stanglx302

I've been running 32 bit Vista Home Premium for about a year now. I have all kinds of pictures/music/etc on my main hard drive. I just ordered the 64 bit Vista disc from Microsoft. I have 2 250G hard drives. Should I use "Back up and restore center" and back all of this up on my 2nd hard drive, then "Restore files" once the 64 bit install is complete? OR, should I use Vista's "Windows Easy Transfer" and call my current 32 bit install my "old computer", back that up to the 2nd HDD and then call the 64 bit install my "new computer" and restore from that.

Which way is better/easier? Or are both of the methods essentially doing the exact same thing?

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Firestorm252

Personally when it comes to "standard" stuff like that (aka, non-application specific stuff) I just use a secondary or external drive to transfer. No reason to get Windows involved by hoping an NT backup will work from 32-bit to 64-bit, especially if it's only imagery or music.

One good idea would be to keep the transferred files on the secondary HD as well, backups are godsends especially with family photos.

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noobdown

i agree aswell. execlent suggestion/recomendation.

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identitycrisis

Yeah for the most part the only stuff you can backup when converting like that is the files no programs, they need registry entries and get install to an x86 program files and x64 capabale get put into a regualar prgram files folder... if youre a WoWer you could back up your folder for that though it save a lot of headache in the long run... lol

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Laptop: HP DV9207us 17" HD BrightView screen, Intel Centrino duo 1.73ghz, G.skill 2x1gb ddr2 667mhz, Hitachi Travelstar 7200rpm 16mb cache 200 gb hd Geforce Go 7600gs. HDMI out, TV tuner card with Media remote

Soon to be Server: ??

My old Opty 165 @ 3006mhz

stanglx302

UPDATE:

I did the switch to x64 today. I used windows easy transfer. I saved everything like if I was on my "Old Computer". Then I formatted. Then did a fresh install install of x64. Once it was up and running, I ran the easy transfer again as if I were on my "New computer". It restored everything I wanted it to.

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My Overclocked Acer Laptop

Overclocked WRT54G v6 router - Using DD-WRT Micro