CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Windows 7 Administration8

Understanding 64-Bit Computing

Since it was introduced for Windows operating systems, 64-bit computing has

changed substantially. Not only do computers running 64-bit versions of Windows

perform better and run faster than their 32-bit counterparts, they are also more

scalable because they can process more data per clock cycle, address more memory,

and perform numeric calculations faster. Windows 7 supports two different 64-bit

architectures:

■ x64 This architecture is based on 64-bit extensions to the x86 instruction

set, which is implemented in AMD Opteron (AMD64) processors, Intel Xeon

processors with 64-bit extension technology, and other processors. This

architecture offers native 32-bit processing and 64-bit extension processing,

allowing simultaneous 32-bit and 64-bit computing.

■ IA64 This architecture is based on the Explicitly Parallel Instruction Com-

puting (EPIC) processor architecture, which is implemented in Intel Itanium

(IA64) processors and other processors. This architecture offers native 64-bit

processing, allowing 64-bit applications to achieve optimal performance.

Sixty-four-bit computing is designed for performing operations that are memory

intensive and that require extensive numeric calculations. With 64-bit processing,

applications can load large data sets entirely into physical memory (that is, RAM),

which reduces the need to page to disk and increases performance substantially.

The EPIC instruction set enables Itanium-based processors to perform up to 20

operations simultaneously.

Currently, the prevalent firmware interfaces are:

■ Basic input/output system (BIOS)

■ Extensible Firmware Interface (EFI)

■ Unified Extensible Firmware Interface (UEFI)

Itanium-based computers differ in many fundamental ways from computers

based on the x86 and x64 specifications. While Itanium-based computers use EFI

and the GUID partition table (GPT) disk type, computers based on x86 use BIOS

and the master boot record (MBR) disk type. Computers based on x64 use UEFI

wrapped around BIOS or EFI, as discussed in “Navigating and Understanding Firm-

ware Options” in Chapter 10. This means that there are differences in the way you

manage computers with these architectures, particularly when it comes to setup

and disk configuration. However, with the increasing acceptance and use of UEFI

and the ability of Windows 7 to use both MBR and GPT disks regardless of firmware

type, the underlying chip architecture won’t necessarily determine what firmware

type and disk type a computer uses. This decision is in the hands of the hardware

manufacturer.

CHAPTER 1 Introduction to Windows 7 Administration10

Installing Windows 7

Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate editions are the only editions

intended for use in Active Directory domains. When you install Windows 7 on a

computer with an existing operating system, you can perform a clean installation or

an upgrade. The major differences between a clean installation and an upgrade are

the following:

■ Clean installation With a clean installation, the Windows Setup program

completely replaces the original operating system on the computer, and

all user and application settings are lost. You should use a clean installa-

tion when the operating system cannot be upgraded, the system must boot

to multiple operating systems, a standardized configuration is required, or

when no operating system is currently installed.

■ Upgrade installation During an upgrade, user settings are retained,

existing applications and their settings are kept, and basic system configura-

tion is not required. An upgrade installation should be used when you have

computers running the Windows operating system that support upgrading

to Windows 7 and you want to minimize disruption by maintaining the exist-

ing settings, user information, and application configurations.

The way an upgrade works depends on the operating system being upgraded.

When you are upgrading from Windows Vista, Windows Setup performs an in-place

upgrade. Upgrade copies are available for Windows XP, but you can’t perform an

in-place upgrade. When you are upgrading from Windows XP, you need to use

Windows Easy Transfer to transfer your files and settings and then run Windows

Setup. Windows Setup will then perform a clean installation of the operating system.

Afterward, you need to reinstall your applications.

Preparing for Windows 7 Installation

To install Windows 7, you can boot from the Windows distribution media, run Setup

from your current Windows operating system, perform a command-line installation,

or use one of the automated installation options.

There are two basic approaches to setting up Windows 7—interactively or as an

automated process. An interactive installation is what many people regard as the

regular Windows installation—the kind where you walk through the setup process

and enter a lot of information. It can be performed from distribution media (by

booting from the distribution media or running Windows Setup from a command

line). The default Windows setup process when booting from the retail Windows 7

DVD is interactive, prompting you for configuration information throughout the

process.

There are several types of automated setup, which actually have administrator-

configurable amounts of user interaction. The most basic form of unattended setup

you can perform is an unattended installation using only answer files. An answer

file contains all or part of the configuration information usually prompted for