Upgrading to Windows 7: What You Need to Know

Microsoft has extended the availability and support of Windows XP until April 2011. After which Windows XP will no longer be supported in any way. Windows 7 will become available in October of 2009. Before considering upgrading to Windows 7, you need to be aware of all the necessary preparations to make the transition successful. I have also provided you a list of resources mentioned in some of the steps so you don't have to go searching for them. I have also provided resource links to programs that will take the guess work out of determining whether your computer meets the minimum requirements.

Step1:

Download the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to see if your computer meets the minimum requirements. The link provided in the 'Resource' section is the official Microsoft Site.

Step2:

If you computer meets the necessary requirements, the next step is to determine whether you can install the 32bit or 64 bit version of Windows 7 and whether your processor supports virtualization mode. This allows you to run Windows XP software in Windows 7 'Compatibility' mode. You can download Secur Able utility, which is a safe program to run (see 'Resources' for link).

Step3:

As of July 2009, Windows 7 is only available on DVD or as a download from Microsoft's own e-store. After downloading Windows 7 you can create a bootable USB drive. You can check the 'Resources' link below and go to Long Zheng site for step-by-step instructions how to create a bootable USB drive. Another alternative is to burrow a friend's external DVD drive.

Step4:

Since Windows 7 needs to be a clean install, you will need to back up all your data to CD's or DVD's. The easiest way to do this is to make a disk image of your XP machine, so if you decide to go back to Windows XP it will be less of a hassle. There's free software out there that can help you in backing up Windows XP; two I recommend are: Macrium Reflect and DriveImageXML (see 'Resources' below for links). This software runs on XP and creates an image of your hard drive on CD's or DVD's.

Step5:

Your Windows 7 upgrade choices are: Home Premium ($120), Professional ($200) and Ultimate ($220). These are the prices as of July 2009. The 32 bit and 64 bit versions are included. For step-by-step instructions how to perform the upgrade you can visit Microsoft's step-by-step Windows 7 Upgrade and Migration site. Or if you like to see the steps with pictures, visit BlogsDNA site. See 'Resources' below for both links.

Step6:

After installing Windows 7 and all your software, now it's time to see if all your XP software will run on Windows 7. If any software does not run, try the 'compatibility mode' by right clicking on the program icon and select 'Properties', then click 'Compatibility' tab. Next check the 'Run this program in compatibility mode' box. In the drop-down list choose Windows XP. Remember your processor has to support virtualization mode as outlined in step 2.

Step7:

If you're PC can't run in 'compatibility mode' you can install free virtualization software on Windows 7, such as Sun's VirtualBox (see 'Resources' for link). You will need a license copy of Windows XP as the "guest" OS within the virtual environment in order for it to be installed inside the virtual machine.

Resource Links:

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor: Run this utility to determine if your PC will support Windows 7

Secur Able Utility: Run this utility to determine if your PC will support 64 bit and compatibility mode

Long Zheng: How to create a bootable USB drive.

Macrium Reflect: Free software to back up your hard drive

DriveImageXML: More free software to back up your hard drive

Sun's VirtualBox: Free software to set up a virtual PC

Windows 7 Upgrade and Migration: Step-by-step instructions how to upgrade to Windows 7

BlogsDNA: Step-by-step instructions how to upgrade to Windows 7 with pictures