Category: Geeks r Us
Hi everyone.
Sometime in the next week, I will be installing Windows 7 on a computer which is currently running Vista--or at least, I will attempt to do that. I do have a few concerns which I am hoping the Zone community can answer.
The first issue is accessibility. I will be installing the OS off of a boot disc, would I be able to use a portable screen reader, such as NVDA's portable version to do this, or will I need sighted assistance?
I plan on saving all of my important files to thumb-drives and the like, mainly my AntiVirus software so I can install without opening a web browser.
Is there anything else I should be weary of? This is my very first time doing this and I'm afraid I'll permanently damage my computer. lol
Any input, advice, or suggestions from the ZoneBBS community will be greatly appreciated.
Unless if you're having an unattended installation cd, you can't install it your own.
this is what I think.
Raaj
Here is what I've done, no eyes, going from Vista to Windows 7:
- have NVDA portable install on your C drive
- boot your machine to the desktop
- put in your CD, run the compatibility checker
That only is necessary for an update install not a full one but still can tell you of problems you could run into.
Now run Setup right within Windows Native.
Tell it to do the full install, but not change the partitions.
Your old Program Files, Documents and Settings, and other stuff will go into a folder called windows.old which in either event you should delete after the fact so you save space: just harvest what you want once it's up again and delete that folder.
But back to the install:
I chose to use NVDA because it's faster, especially toward the latter part of the install.
Anyway once you've answered all the questions it will do the rest. Once the drive has stopped for a minute, (probably a half our to fifty minutes later), push windows key and u and then push space when it says 'Heat Text aloud Narrator' then push Enter.
You can alt tab between the windows to put in your license key and set your other settings.
Amazingly uneventful, but I booted into the main Windows OS to strt the install.
since Windows XP, Vista and 7 all run on NTFS, it needs not reformat your hard disk during install, so it can write to a temp location the instructions for the install. That's how it all works now.
You answer the questions first then the install will take it from there.
If you're using a laptop of course you want it plugged into AC. Also if possible have your computer hardwired to the Internet as during the install it can use an open Internet connection to go get driver updates / resolve conflicts that it finds.
The newest driver databases are ginormous.
Good luck with this.
And remember that anymore just because you start the install natively doesn't mean it will corrupt: it only does the install part after you answered the questions, it copied enough data to restart, and in the mode into which it restarts it uses that data rather than your old Windows install to run, so it can freely rename / delete files.
It does literally start you with a new Users, Windows, Program Files (and program files(32) if necessary) folder. All the old stuff just gets backed to windows.old.
The only caveat to this is if you needed to repartition on install. I know someone who claims to have allowed it to do that on the fly but I did not, as I didn't need it, and me not being able to see, I didn't want to get stuck.
Yes I could have written an answer file to automate, but I wanted to see if the new install is all that it's cracked up to be. Apparently it seems to work well.
C drive? Thumb drive, right? Or by C Drive do you mean the hard drive? Sorry if the question seems obvious, I'm very green when it comes to this stuff.
Yes your main operating system drive. Remember it won't delete everything, just everything Windows, Users, Documents and Settings, and Program Files. But I would have NVDA on both.
yes i have done it this way many times and it works well