Upgrade from Vista to Windows 7

The best way to move to Windows 7 is always a clean install, as it ensures everything is precisely how Microsoft designed it to be from the start.

However, that can be a real pain if you already have a Vista PC set up to your liking. Thankfully, Windows 7 can be upgraded very easily from Vista, but only when you match the version of Windows 7 you buy to your version of Vista.

It isn’t hard to figure out which version you should buy: Vista Home Premium upgrades to Windows 7 Home Premium, for example, and you need to install 32-bit (as opposed to 64-bit) Windows 7 over 32-bit Vista. If you want to check for certain which version is right, use Microsoft’s Upgrade Advisor tool, which scans your current PC and gives you the upgrade information you’ll need.

In theory, the upgrade process should leave your existing files completely as they are, but there’s always the slim chance of something going awry.

If there are any files you can’t afford to lose, just copy them onto an external hard disk or USB stick – or, if you have many, run a full backup. Once you’re confident you have everything you need safe and sound, you can begin the upgrade process.

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