Windows7How

Windows XP Upgrade to Windows 7 – Part I

January 18, 2010

If you were among the many that refused to move to Windows Vista, you are most likely running Windows XP – a favorite of many. Now that Windows 7 has been released, you might be thinking that you would like to upgrade and take advantage of the new features and faster overall speed. Well, like all operating systems (OS), upgrading to Windows 7 can be complex. Since Microsoft did not find it wise to offer a “Windows XP to Windows 7” upgrade product, there are many factors you must consider when making the switch. Here we will look at what you should focus on when taking on this project.

First of all – and probably the most important – you will need to be sure that the hardware you have – all of the components which make up your PC or notebook PC – will be able to handle the new OS. Windows 7 has requirements very similar to Windows Vista. That may sound like something which might keep you on XP, but it has been almost three years since Windows Vista was released to the public. That means that in three years, the hardware requirements have only increased but a little. PCs and related equipment have continued to gain more and more speed/power for less and less money, so it is much more likely that you have already bought a computer which can support Windows 7. If not, you can easily find plenty of computers for sale which will suffice – or, the components you need to get to that requirement by updating your current PC. To be absolutely sure that you have at least the minimum requirement, Microsoft has a tool which you can use to be sure. Simply grab the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.

The Upgrade Advisor will go through all of your hardware and test each piece to be certain that Windows 7 will run on your PC. It will also analyze your applications and peripheral devices to see if any of those bits are not compatible with Windows 7.

Microsoft has another tool which is very useful if you are planning a large migration to Windows 7 from XP. This is good, for instance, if you want to upgrade your family’s computers. The Microsoft Assessment and Planning Toolkit is a free tool and you only have to install it on one PC and it can be accessed through your network. System administrators will find this toolkit very useful if they manage many different PCs at their workplace. When finished running it, you will have a report of each PC’s hardware and device compatibility.

Next, we come to something Microsoft calls “Custom Install” where you will install a copy of Windows 7 on the same computer as your current Windows XP installation. To do this, you will purchase an Upgrade version of Windows 7. No, you will not be able to do a direct upgrade, unfortunately (would be nice, though, eh?) – So, no luck with keeping your applications and settings in place.

The Custom Install works a bit differently than a pure upgrade; you should only use it when you move from XP to Windows 7 (just upgrade directly from Vista). Before you begin, it is a good idea to make a backup of your Windows XP system, just in case something goes wrong; that way you still have a way to go back to your old OS and data files. When you install Windows 7 in this fashion, you can either install it ‘on top of’ or ‘next to’ your current OS. Either will allow you to keep your data in place. The two main methods are to create a dual-boot system – the “next to” type where you will still have a working copy of Windows XP and also your new Windows 7 install, either OS selected by you when the computer first starts up – or you will install it ‘on top of’ your Windows XP OS. The latter puts your XP system files, Documents and Settings folders, and Program Files folders into a folder called Windows.old. No matter which method you use, you will have all of your old data, but you will need to move it into the proper folders in Windows 7, re-install all of your applications, install any remaining drivers for your peripherals, and change any settings in Windows 7 to suit your use or style.

This is only some of what you need to be concerned with when upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7. In Part II, we will look further into the upgrade process; we will mostly focus on what procedure you should have completed before you work on the “Custom Install” procedure. First, though, you need to plan your backup strategy and how you should handle your data transfer and reinstallation of your applications. That will be explained in our Part II

Filed under: Guides

Tags: applications, backup, custom install, hardware, install, installation, planning tools, upgrade, upgrade advisor, win 7, windows 7, windows vista, windows xp