You Won’t Believe What You’re Missing: The Ultimate Guide to Prepping for a Flawless Windows 7 Installation - Part 2!

In part one of our Windows 7 installation prep guide, we covered some of the basic steps you need to take before you start installing the operating system. In this second part, we’re going to get into some more advanced topics that will help ensure your Windows 7 installation goes off without a hitch.

Update Your BIOS

Before you start installing Windows 7, you should check to see if there are any updates available for your computer’s BIOS. The BIOS is a piece of firmware that runs on your computer’s motherboard and controls how your hardware interacts with your operating system.

Updating your BIOS can improve the performance and stability of your computer, and it can also fix compatibility issues with newer hardware. To update your BIOS, you’ll need to download the update from your computer manufacturer’s website and follow their instructions for flashing the BIOS.

Check Your Hardware Compatibility

Before you install Windows 7, you should check to make sure that all of your hardware is compatible with the operating system. You can do this by visiting the Windows 7 Compatibility Center, which provides a database of compatible hardware and software.

If you find that some of your hardware is not compatible, you may need to upgrade your hardware or find alternative drivers that will work with Windows 7. Make sure to do this before you start installing Windows 7, as it can save you a lot of time and frustration down the line.

Backup Your Data

Before you start installing Windows 7, you should back up all of your important data to an external hard drive or a cloud storage service. This includes documents, photos, videos, music, and any other files that you don’t want to lose.

If something goes wrong during the installation process, you’ll be glad that you have a backup of your data. It’s always better to be safe than sorry.

Disable Your Antivirus Software

Before you start installing Windows 7, you should disable your antivirus software. Some antivirus software can interfere with the installation process and cause errors.

Once you’ve finished installing Windows 7, you can re-enable your antivirus software and update it to ensure that your computer is protected from viruses and other malware.

Final Thoughts

By following these advanced tips for prepping your computer for a Windows 7 installation, you can be sure that the process will go smoothly and without any issues. By updating your BIOS, checking your hardware compatibility, backing up your data, and disabling your antivirus software, you’ll be well on your way to a flawless installation.

With a little bit of preparation and the right tools, you can enjoy all the benefits of Windows 7 without any of the headaches that come with a poorly executed installation. So what are you waiting for? Get started on your Windows 7 installation prep today!

How to install Windows 7 — What to do before start: Backup files and settings. In part 1 we looked at hardware system requirements of Windows 7, possible issues and solutions, now in part 2 is the time to protect your data before starting anything.

This goes for everything, dual-boot, reinstall, upgrade or clean install. You should always backup no matter what! But… If you are installing Windows 7 in a brand new hard drive or you are NOT interested on the data residing in your computer’s hard drive, you can skip the following tasks:

  • Full backup: Creating a whole computer backup is one of the best ways to protect everything stored in your computer (operating system, programs, and your data), in case something goes wrong during the installation process or if you just want to rollback to your previous operating system — here is a great guide on how to create a system restore image in Windows 7.

Warning: Be aware that if you are currently running Windows XP and you use the backup utility built-in to save your documents and settings to a network shared or an external media storage (e.g., DVDs, USB thumb drives, etc), the Windows 7 backup utility will NOT be able to open and restore the backup file format from previous versions, because the software work in a different way. Microsoft released an application to deal with this problem short after Windows Vista was launched, but this is not compatible with Windows 7.

  • Documents and settings backup: If backing up the whole computer is a lot to handle, Windows Easy Transfer is another tool you can use to backup and transfer all your Windows user accounts, documents, music, pictures, email, Internet favorites, and programs settings, fast and easy — keep in mind that this tool will not backup the operating system –. If you don’t want to use Windows Easy Transfer or it is not available, you should at least backup all your files (Documents, Music, Photos, Videos, etc.) manually. You can easily do this by plunging in an external storage media (e.g., USB hard drive) in your computer and transfer your important files.

  • Bookmarks: Backup your web browser’s favorites and don’t forget to write down any important password that you may need to access an online service or web application. If you are using Google Chrome you could use Xmarks extension to backup your bookmarks and passwords, and if you are using Firefox you could use the Firefox Sync, a free Cloud service to sync your bookmarks and settings including passwords. Additionally you can easily backup all your bookmarks, check out how to do this for Google Chrome and Firefox.

  • Drivers: Check online and download the latest device drivers that are compatible with Windows 7 (e.g., wired or wireless network adapter, video drivers, hard drive controller, etc.), or at least get the ones for Windows Vista — most Vista drivers are going to work in Windows 7, but it isn’t always the case, so be careful –. Here is some extra help, use Double Drivers, which is a free tool that can help you to backup the drivers that are already working in your system.

  • Inventory: Create a list of the installed applications in Windows, that way after you install Windows 7 you’ll know what applications you need to install back.

  • Product keys: Make sure that you have all the product keys and installation files for any application you may want to install later.

  • Network connectivity: Write down your computer name, if your computer is currently connected to a network, you might need the computer name after installing Windows 7. To do this, go to Start, right-click Computer, and then click Properties. Under Computer name, domain, and workgroup settings, you can locate your computer name and its full name, if your computer is connected in a domain.

Here is something to keep in mind. A full backup will be really useful for almost anything wrong that could happen to your computer. If you are about to install Windows 7 you should create a full backup, but you should also backup documents and settings, Bookmarks, and drivers. These other type of backups will make easier to transfer data from the old Windows installation to the new of Windows 7 installation. 

Always remember that there is not such a thing as too much backup, the time spent protecting your data will always pay off.

So far, with part 1 and in this part 2, you’ve learned what hardware is needed to install Windows 7, how to avoid possible problems during the installation process, and how to protect your data. In part 3, we’ll go through a series of questions and answers on important decisions you need to make to save time and avoid additional issues.

  • How to install Windows 7 – What to do before start [Part 1]
  • How to install Windows 7 – What to do before start [Part 3]
  • How to install Windows 7 – Clean installation tutorial [Step-by-Step]