windows 7 custom installation on older vista laptop

[sallyb]

Hello, I have an older ASUS laptop X71SL running Vista Business 32 bit and I would like to do a custom installation of Windows 7 64 bit, but I don't know where to get a disk at a price that is reasonable given the age of the laptop. I bought it in 2009. Also, I'm not geeky enough to figure out how to update the drivers from the Asus support site...any advice or should I just forget it? Thank you!

[Boggin]

Contact ASUS to find out if the machine is 64 bit capable as some aren't and they can also give you some advice on the install/drivers.

I'm not sure if you would be able to buy a comparable Win 7 x64 OEM Recovery/Install disk, but with OEM installs, they are tied to the first machine they are activated on and are not transferable.

[jraju]

Hi, Boggins, I also think in the same lines. Laptops Os may not be able to upgraded to latest versions.

[Boggin]

It's not so much upgrading the OS but the architecture as some CPUs are not 64 bit compatible.

The Win 7 upgrade Advisor will tell you if your machine is okay for Win 7. https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/download/details.aspx?id=20

[sallyb]

Thank you for your imput. I had done all that...I ran the Windows 7 upgrade adviser, and it said I'm good to go for 32 or 64. I also looked at the hardware in the tools and performance view in control panel and the machine is definitely 64 bit compatible. I also ran the Windows 8 Upgrade adviser, and it said I'm ok with that except for a few "minor" things which could be addressed. However, I really don't want to load Windows 8 on a machine that is 6 years old. I also went to the Asus website for the Vista drivers and it makes NO SENSE to me: http://support.asus.com.cn/download.aspx?SLanguage=en&p=3&m=X71SL&hashedid=VUta9GoKvKtJx21G There are a bunch of folders there. I downloaded a few and unzipped them. But the files in the unzipped folders don't mean anything to me! So I went to majorgeeks to try and find a FREE program to update drivers. All of them give you a free partial scan or something and then want money. So I don't know if any of them are worth it. So one of them said that I have 12 drivers out of date and offered to update them for purchasing the program. So I went to the device manager and asked Windows to search online for all of those "out of date drivers" and Windows said all of them except one were up to date, and it updated the one that needed to be updated!!!! So I'm wondering if these device programs are a big rip?! Anyway, I won't buy any of them unless I they are portable and can be used on other machines...any suggestions there?
I have also found a copy of Windows 7 and Window 8.1 reasonably priced: https://softwareplaza.com/microsoft-windows-7-professional-32-64-bit-full-version-sp1-1241.html and https://softwareplaza.com/system-software/operating-systems/windows-operating-system/microsoft-windows-8-1-pro-32-64-bit-oem-download.html so I still don't know what to do there. But it looks like there is a money back guarantee, so I should be ok there>>>>

[Boggin]

Just having a read through your links.....

I have made some notes but don't have time at the moment to itemise them, but will be back in about 1½hrs.

I think you will have to save that Win 7 SP1 download and then create a bootable disk to do a Custom install.

You can use Windows USB/DVD Burner Tool for that. https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/windows-usb-dvd-download-tool and then wait until you have backed up all of your personal stuff and received the product key before proceeding.

I don't know why you have to wait 1 - 3hrs for the product key - I don't like the sound of that, unless it's to do with them sending and you receiving the e-mail.

Anyway, gotta go now but will be back later.

[sallyb]

Also, for example, the bios update files are .202 and Windows can not open them. When windows goes online to find programs to open I don't know anything about them! They found a program called "Open.202 File" From Open-My-Files.com/Microsoft it is a sponsored site...

[sallyb]

Thank you very much! I will wait for further advice before proceeding...

[Boggin]

There's no point in updating drivers until you have Win 7 installed.

Slimdrivers has a freebie you can use (left hand download button), but after installing Win 7, use Device Manager (never thought I'd say that ) to find updated drivers.

Forgot to add the link, but there's no point in installing it until after the upgrade. http://www.driverupdate.net/

[Boggin]

Right - the drivers.

I don't know what EMI and Safety is and you'd probably get a newer audio driver from Realtek, but download the Win 7 x64 bit ones from there after the upgrade and then either Device Manager or Slimdrivers will find you an updated version.

If everything works okay after the upgrade then I'd leave the BIOS upgrade alone.

The VGA Nvidia driver - only get that from the support site, although Device Manager could find something for that after.

I wouldn't bother with the Modem driver, but if that's your Card Reader model then download that.

You'll want the Touchpad drivers and only anything which relates to Win 7 under Utilities.

As for the Wireless driver, you will need to go into Device Manager/Network adapters - right click on it and select Properties and under the Details tab, use the dropdown and select Hardware Ids.

There you will see a VEN & DEV No. which you can compare to those listed, but I don't know yet where you can find this Wireless Console Utility which is a pre-requirement.

You may have to contact Asus support for that before you upgrade.

The Bluetooth driver should be okay, but you will need to ID the VEN & DEV No. for the camera the same way for its drivers.

Those under Others should be okay as they are listed for Win 7 x64.

Now for the Custom install - it's always best to create a full external system image first so you will have a fall back and if that has been stored onto an external HDD then you will need to create a Repair Disk before hand to boot up with, so as to select Repair your Computer to navigate to the Recovery Environment to select the restore from the one I'd made earlier option.

You will need to change the Boot order for that and for the Custom install to boot up with the SP1 install disk.

When you eventually get to the Splash screen, select Install and from what I remember, it pretty well does it itself after you select Custom Install and you should opt to install it over Vista in C:\.

This will create a Windows.old file of many GBS which can be deleted later if has gone well.

You will need to do the Custom rather than Upgrade as you are going from a 32 bit system to a 64 bit system.

I've been looking for some tutorials but so far have only found blogs without any "walk-throughs".

[sallyb]

Thank you so much for your imput, I will have to digest this....