Installing a new operating system—especially one that makes relatively
radical changes to your system, as Windows 8 does—is definitely a “look
before you leap” operation. Your computer’s operating system is just
too important, so you shouldn’t dive blindly into the installation
process. To make sure that things go well, and to prevent any permanent
damage in case disaster strikes, you need to
practice “safe” installing. This means taking some time beforehand to
run through a few precautionary measures and to make sure your system
is ready to welcome Windows 8. To that end, the next few sections run
through a checklist of items you should take care of before firing up
the Setup program.
Check Your System Requirements
Before getting too involved in the
Setup process, you need to make sure your computer is capable of
supporting Windows 8. Go back over the system requirements we outlined
earlier to make sure your machine is Windows 8 ready.
Back Up Your Files
Although the vast majority of
Windows 8 installations make it through without a hitch, there’s
another law that software (particularly complex operating system
software) always seems to follow: Murphy’s Law (that is, if anything
can go wrong, it will). Windows 8 Setup has a Smart Recovery option
that should get you out of most jams, but you should still make backup
copies of important files, in case Smart Recovery is, for once, just
not smart enough. At the very least you should back up your data files,
which are both precious and irreplaceable.
Clean Up Your Hard Disk
To maximize the amount of free space on your
hard disk (and just for the sake of doing some spring cleaning), you
should go through your hard disk with a fine-toothed comb, looking for
unnecessary files you can delete.
The easiest route here is to use the
Disk Cleanup utility. In most recent versions of Windows, open File
Explorer, display the Computer folder, right-click drive C (or whatever
drive contains the Windows system files), click Properties, and then
click Disk Cleanup.
Check and Defragment Your Hard Disk
Windows 8 Setup uses CHKDSK to
give your hard disk a quick once-over before settling down to the
serious business of installation. Sure, a “quick once-over” is better
than nothing, but you should be more thorough. Specifically, use your
version of Windows’ Check Disk program to give your hard disk a
“surface” scan. The surface scan checks your hard disk for physical
imperfections that could lead to trouble down the road. In most recent
versions of Windows, open File Explorer, display the Computer folder,
right-click drive C (or whatever drive contains the Windows system
files), click Properties, click the Tools tab, and then click Check
Disk. When the Check Disk interface appears, activate the Scan For and
Attempt Recovery of Bad Sectors check box and then click Start.
Don’t forget to do a virus check if you have
antivirus software. Viruses have been known to wreak havoc on the
Windows 8 Setup program (in addition to their other less-endearing
qualities, such as locking up your system and trashing your hard drive).
When that’s
done, you should next defragment the files on your hard drive. This
action ensures that Setup will store the Windows 8 files with optimal
efficiency, which will improve performance and lessen the risk of
corrupted data. In most recent versions of Windows, open File Explorer,
display the Computer folder, right-click drive C (or whatever drive
contains the Windows system files), click Properties, click the Tools
tab, and then click Defragment Now.
Create a System Image Backup and a System Repair Disc
If you’re upgrading to Windows 8 from Windows
7, you should prepare for the worst by creating both a system image
backup and a system repair disc.
The worst-case scenario for an operating
system upgrade is a system crash that renders your hard disk or system
files unusable. Your only recourse in such a case is to start from
scratch with either a reformatted hard disk or a new hard disk. This
usually means that you have to reinstall Windows 7 and then reinstall
and reconfigure all your applications. In other words, you’re looking
at the better part of a day or, more likely, a few days, to recover
your system. However, Windows 7 has a feature that takes most of the
pain out of recovering your system. It’s called a system image
backup, and it’s actually a complete backup of your Windows 7
installation. It takes a long time to create a system image (at least
several hours, depending on how much stuff you have), but it’s worth it
for the peace of mind. Here are the steps to follow to create the
system image:
1. On your Windows 7 PC, select Start, type backup, and then click Backup and Restore in the search results.
2. Click Create an Image. The Create a System Image Wizard appears.
3. The wizard asks you to specify a backup destination. You have three choices. (Click Next when you’re ready to continue.)
• On a Hard Disk—Select
this option if you want to use a disk drive on your computer. If you
have multiple drives, use the list to select the one you want to use.
• On One or More DVDs—Select this option if you want to use DVDs to hold the backup.
• On a Network Location—Select
this option if you want to use a shared network folder. Either type the
UNC address of the share or click Select, and then either type the UNC
address of the share or click Browse to use the Browse for Folder
dialog box to select the shared network folder. Type a username and
password for accessing the share, and then click OK.
4. The system image
backup automatically includes your internal hard disk in the system
image, and you can’t change that. However, if you also have external
hard drives, you can add them to the backup by activating their check
boxes. Click Next. Windows Backup asks you to confirm your backup
settings.
5. Click Start Backup. Windows Backup creates the system image.
6. When the backup is complete, click Close.
The second half of your
Windows 7 recovery system is the system repair disc, which is a CD or
DVD that enables you to boot to the disc and then restore your system
using the system image backup you just created. Here’s how you go about
creating a system repair disc:
1. On your Windows 7 PC, select Start, type system repair, and then click Create a System Repair Disc in the search results. The Create a System Repair Disc dialog box appears.
2. Insert a blank recordable CD or DVD into your burner. If the AutoPlay dialog box shows up, close it.
3. If you have multiple burners, use the Drive list to select the one you want to use.
4. Click Create Disc. Windows 7 creates the disc (it takes a minute or two) and then displays a particularly unhelpful dialog box.
5. Click Close and then click OK.
Eject the disc, label it, and then put it someplace where you’ll be able to find it later on.
