Datasheet

Chapter 1
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Installing Windows 7
20
to audit the current configuration and status of your computer. It
will generate a report of any known hardware or software com-
patibility issues based on your configuration. You should resolve
any reported issues before you upgrade to Windows 7.
Make sure that your BIOS is current. Windows 7 requires that
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your computer has the most current BIOS. If it does not, the com-
puter may not be able to use advanced power-management fea-
tures or device-configuration features. In addition, your computer
may cease to function during or after the upgrade. Use caution
when performing BIOS updates, as installing the incorrect BIOS
can cause your computer to fail to boot.
Take an inventory of your current configuration. This inventory
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should include documentation of your current network configura-
tion, the applications that are installed, the hardware items and
their configuration, the services that are running, and any profile
and policy settings.
Back up your data and configuration files. Before you make any
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major changes to your computer’s configuration, you should back
up your data and configuration files and then verify that you can
successfully restore your backup. Chances are if you have a valid
backup, you won’t have any problems.
Delete any unnecessary files or applications, and clean up any pro-
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gram groups or program items you don’t use. Theoretically, you
want to delete all the junk on your computer before you upgrade.
Think of this as the spring-cleaning step.
Verify that there are no existing problems with your drive prior to
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the upgrade. Perform a disk scan, a current virus scan, and defrag-
mentation. These, too, are spring-cleaning chores. This step just
prepares your drive for the upgrade.
Perform the upgrade.
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Verify your configuration. After Windows 7 has been installed,
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use the inventory to compare and test each element that was previ-
ously inventoried prior to the upgrade to verify that the upgrade
was successful.
When you install Windows 7, you must decide how you want to par-
tition the disk drive that the Windows 7 operating system will reside on.
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