Datasheet

6 Chapter 1
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Installing Windows 7
Microsoft offers both a 32-bit and a 64-bit version of Windows 7. The terms 32-bit and
64-bit refer to the CPU, or processor. The number represents how the data is processed.
It is processed either as 2
32
or 2
64
. The larger the number is, the larger the amount of data
that can be processed at any one time.
To get an idea of how 32-bit and 64-bit processors operate, think of a large highway
with 32 lanes. Vehicles can travel on those 32 lanes only, so when traffi c gets backed up,
the result is delays. Now think of how many more vehicles can travel on a 64-lane highway.
The problem here is that a 32-lane highway can’t handle the number of vehicles a 64-lane
highway can. You need to have the infrastructure to allow for that volume of vehicles. The
same is true for computers. Your computer has to be confi gured to allow you to run a
64-bit processor.
So what does all of this mean to the common user or administrator? It’s all about
random access memory, or RAM. A 32-bit operating system can handle up to 4 GB of
RAM, and a 64-bit processor can handle up to 16 exabytes of RAM. None of this is new.
Although 64-bit processors are just starting to get accepted with Windows systems, other
operating systems, such as Apple, have been using 64-bit processors for many years.
Computer processors are typically rated by speed. The speed of the
processor, or central processing unit (CPU), is rated by the number of clock
cycles that can be performed in 1 second. This measurement is typically
expressed in gigahertz (GHz). One GHz is one billion cycles per second.
Keep in mind that processor architecture must also be taken into account
when considering processor speed. A processor with a more efficient
pipeline will be faster than a processor with a less-efficient pipeline at the
same CPU speed.
Now that you have seen the new features of Windows 7, let’s look at how to prepare the
machine to install Windows 7.
Preparing to Install Windows 7
Installing Windows 7 can be relatively simple because of the installation wizard. The
installation wizard will walk you through the entire installation of the operating system.
The most diffi cult part of installing Windows 7 is preparing and planning for the
installation. One thing I often say to IT professionals is, “An hour of planning will save
you days of work.” Planning a Windows 7 rollout is one of the hardest and most important
tasks that you will perform when installing Windows 7.
There are many decisions that should be made before you install Windows 7. The fi rst
decision is which version of Windows 7 you want to install. As mentioned previously,
Microsoft has six different versions of the Windows 7 operating system. This allows an
administrator to custom-fi t a user’s hardware and job function to the appropriate version
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