "XP Mode" available for free download, which integrates a Win XP virtual machine into Win7, from which you can run your older, incompatible, software. Even if you go for a lower version of Win7 you can still install a WinXP virtual machine, but the hardware integration of the proper XP Mode makes it a better choice.

http://lifehacker.com/5245396/set-up...e-in-windows-7

[SpywareDr]

Note that hardware virtualization is no longer a requirement for for XP Mode:

Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC frequently asked questions
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/vir...pport/faq.aspx

Install either of these two updates to remove the prerequisites required to run Windows Virtual PC and XP mode:

• For 32-bit Windows 7
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...9-20c9ecbebaf6
  
  
• For 64-bit Windows 7
  http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/d...2-446567f1e2b4

[yurka]

If all you do is check e-mail and browse the Web, the Celeron is fine, and the price difference can save you a lot of money. If you want the fastest machine you can buy, then you need to go with the Pentium 4 to get the highest clock speeds and the fastest system bus.

That's what "HowStuffWorks" says. I do not want the fastest machine I can buy to impress anyone (frankly, I even do not understand "clock speed" and "the fastest system bus". I do check my e-mail and browse the web, I also compose an occasional letter and still more occasional Excel spreadsheet. Once in a blue moon I may burn or copy a CD or DVD. I do not design jet fighters, play games, nor musical instruments. My old 80GB HD with 512MB memory PC is quite adequate for me. Yes, for ~$70 more I might have a faster machine. Do I need it? I do not know enough about PCs to answer this question. Now it may take 5 seconds or even longer for M$ Word to open. Annoying, yet I survive. I understand that any PC I buy will be vastly faster and otherwise superior to my 2003 dino. And I'd rather spend $70 on upgrading Win7 Home to Win7 Pro, to run my old (and obsolete) programs on my new machine, if the upgrade is possible, immediately or in the future - I have to research this yet.

[SpywareDr]

"Pentium" is getting kinda long in the tooth. Recommend at least a "Core 2 Duo" E6750 or higher.

CPU Hierarchy Chart
http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/...pu,2545-7.html

[SuperSparks]

That article must be years out of date. My recommendations for a basic machine would be along the lines of:

Intel Core 2 Duo CPU as a minimum, Core 2 Quad would be better, Core i3/i5 even better still. Or their AMD equivalents. A minimum of 4 GB or RAM. 1 TB hard drive. You can save money by going for a low end graphics card, or integrated graphics if you don't do gaming.

A machine like that won't cost megabucks, and will stand you in good stead for the next few years. One of the facts of computing life is that as the hardware has got better, so the software has got more bloated to keep up with it If you want to run recent software, now or in future, then you don't want to go too low end.