Gary has a lot of good advice in there, including the fact that you cannot upgrade from XP or from the Windows 7 RC (which was free). One other reason I am hesitant to try Windows 7 on my Toshiba netbook is that those little computers have lots of manufacturer-supplied software drivers and utilities. I don't know if my hardware will work without them.

As for the desktop computer, I started several years ago installing only the OS on my boot drive. Software goes, as much as possible, on another drive if it will let me. Data is always on the software drive and is backed up to yet another internal drive (as well as an external drive, and an off-site computer). Bottom line is, to install the full Windows 7, all I had to do was substitute for a new (faster) small hard drive ($60) and install Windows 7 and re-install some software applications. My data continues to be where it was, so everything feels the same. The process has become quite routine. I prefer clean installs to upgrades, anyway. After everything is tested, the old boot drive gets wiped and goes to another computer as a data drive.

Jazzmandan correctly mentions the issue of 64-bit compatibility. The situation is getting better, but I still can't go there until Tascam releases a driver for my control surface and SONAR.

BIAB 2025 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 7 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus 192 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.