If you are running Windows XP then you might already be aware that there is no direct way of upgrading your XP installation to the new Windows 7 operating system that is due out next month. Reasons for this is that the new OS is very different to the old OS and causes too many complications. But, Microsoft only say there is no direct way which indicates there are indirect ways to achieve the same.
I4U have been looking in to this and found that it is possible to upgrade your Windows XP installation to a Windows Vista installation and then re apply the Windows 7 upgrade on top of Vista once it completes. However, the main downside to this is that your OS might not be completely clean and potentially something could go wrong although it probably will not. Another downside is that you’d need both a Windows Vista upgrade licence and a Windows 7 upgrade licence. Some people “might” have a spare Vista licence kicking around and if that’s you then it could be worth a shot. Please note that I have not tried this method myself.
For most people the XP – Vista – Win 7 is now an option. This is really the only way you can upgrade and keep everything in tact, including your installed programs.
The only other way is to use software to copy your profiles and settings over. Applications will need reinstalling by using this method but your profile and settings will be kept. The software that can be used is Windows Easy Transfer for Windows 7. The software is made by Microsoft and allows you to do transfers PC to PC or to external drives. For full details check out the link just above here.
