Upgrade Path
upgrade path, you will have to do a clean installation. Microsoft doesn't have an easy way to make this happen. Cost of the upgrade DVD is about $100 for the software alone.
I like the idea of not upgrading, and just buying a reconditioned PC. All the work is done for you, plus $50 more than the price of the software DVD a 2nd hand PC that you know runs Windows 7.
But if your more adventurous you can just try and upgrade your existing system.
Think instead about applications, user data, system compatibility and so on. That way, you won't be distracted by a false goal and expend too much energy on it.
But before you start anything down load the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor and see if your present system will be compatible.
Whatever you do, don’t use Windows XP-era deployment techniques or install Windows 7 manually -- two common mistakes made by early Windows 7 adopters. You’ll get far better long-term support with Windows if you bite the bullet and accept Microsoft’s deployment methodologies and technologies now.
Applications
Because there's no direct migration path to Windows 7, assume that every app must be reinstalled from scratch. Any applications for which an installer cannot be found will need to either be replaced entirely or migrated by hand to the new environment.
Migrating user data
Because migrating user data also typically involves copying application settings and user data, it's impossible to talk about apps without some discussion of user data.
In some ways, migrating user data is the easiest part because Microsoft provides a few different ways to move data automatically between Windows XP and 7 installations. For individual users, the Windows Easy Transfer tool can copy user data directly from your XP to a Windows 7 machine (using the Easy Transfer Cable) or to an archive file, which can be stored on a network or portable drive. Located on the Windows 7 DVD in \Support\Migwiz, the utility is accessed by running the Migsetup.exe, which pulls up a wizard to transfer user accounts, documents, pictures, email and other settings.
In some ways, migrating user data is the easiest part because Microsoft provides a few different ways to move data automatically between Windows XP and 7 installations. For individual users, the Windows Easy Transfer tool can copy user data directly from your XP to a Windows 7 machine (using the Easy Transfer Cable) or to an archive file, which can be stored on a network or portable drive. Located on the Windows 7 DVD in \Support\Migwiz, the utility is accessed by running the Migsetup.exe, which pulls up a wizard to transfer user accounts, documents, pictures, email and other settings.
I've found porting user data from an XP system to a Windows 7 pro system a dream using the Easy Transfer tool.
There are three ways given to transfer the data.
- Use an Easy Transfer Cable. The Easy Transfer Cable is a specially designed USB cable that connects two computers and works with Windows Easy Transfer to transfer information between the computers. It's one of the easiest ways to transfer files and settings to your new computer. You should always start Windows Easy Transfer on your new computer and plug in the Easy Transfer cable only when you're instructed to do so. Before you plug in the cable on your old computer, be sure to insert the CD that came with it to install the Windows Easy Transfer software and continue the transfer process.
- Transfer using a network. Make sure that both computers are connected to the same network. Start Windows Easy Transfer on your new computer (the computer that you want to transfer your files and settings to), and then follow the instructions. The Windows Easy Transfer key acts like a password to help protect files and settings when you transfer them over the network.
- USB flash drive or external hard disk. What you'll need: A USB flash drive (this requires a USB port on each computer) or an external hard disk compatible with both computers. Start Windows Easy Transfer on your new computer (the computer you want to transfer files and settings to), and then follow the instructions for using a USB flash drive or an external hard disk. During the transfer process, Windows Easy Transfer will estimate how much disk space is needed to transfer your selections. If you use a USB flash drive, use one with enough storage space for the entire transfer.
As I have a Easy Transfer Cable on order I chose to connect both systems via the home network. The "new" computer was connected to the home router and I used the network with two copies of the Easy transfer tool, one on each computer to transfer all the user data to the Windows 7 pro system.
No programs apart what were previously installed are available at this stage.
More information about the options available are discussed in transferring files settings faq from Microsoft.
Applications
What was missing was Microsoft productivity suite like Word, Outlook etc, so I installed the poor man's alternative.- Adobe Acrobat
- Apache OpenOffice - The Free and Open Productivity Suite
- Writer a word processor you can use for anything from writing a quick letter to producing an entire book.
- Calc a powerful spreadsheet with all the tools you need to calculate, analyze, and present your data in numerical reports or sizzling graphics.
- Impress the fastest, most powerful way to create effective multimedia presentations.
- Draw lets you produce everything from simple diagrams to dynamic 3D illustrations.
- Base lets you manipulate databases seamlessly. Create and modify tables, forms, queries, and reports, all from within Apache OpenOffice.
- Math lets you create mathematical equations with a graphic user interface or by directly typing your formulas into the equation editor.
- Mozilla Thunderbird - is a free email application that's easy to set up and customize
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| Turn Windows features on or off |
Games
The customer wanted her games installed but they were missing on Windows 7.No problem go to Control Panel->Programs and Features->Turn Windows features on or off. Look for games and select the checkbox.
Minimum Hardware Requirements
The following table shows the minimum hardware requirements for Windows® 7 as provided by Microsoft:
| Minimum 32-bit Operating System | Minimum 64-bit Operating System | |
| Processor | 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) | 1 GHz or faster 64-bit (x64) |
| Memory | 1 GB RAM | 2 GB RAM |
| Available Disk Space | 16 GB | 20 GB |
| Graphics | DirectX® 9 graphics processor with WDDM or higher driver | DirectX® 9 graphics processor with WDDM or higher driver |
These minimum requirements are for basic computing tasks such as word processing and Web browsing. Additional memory and graphics may be required for more powerful computing tasks.
The recommendations above are provided by Microsoft. When using multiple programs or when having several windows open simultaneously, Dell recommends at least 2 GB of system memory for a PC with 32-bit Windows 7 operating system and 4 GB for a PC with 64-bit Windows 7 operating system.
Additionally, the following are the minimum hardware requirements for running Windows 7 in Windows XP Mode:
- Processor: Intel® VT or AMD-V™
- Memory: 2 GB (32-bit), 3 GB (64-bit)
- Available Disk Space: 15 GB
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