XP to Windows 7 is a Migration Task

I have previously written about the things you need to consider when upgrading from Windows Vista to Windows 7. I have noted that despite Microsoft’s campaign about easily moving from Windows Vista to Windows 7, it would still require enormous task on the users side. These tasks include backing up of files, ensuring drivers and software hardwares are available, applications you use continue to run, etc.

I am reading this article from ComputerWorld titled "Opinion: Your XP-to-Windows 7 upgrade path: Buy a new PC" wherein the author says that upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista is not an upgrade but migration. I do agree with the author as my view on the upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 is already more of a migration mindset already.

According to the Market share report in August of 2009 from Net Applications, there are 71.7 % of desktops that are running Windows XP compared to the 18.8 % running Windows Vista. This means that most likely in a couple of years we should be seeing a massive movement from Windows XP to Windows Vista as the old operating system would be approaching its 11th year. In software age, 11 years is very, very long and the feat of Windows XP no matter how shining would eventually end.

For CIOs, developers, IT managers and the rest of the technology decision makers, don’t get misled that the movement from Windows XP to Windows 7 is either and update or upgrade. The shift is simply a migration and in all migrations, time and thorough testing is essential in ensuring the success of this activity.

There are some tools that can help your organization from the migration like the Microsoft Windows Easy Transfer which is already included in Windows 7. The software is supposedly able to move both your files and environment settings but I would just keep my confidence on the movement of files rather than the environment settings. It would be a tall order to expect that settings would just carryover to Windows 7. The real world ideal scenario would say that things can just go wrong with this migration of settings.

Microsoft has already previously warned that if you skip Windows Vista, migration to the next operating system would be a big leap. Later on, they changed their stand saying that Windows 7 is going to have the same codebase as that of Windows Vista and as such applications and the rest of the stuff would continue to work. Well, the movement from Vista to Windows 7 isn’t seamless already, I couldn’t expect more from XP.

If you are on XP and are moving to Windows 7, proceed cautiously and make sure to plan things out before execution.

Image from Windows 7.