Upgrading Windows XP 32bit to Windows 7 64bit

Providing your motherboard/cpu can handle 64bit instructions and you're hardware is good enough for it, then yes you should be able to upgrade. However, since there is not actual upgrade path from XP to W7, it will need to be a clean install, which basically will require you to reformat the C:\ (unless the installer puts XP in a folder called Windows.old)

Drivers will require new ones since 64bit OS' require 64bit drivers. Unsigned drivers, and 32bit drivers WILL NOT WORK on a 64bit OS, so checked on your hardware manufacturers website that drivers are available.

Dual Core Optimizer and Windows WSE are not required for Windows 7.

Windows installations are actually straightforward (or atleast should be), and your BIOS settings shouldn't require changing. Windows 7 shouldn't take any longer than 2 hours to install at most.

quote cheatdude

My friend installed Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit on a program called VirtualBox, and it works great! (though I know it automatically updates drivers)

Virtual Box is a type-2 Hypervisor, pretty much like Virtual PC, and allows you to install and run a guest OS inside a host OS. In your friends case the guest OS is Windows 7. Not sure but AFAIK running a 64bit OS in Virtual box requires a 64bit host, or atleast a 64bit CPU and enough RAM to share between the two. Problem with a virtual OS though is that it lacks native hardware support so you will not be able to play games in a virtual box installation of Windows.

All you need to do is enter the BIOS and change the "first boot order" device to the DVD / Optical Drive. Then you just put in the Windows 7 Ultimate x64 OEM CD/DVD into the optical drive and when starting the computer it will show a message before it enters the Operating System " Press any key to boot from CD or DVD....." The setup is very simple.