Ok... only save pics, music, documents and such. Forget everything else. Once they're on the external, unplug it.

You're now going to do a full, clean install of Win 7.

Boot to Win 7 DVD. Use it to format your drive. Pick Custom install. DO NOT TYPE IN KEY NUMBER. Un-check Activate on connection and Do not check for Updates. Install Win 7. Once it is complete, it will give you 30 days to Activate.

Now you're going to upgrade from Win 7 to Win 7.

From within Windows, insert Win 7 DVD and hit 'Upgrade'. This go around you type in key number, check for updates and activate on connection.

After Windows installs the second time and is activated open Disk cleanup/ Cleanup Sytem Files and delete all setup files.

You are now the proud parent of a full clean install of Win 7.  

Do not do that.

With apologies to Lantec that was served too cold....should have said: That's correct, but wait for full procedure.

.....you still love me, right Honey?  

I'll do this in the morning after coffee, and what about drivers for video card, sound drivers and other devices? Like I mentioned this is a new thing for me, should be entertaining, but...

You don't need any...Win 7 will find and install all of them. Let it.

The double install takes about an hour (2nd upgrade install takes about 15 minutes longer than the fresh first)......

...... and you'll be up and running.

Now, here's my closing advice: invest in a backup program and you'll never have to do this again. Other then Windows ME (I threw the whole fuckin' computer away just to get any trace of ME out of the shop) I have never re-installed an operating system even after hardware failure (and I've been known for blowing up more than a few).

http://www.acronis.com/homecomputing/products/trueimage/

Food for thought.  

Gremlins stole my response. I'm asking yrag why a double install. Soon as I click the post reply boom ... I get the EGADS page.

well, here we go wish me luck,see ya on the other side.

My bad.....I was thinking about chipset drivers. I also had issues with card readers and bluetooth that MS couldn't cover.

With a Win 7 upgrade DVD, you must install within Windows with Vista installed along with every mistake it and you have made to it. Double Win 7 install is to a virgin disk and only Win 7 files are replacing Win 7 files....and you're not involved in it.

Simply put.... if you bought a Win7 upgrade DVD and wanted a fresh install, you'd have to re-install Vista first.....

well that was friggin' easy. I even booted twice from the dvd to see if I could muck it up, it didn't.

thanks for all the advice and help from everyone and especially Gary (yrag), what can I say but, "you're the Man".

Good luck....I don't think you'll have a problem though. As long as you read the information provided throughout the install process and make the right selections, it should be a breeze. Some hardware/driver incompatibilities are mostly what I've seen cause problems or as Lantec advised, may wanna keep your drivers handy...just in case.

Opps...never mind above. Congrats on the install!!!

first morning boot after re-install and it took forever, 6+ minutes but it booted. system and avg took 3 minutes alone.

on the good side, it did boot, I have a fresh install of windows, my apps have been pared down, everything loaded okay and I was able to switch from eudora to outlook, long story... (entering addresses will be a pain but the wife says she'll help if I put them in a spreadsheet for her).

Impulse Now is more than slightly obnoxious (resident evil) glad it can be turned off. AVG was doing some type of updating every time I had to reboot and changing some settings took care of that.

notice a lot of differences from win7 installed over vista and from a clean win7 install, HELP, where's the tool bar in window's explorer and is there a way to have my user folder expand upon opening?

 "(and I've been known for blowing up more than a few)."

HA!!!!!

Et tu, Brute? .....

I thought all this was supposed to shorten the boot time....

Well, mine, well, I am running windows xp and it takes 30 minutes to start up. This stinks. Please help! Plus, a few days ago, my computer started not connecting to the internet when I hibernate it and turn it on again. same thing with stand by. I have to turn it off then on again or restart it. help!

6 minutes still seems a bit much....and three just for AVG. But I suppose as long as it works well when it does get there...that's what counts.

well, 6 minutes compared to 25+ is shorter and it did boot and didn't need to be reset.

thanks 2of3, got it.

Man, you got some serious problems if it takes 30 minutes to boot. It could be a hardware related issue...how old's your box?