Thanks. I ran the upgrade adviser and got some interesting results.
First, the adviser provided a 2-part report. One under the heading Information about upgrading to 32-bit Windows 7 and one under the heading Information about upgrading to 64-bit Windows The 32 bit report 7 says "You can upgrade to 32-bit Windows 7 Home Premium or Ultimate." As mentioned, I want to upgrade to Win 7 professional. Is the pro option simply not listed or is it not mentioned because it won't work? The 64 bit report says
Custom installation required | You'll need to perform a custom installation of 64-bit Windows 7 and then reinstall your programs. Make sure to back up your files before you begin. | ||
The above block is cut/pasted but the missing graphic is a ! in a yellow triangle. I'm fairly proficient in doing a custom install and reinstalling programs, so that doesn't scare me. Then there are some software "not tested" comparability warnings for items that I have on my win 7 laptop but that is installed with Home Premium.
Can I assume that if the software works with Home Premium it'll work with professional also? I can hook most of the hardware to my laptop to check it out but as m entioned that is premium not pro. I also can check with the hardware mfgr about compatibility but I recall many devices and software simply state "compatible with Windows 7."
I guess what I'm asking is professional the same as premium except for some added functionality/bells/whistles? If so, I can check the questionable stuff on my laptop and if it works there then it'll probably work with a professional upgrade to my desktop. I can of course install the cheaper premium version but there are some features of the pro version that I want (not need) and am willing to pay the extra for.
Finally, is there an option to return to the previous OS (Vista) if the upgrade isn't acceptable to me due to the need to trash some expensive hardware/software? I'd rather waste the $136 than to need to replace thousands of dollars on HW/SW.