Upgrade windows xp pro to windows 7 professional free. How to upgrade to Windows 10 from Windows XP or Vista
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- Upgrade windows xp pro to windows 7 professional free
There is no in place upgrade path from Windows XP to any edition of Windows 7. You will have to do a custom install, which involves backing up your personal files, settings and reinstall applications and install Windows 7 native drivers.
The first thing you should check is to make sure your computer meets the minimum system requirements to run Windows Please read these instructions carefully and completely before you begin installing Windows 7: There are important steps that you need to follow to upgrade from your PC from Windows XP to Windows 7 in order to preserve your files and settings. Before you begin, you'll need to back up all your data to an external storage device, and you'll need all of the installation discs for programs you want to keep.
Please make sure you have an external hard drive see details below. More detailed instructions are available at windows. Here are the basic steps. Run Windows Upgrade Advisor windows. Save your files and settings on an external hard drive using Windows Easy Transfer windows.
If you don't have an external hard drive you won't be able to use Windows Easy Transfer. You'll need to manually reinstall your programs, such as Microsoft Office, after you install Windows 7. You might be able to download some programs from the Internet. For example, Windows Live Messenger can be installed from download. When asked "Which type of installation do you want? If you're not comfortable installing Windows 7 yourself, check with a local retail store or PC services company to see if they offer upgrade services.
I checked and the answer is no, see the screenshot above. Good news though, Windows XP users will definitely qualify for upgrade pricing. The reason why Microsoft has decided not to support a Windows XP upgrade path to Windows 7 stems from the complexity involved. The Windows Team wants the best possible experience, because of the significant changes that have occurred since Vista, there are just too many variables involved that can potentially make the upgrade experience an unsatisfactory one.
So, a clean install is the recommended and only way to get Windows 7 installed on your system for Windows XP users. If you are in the above line up, you should be good to go. Some persons will be able to get away with some unofficial hardware configurations. But I have a customized setup not requiring all the features of the OS. So your mileage will vary.
Many have described Windows 7 as a significant release of the OS that actually improves the performance of your PC. Now this is a tough one. Windows is known as the operating system that tries its very best to make it easy to run your old applications on the latest version.
But there is always the possibility of compatibility issues. Windows 7 in particular just like Windows Vista will likely have problems with applications that also had problems in that version. Please note though, this does necessarily apply to all applications, there have been successful reports of applications that did not work in Vista, now working just fine in Windows 7.
To help users evaluate their current setup, Microsoft recently provided the Windows Upgrade Advisor which analyzes and checks your system for potential software and hardware conflicts. Its a great starting point for Windows XP users who want to move to Windows 7. With over 1. Before you even pop the Windows 7 disk into your disk drive, you can do a few things. Like check the manufacturer of your devices for updated drivers or information about Windows 7 support. For applications you can do the same by checking the developers web site for updates or new versions.
Number 2 and 3 in particular might be tough decisions to make considering that the application or device is already working just fine in Windows XP.
But users must understand that upgrading to Windows 7 is not just upgrading for upgrades sake. The operating system is easier to use, more reliable and definitely more secure. This is not a scare tactic, its just how the hardware and software industry works. There is always a new version in the works to replace the old one. For potential customers of Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate, Microsoft is providing a feature called Windows Virtual XP, which enhances the application compatibility experience in Windows 7.
This is great especially for business customers who might still be running legacy applications on Windows XP. Another great thing about Virtual XP is, you can run your legacy applications side by side within Windows 7 without having to interact with the Windows XP operating side of things. To learn more about Windows Virtual XP, check out my experiences with it here.
In the screenshot from earlier, the Compatibility Report suggest that we use the Windows Easy Transfer utility. And that is what we will now do.
Lucky for us, Windows 7 already comes with the Migration Tools on the disk. This will launch the setup program for Windows Easy Transfer software that will be installed on your Windows XP computer.
The last time I used Windows Easy Transfer to move files from Windows 7 to a new Windows 7 PC, I discussed the different options available for transferring your items to a new computer. Its particularly best when moving large amounts of data from Windows XP to Windows 7 since there is no upgrade path and the restoration will be much smoother.
Choosing the location where the Easy Transfer file will be saved, optional password. So we have backed up everything. The next step now involves installing Windows 7. One thing Windows XP users must note, your applications will not survive a clean install and will require reinstallation.
So please make sure you have those program disks available when you are ready to do so. You have two options, you can launch Windows 7 setup in Windows XP or you can boot from the Windows 7 disk. If you plan on booting from your disk, ensure that your BIOS is set to boot from its optical drive. What does this entail? You will be able to access the information in Windows. Windows 7 has definitely made it clear about moving to it from Windows XP and the pre-requisites necessary.
Its a clean install, applications will not be available and you should of course backup before attempting the migration. Since we have done all of these necessary things, we will go ahead and start the installation. So, after completing the installation, you would like to restore those personal files and settings. Connect your external drive or wherever you backed your Windows Easy Transfer file to.
After restoring your data and settings, you can view a report of what was transferred, along with what you will need to reinstall.
Follow the wizard and navigate to the location where the Easy Transfer file is stored. Enter your password if you had created one and the wizard will complete the restoration of files and settings. You can check the Easy Transfer Report when it is finished, which will detail what you will need to reinstall, along with what was restored.
After this is completed, you will be asked to restart your computer. Windows XP users should note that applications that once came bundled with Windows XP are not included in the OS such as Email and video editing software.
You can download third party equivalents or download and install Windows Live Essentials which includes updated successors to these programs. You can learn more about that here. Windows XP users can take confidence in the migration experience that Windows 7 provides. Yes, there are some requirements that are involved and appropriate planning of course can help to overcome some of the hurdles. The experiences promised at the end is definitely worth it!
External hard disk — these can come in very handy. If you have lots of data stored on your Windows XP PC, you will need a good amount of storage to back it up. Have those program disks nearby — After completing the migration, you will need to reinstall all your necessary programs. Common apps include office productivity suites, finance software and any other favorite applications you often use in Windows XP.
Check for updates — after completing the installation, check for updates for the operating system, computer and your applications.
This will improve stability, security, performance and compatibility. Have security software installed. There are many free antivirus solutions out there, your existing one for XP is most likely not compatible with Windows 7. Antivirus programs tend to work specifically with the operating system version. You can find a list of available antiviral programs for Windows 7 here. Was this reply helpful?
Yes No. Sorry this didn't help. These four steps take time, some technical skill and Windows Easy Transfer can help.
Choose where you want to search below Search Search the Community. Search the community and support articles Windows Windows 7 Search Community member. This thread is locked. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. I have the same question Report abuse. Details required :. Cancel Submit.
How do I upgrade a Windows XP Pro to Windows 7 Pro? - Microsoft Community - Shop by category
I have a computer running with windows xp and it came with a license for Windows 7 Pro. I never received the original disc with the purchase of the PC. At the time. I preferred to run XP instead of 7 which was down graded at the time of install.
This was bought from a computer company and installed for me a few years ago. I no longer deal with that company. I want to upgrade my PC to the Windows 7 Pro license but need to be able to download the install. All links on this forum lead to a broken link. My computer is 32 bit. Also, I downloaded and installed the Window 7 upgrade advisor report and it said it would work with Windows 7 but does that also work for windows 7 Pro.
ImgBurn - In addtion to supporting the creation of CD's from. ISO files, it supports a wide range of other image file formats, and it's free. Please read these instructions carefully and completely before you begin installing Windows 7: There are important steps that you need to follow to upgrade from your PC from Windows XP to Windows 7 in order to preserve your files and settings.
Before you begin, you'll need to back up all your data to an external storage device, and you'll need all of the installation discs for programs you want to keep. Please make sure you have an external hard drive see details below. More detailed instructions are available at windows.
Here are the basic steps. Run Windows Upgrade Advisor windows. Save your files and settings on an external hard drive using Windows Easy Transfer windows. If you don't have an external hard drive you won't be able to use Windows Easy Transfer. You'll need to manually reinstall your programs, such as Microsoft Office, after you install Windows 7.
You might be able to download some programs from the Internet. For example, Windows Live Messenger can be installed from download. When asked "Which type of installation do you want? If you're not comfortable installing Windows 7 yourself, check with a local retail store or PC services company to see if they offer upgrade services. Was this reply helpful? Yes No. Sorry this didn't help. Choose where you want to search below Search Search the Community. Search the community and support articles Windows Windows 7 Search Community member.
How do I get my computer upgraded to this version? Please help as I want to get this upgraded asap. This thread is locked. You can follow the question or vote as helpful, but you cannot reply to this thread. I have the same question 1.
Report abuse. Details required :. Cancel Submit. Andre Da Costa Article Author. The following links are working: Download the corresponding edition of Windows 7 you have a license for from the following link. Upgrading from Windows XP? After Windows 7 is installed, use Windows Easy Transfer to restore your files and settings. Thanks for your feedback. How satisfied are you with this reply?
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