http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/AR2009102304277.html?wpisrc=newsletter
Five Things You Should Know About Upgrading From XP to Windows 7
Microsoft has tried to provide the tools users need to make the transition as
easy as possible, but you may hit some snags. Here are five things you should
be aware of as you upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7.
Tony Bradley, PC World
PC World
Tuesday, October 27, 2009; 12:19 AM
Now that Windows 7 is here, the three out of four users who have rejected
Windows Vista and clung to the tried and true Windows XP can breathe a sigh of
relief and consider moving to the new flagship operating system.
Upgrading or switching operating systems often comes with some trials and
tribulations and the Windows 7 upgrade is no exception. Microsoft has tried to
provide the tools users need to make the transition as easy as possible, but
you may hit some snags. Here are five things you should be aware of as you
upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7.
1. . Unfortunately, Microsoft has not provided Windows 7 with the capability to
upgrade directly from Windows XP. The explanation is that so much has changed
between Windows XP and Windows 7 within the operating system kernel itself, the
Registry, the drivers, etc. that trying to get from Point A to Point B just
won't work. That isn't as horrible as it sounds. Frankly, although in-place
upgrades are convenient, experts always recommend doing a fresh install when
moving to a new operating system in order to ensure the best performance and
overall experience. Just think of it like Microsoft did you a favor by forcing
you to do it the right way. You're welcome.
2. ?? You can't get from Windows XP to Windows 7 directly, but there was a
little known operating system that came out between the two. I know you have
blocked out that part of your memory to avoid horrible Windows Vista
flashbacks, but surely you could make the switch to Windows Vista if its only
for an hour or two. Windows XP users can work around the upgrade issue if they
have a copy of Windows Vista. It doesn't even have to be licensed since you
won't be activating it and won't have it loaded for more than a few hours--
well within the 30-day trial period. Just upgrade from Windows XP to Windows
Vista, then upgrade the Windows Vista system to Windows 7. I make no assurances
that this will go off without a hitch. I will add a disclaimer: refer to the
first tip where I reminded you that it is recommended that you do the clean
install.
3. . If you bought your printer when Clinton was still in office, or your
graphics card when Michael Jordan was still ruling the NBA, you might have a
hard time finding software updates and drivers to make them work with Windows
7. Thankfully, Microsoft has an app for that. Microsoft created the Windows 7
Upgrade Advisor tool which scans your hardware and software and identifies any
known compatibility issues. It provides guidance on how to resolve identified
issues, and makes recommendations for what you should do to ensure a satisfying
Windows 7 upgrade experience
4. . Whether you do the clean install or some sort of crazy work-around to
upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7, arguably the most important part is
making you're your data and personal preferences stay intact. That's where the
Windows 7 Easy Transfer tool comes in. The actual file is You can find it on
the Windows 7 DVD under First you run it on your existing Windows XP system to
migrate your user profile(s) to some external storage. Then, after Windows 7 is
installed you run it again to import the user profile(s) to Windows 7. One
small caveat. If you have 32-bit Windows XP and you are taking the opportunity
while upgrading to make the switch to 64-bit Windows 7 you might run into some
problems. I was unable to transfer user settings from a 32-bit to a 64-bit
system using this tool during a previous upgrade.
5. . If you're running Windows XP I assume you have invested in some security
software-- antivirus, antispyware, personal firewall, etc. Because of changes
that Microsoft has made to protect the operating system kernel, those Windows
XP-era security programs will most likely not work in Windows 7. The good news
is that the Windows 7 firewall is significantly better than the Windows XP
firewall, and Microsoft provides adequate security protection for free with
Windows Defender and the recently released Microsoft Security Essentials
antivirus program. You may still want to explore alternatives and install more
robust protection, but these tools should provide sufficient protection for the
time being without costing you any money.
If you don't want to spend all that time alone, maybe you could throw one of
the Windows 7 parties and you and all of your Windows XP friends can have ice
cream and cake (or pizza and beer) while you make the transition.
Of course, you might better off to simply invest the extra money and get a
whole new system with Windows 7 already installed. If you have held on to your
computer hardware as long as you held onto the Windows XP operating system then
you are really skewing Moore's Law and its time you upgrade.
Tony Bradley is an information security and unified communications expert with
more than a decade of enterprise IT experience. He tweets as
@PCSecurityNewsand provides tips, advice and reviews on information security
and unified communications technologies on his site at tonybradley.com.
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