Upgrading vista 32 to 64!

[jguess]

After a bit of research on these boards I really didnt find too much info on doing this so I think some good advice from the pro's before I get started would help. Share your experience, thanks!

[blazer]

i don't believe its possible to upgrade a 32 bit system to 64. i think you would have to do a clean install of the 64 bit os. someone correct me if i'm wrong

[jguess]

Your correct, you have to do a clean install. There are some decent guides out there but if anyone wants to add some tips that would be great.

[The Wise Monkey]

Tips for a clean install:

1. Assemble all your desired programs before re-installing - it is a real pain to try and find/download everything again, so make sure you have them handy.
2. Download all drivers you will need - nothing is more annoying than doing a clean install only to find that you can't connect to the internet to download network drivers...
3. Backup all important data - not necessarily OS files, just things that you don't want to lose. My advice would be to either create a separate partition for your data, or to have a separate HD entirely. This means that you can re-install the OS as many times as you want and your data will not be affected.
4. Leave plenty of time - doing a complete rebuild of your PC will take quite a long time, but the rewards are worth the wait. You will probably notice a big difference in speed, especially if you have had the PC for a while, as it will inevitably become clogged up during day-to-day usage.