Downloading windows 7

Hey guys, I'm a student planning on buying Windows 7 when it comes out; I get to buy the upgrade for $30.

But, it's an electronic download. So I was wondering, will i be able to re-install it later if something goes wrong, and I need to re-install? Since it's a download, there will be no recovery disk, I'm presuming. Does anybody know how that works?

Also, I have Vista Home Premium installed right now. If I buy the Windows 7 Professional upgrade, I know I will lose all my files and everything, but can I do that since it's classified as an "upgrade" and not a regular edition of Windows 7 Pro?

 

Assuming that you are going to burn it to a DVD i guess you just smack in the dvd, boot from it and there you go...

 

The file you will download is a disk image (*.ISO).
This file you extract and burn using your disk burning software (Windows Vista and older Windows build-in disk burner system doesn't support extracting and burning ISO's. This is a Win7 feature)).
Once you have done this, you blank disk is now transformed into a disk with all Windows 7 files, like the official one.

If you don't have a burning software, I recommend ImgBurn which is freeware, does everything, and easy to use. When burning, make sure you uses a ultra clean, perfect condition DVD of good quality, in a clean DVD-burner drive, to reduce changes of errors, and make sure that you check the box "verify disk" in your disk burner software to make sure that the disk is well burned.

Upon download your Windows 7 disk image, make sure you NEVER interrupt the download in any way possible, as this may corrupt the image, which might end up not working, or have a damaged Windows.

Usually at the online store where you buy it, there is an option to order the disk instead so that you don't need to perform all the above steps and precaution. Usually you pay extra which cover the disk, box, labor, and shipping. I would recommend ordering the disk.

If you buying from an online store other than Microsoft or TechNet or MSDN or MSDNAA, then you should be getting a box with 2 disks (unless you buy the OEM license). The first disk is Windows 7 32-bit, and the second one is Windows 7 64-bit.

If you are computer user that requires power, multitask a lot, have 4GB or more of RAM, enjoy more a secure system, and willing to drop support for old games and some very old software, then going 64-bit is what I recommend.

If you have old peripherals (older than 2006), and have under 3GB of RAM, and use old software and old games, that you can't live without, Windows 7 32-bit is what I recommend.

Please remember that Windows 7 will be the last 32-bit Windows to exists. I strongly recommend to seek in finding new software and peripherals that runs under Vista 64-bit or Windows 7-bit.

If you purchase Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate edition, you will have XP Mode, which allows you to run old software (not games nor for audio/video recording/editing software) in the good old XP environment so that your software works perfectly under Windows 7 even if you pick the 64-bit edition.

Please remember to backup all your data onto an external drive or disks in the case Windows 7 performs a clean install or the upgrade fails, if you choose to do the upgrade instead of clean (custom) install.

 

Thank you so much, you've answered all my questions!

 

Even my old CD of Office 2000 installs and runs well under Win 7 Home Premium 64. You don't need Ultimate or Pro to run the vast majority of 32 bit sofware.

 

Does the download have to be extracted?
Is there another .ISO within the ISO file or something; I'm not familiar with this download version...

 

no you do not extract it at all as you will loose the boot files...

you need to use Nero or other burning software that will burn an ISO yous then burn it to a disk but not in the normal way you would say burn music... you select burn image or similar and burn it to create a bootable disk which then can be used to install win7.

hope that clears it up a bit

cheers
mtarm1

 

Hah, I want that 7-bit version of Windows! Where can I get it?

 

if he's using W7 RC, ISO burning is built right into the OS-just double click on the .ISO file.

 

Ohhh...that sounds awesome. Pretty sure Windows 7 7-bit will only support 128 bytes of RAM though

 

That could be an issue if i try to run Word 07, but that's a very strenous program besides my regular old Windows Write! Looks promising though!

 

true didnt even think about that i just ashumed he was using xp or vista...

 

When I meant extract... I didn't mean use a software extractor, I meant use the burning software to do it to replicate the ISO image onto the disk. I mentioned this so that the person doesn't simply put the ISO file onto the disk... as then you will just have a disk, with 1 file, which is the ISO file of the Win7 disk.

 

I think OP was looking for this:
For those who have bought a student copy of Windows 7 -->
http://forum.notebookreview.com/showpost.php?p=5431381&postcount=1