- 1). Power on Windows and log into Windows Vista. Windows XP users are not able to upgrade and must do a clean install of Windows 7.
- 2). Double-click the installation file if you obtained your copy of Windows 7 from Microsoft's online store. If it is on external media, connect the USB drive or DVD and double-click "Setup.exe" on the storage medium.
- 3). Click "Install Now."
- 4). Click "Get important updates for installation" to ensure Windows is installed with the latest security and compatibility enhancements. You may want to skip this if you are on a slow network connection.
- 5). Review the terms of the Windows 7 license. If you accept them, click "I accept the license terms" and then click "Next." If you do not accept the terms, you will be unable to install Windows 7.
- 6). Click "Upgrade" on the "Installation Type" page.
- 7). Wait as Windows updates your files. Your system may restart multiple times.
- 8). Enter your product key when prompted on restart. This was distributed in your order confirmation from the Microsoft store or contained on a certificate inside your shrink wrapped Windows 7 installation media.
- 9). Choose your automatic update preferences when prompted. By default, Windows 7 will want to download and automatically install updates to keep your computer secure. These updates could interfere with your work or cause you to lose data if you leave unsaved documents on your computer, so you may wish to adjust this to the "Download but notify" or simply "Notify" option.
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