X25-M: Installing Win7 over Vista

[idata]

My upgrade disk should arrive today or tomorrow - any "must do" tips to ensure an efficient install? BIOS is set to AHCI, and the X25M is plugged into SATA port 0; I'll make sure to pull the plug on all my other drives before the install if the upgrade disk allows it.

I don't have any important apps or things worth saving on the current X25M Vista install, so I assume I should just format the SSD and do a fresh install with the upgrade disk. Can I just boot to my second drive (also has Vista) and do a simple command prompt "format SSD:" or do I need to do something special?

[idata]

Any formatting you need can be done in the W7 installer when booting from the DVD, and the install can continue as normal.

I'd make sure the drives are on the newest firmware before installing, but other than that you seem to be good to go. Just pop in the upgrade disk, boot from it and format the drives in the installer, and install W7.

[idata]

Will the W7 upgrade disk give me an option to format given it's an upgrade disk (it will see Vista on the SSD)?

[idata]

As far as I know, it's your Windows activation key that knows it's an upgrade. The DVD is either the same as the full or works close enough to the full version. The install will note if it sees the old copy of Windows before you format the disk, so the activation should work without any special action on your part:

1. Boot DVD.

2. Windows setup sees Vista on your drive and notes this.

3. You reformat.

4. Install.

5. Activate.

[idata]

Any disk should give you the option to format.

The "upgrade" disk I had only read the Master Boot Record of the drive to see if an OS had previously been installed, formatted or not. If none had previously been installed on the drive, the license key would not work. Other than that it was just like a normal disk/license.