Now that Windows 7 has been released for general sale the issue of migrating to the new operating system has moved to the forefront. For those buying new computers, the issue is quite easy- which version do you want. A quick study of the different versions and their capabilities makes the choice much less complicated. It is likewise a relatively simple matter for those making the move from Vista to Windows 7. That path is supported by Microsoft, and is as easy as choosing your version. You have to make sure that all patches and updates are installed first; then run the update. 35 minutes later your are good to go.
The issue really involves those people who are contemplating the move from XP to Windows 7 (W/7). Since Microsoft does not support that path directly, there are additional factors that have to be taken into account.
One way to make the move is to accept the fact that you have to wipe your hard-drive and then load W/7 followed by all of your applications. This is not a difficult thing to do, but it does take time. You will need the original media for all of your purchased and downloaded applications, and the licenses they require. In general, plan on spending about 4-6 hours completing this process. The advantage is that this type of clean install removes all vestiges of problems that may have built up in your system over time.
This path leads to the quickest performance of even older computers and should be taken whenever practical. If your concern is that you have legacy software that does not run under Vista you need to make sure that you purchase either Premium or Ultimate Windows 7 versions so that you can run the virtual XP mode which allows you to run older software and older peripherals that have not had their drivers updated.
For those that do not want to go through a time-consuming clean install – there is another way, and that entails buying a third party application to aid the process. One such product is PCmover® Windows 7 Upgrade Assistant from Laplink Software. It costs about $75 per installation but it offers the user the ability to avoid doing a clean install, and cuts the time necessary for the migration significantly. While we do not endorse any third party solutions, the feedback we have received is very positive.
Several of us at AtNetPlus have been using W/7 for quite some time now and all of us are glad we made the move. In fact, I writing this article on a Dell laptop that I put in service in June of 2003 and it now performs better than it has for years. Giving new life to older computers is just an additional benefit of moving to W/7 in addition to all of the enhanced usability features built in as either new or enhanced applets.
Our recommendation is to take the plunge sooner rather than later, and begin to enjoy what we think is the finest operating system produced by Microsoft to-date.
Posts
