Khaled

September 13, 2009 at 5:04pm

Clean install is better anyway :/

Cache

September 13, 2009 at 10:07am

Remember when Microsoft used to promise that updates would be done in-place without needing a restart?  Petridge Farm remembers....

Wareagle

September 13, 2009 at 8:04am

I dual boot XP and 7 RC 64-bit.  My XP Program Files folder has 150 items.  I haven't reinstalled since January 2006.

While I'd like to be able to do an in-place upgrade from the 7 RC to the final version (the option wasn't available when I tried doing it with the RTM release), I am probably going to have to clean install it again.

It would sure take me a long ass time if I ever have to reinstall XP though.  At least I don't have to do that!

BTW, if I buy the upgrade version of Windows 7, will it let me do a clean install on another partition and dual boot?

alanmc76

September 13, 2009 at 7:29am

 Seems like a no brainer to me.  Spend 30 minutes installing on a new drive, then copy the data during down time.  Why would an IT pro even attempt to do an in-place upgrade with 650GB of data and hundreds of apps anyway?  That seems like a recipe for disaster to me.

 ________________________________________

-- "What am I, MacGyver? Fix it with what?"--

 

zstadt

September 13, 2009 at 4:52am

I was planning a clean install anyway; it's not really that bad.  Since I've had my rig, I've reinstalled XP about 6 times (by choice, not out of necessity), and have been dual-booting with the 7 RC (which I've reinstalled twice).

What can I say? I just love that fresh feeling after a clean install ^_^

n0ctis

September 13, 2009 at 4:16am

 These look like worst-case scenario numbers. I did the in place upgrade for the Release Candidate and it took maybe an hour on my Core 2 Duo notebook with ~280GB of data and 135 applications. Perhaps you should have done some of your own experiments first, rather than doing a little book report of the Ars Technica piece. I deem this article filler.

________________________________________________________________
.: vires et honos :.

strykyr

September 12, 2009 at 10:24pm

I've never run into a scenario where the in place upgrade actually worked in the first place.  Go figure.

Lord Omega

September 12, 2009 at 8:35pm

Whenever I upgrade to a new OS, I NEVER UPGRADE! I always do a fresh install. Sure it is a pain, but meh. After I do a clean install, it takes about 3-4 hours for me to get everything up and running again.

y

September 12, 2009 at 6:06pm

A TRUE "Super-user" (assuming it means someone that knows about computers) would never consider "upgrading" their machine to have little bits of old code scattered throughout the new OS. Reformat is the only way to go for a clean system...it'll probably save you more time than waiting 20 hours.

ceator3571

September 12, 2009 at 5:43pm

Well it looks like I will be doing my upgrade on Saturday and not Thursday now. And I paid extera on shipping to get it by Thursday. ;-)

Nuxes

September 12, 2009 at 4:52pm

Yeah, this is why you should just reformat.  I've tried upgrading before and something always goes wrong.