Thank you for your input!
patcooke; A clean install is always to be preferred to an upgrade (which in your case is not in any case possible)
R. So would this mean I could buy the Win 7/64 bit OS upgrade version, and do a clean/custom/fresh install of the upgrade version? As opposed to buying the full or OEM Win 7/64 bit OS version?
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You mention transferring data to the new install. I strongly recommend you create a second partition on your hard drive or install a second drive to which you should save all data.
R. This is new ground for me, creating a 2nd partition on my HDD, install a 2nd HDD?
One of my questions is whether I should purchase one of those $10-$25, empty external HDD enclosures to transfer my old data to the new HDD before installing same?
OR purchase a more expensive $60-70 Western Digital [WD] or Seagate 1 TB type
external HDD to store/save/transfer my data on? Plus the $100-750GB Seagate SSHDD drive I contemplate buying, installing, and using, to replace my current failing 250GB WD HDD?
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It will help if you set your system defaults and any installed programs to save to the data drive.
R. This is also unknown territory for me. So if there's a "How to link" on this somewhere it would help understand these settings.
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This way whenever you wish to upgrade your system, if you need to reinstall you have no concerns about overwriting data - it is safely stored elsewhere. It also keeps your system drive down to a manageable size (mine is 40gb with 10gb to spare). This makes it more manageable to keep it backed up using imaging software such as Acronis (another issue in its own right but highly recommended).
R. I recently downloaded Acronis "MigrateEasy7.0_d_en" free download, but haven't used it yet. As I am still unsure whether I should follow the MS Windows "Custom Install" directions...for going from Vista 32 bit OS to Win 7/64 bit OS. Which includes using the Windows "Easy Transfer" directions to save the old OS data to transfer to the new HDD.
Or use any of the other versions of custom/clean install directions?
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It also avoids constant fragmentation and consequent slowing down of your system drive as it will be much less frequently subjected to insertions, additions and deletions of user data.
R. I understand fragmentation as being a "Scatter Brain Approach"
for the time it takes for the computer to decipher where on the computer the information you seek is located and putting it on your screen. And if not where it should be, then it just takes longer for the computer to find it. Does this sound about right? Or what you are referring to?
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Finally it is much easier to take control of your own data backup strategies - another good practice (check with some of the many people who have sought help here to recover valuable data files lost or accidentally deleted!) It all requires a bit of thinking out and planning but is not difficult and the next time you need to run an install you'll be oh so glad you did it.
R. I fully concur here, as that is my #1 goal for now--saving/backing up my current data for transfer and "just in case."
I have some documents copied on a CD-RW, but some of the other files where to big to burn the files to the CD's I have.
There are many options to backup data, USB Flash Drives, external HDD's, Windows Easy Transfer, the Windows auto-backup procedure, Acronis, etc. So not sure or confusing which is best way to backup in my situation?
But my current HDD is giving me blue screens, shut downs, chkdsk restarts, freezing up screens, forced power button shutdowns, etc., at unannounced times. So that makes backing up my #1 goal right now.
So any help or input are greatly appreciated, thanks, Vista32 to Win7.