For Some, Move To Windows 7 Will Be Tough
July 22, 2009
by Walter S. Mossberg
On October 22, Microsoft will finally release a new version of Windows that will be as good as the deeply disappointing Windows Vista should have been when it came out in January 2007. The new edition, called Windows 7, is a big improvement over both Vista and the sturdy, 2001-vintage Windows XP still widely in use. It will give Apple’s (AAPL) long-superior Mac OS X operating system a run for its money (though Apple might maintain its edge with a new version, called Snow Leopard, due in September).
But how will Windows users transition their current computers to the new Windows 7? While this latest operating system stresses simplicity, the upgrade process will be anything but simple for the huge base of average consumers still using XP, who likely outnumber Vista users. It will be frustrating, tedious and labor-intensive.
In fact, the process will be so painful that, for many XP users, the easiest solution may be to buy a new PC preloaded with Windows 7, if they can afford such a purchase in these dire economic times. In fact, that’s the option Microsoft (MSFT) recommends for XP users. (Conveniently, this option also helps Microsoft’s partners that make PCs.)
By contrast, if you’re using Vista, the upgrade to Windows 7 should be a fairly easy, straightforward process. Because the new version shares most of the underlying guts of Vista, it installs itself on your current machine relatively quickly and smoothly, preserving all your files, folders, settings and programs. In a test of this process earlier this year, using a pre-release version of Windows 7, I upgraded a Vista laptop with no problems and little effort in about an hour.
But Windows XP users, including the millions who have recently snapped up cheap, XP-powered netbooks, will first have to wipe out everything on their hard disks in order to install Windows 7. on their current machines. In fact, Microsoft doesn’t even call migrating to Windows 7 from XP an “upgrade.” It refers to it as a “clean install,” or a “custom installation.” This disk wipeout can be performed manually, or automatically during the Windows 7 installation process.
If you’re an XP user, the disk-wiping will cause you to lose your current file and folder organization, and all your programs, though not necessarily your personal data files themselves.
However, in order to preserve these personal files, like documents and photos, you will have to undertake a long, multi-step process, typically requiring the use of an external hard disk, to which all these files will have to be temporarily moved and then moved back.
That means you’ll have to buy or borrow an external hard disk, or clean out enough room on one you already own, to hold all your files.
And the pain doesn’t end there. If you’re an XP user, moving to Windows 7 on your current computer means you will also have to re-install all your programs and restore all the software drivers for your printers and other add-on hardware. That could require locating the original program disks, or downloaded program installers, and then re-downloading and re-installing the numerous updates that have been issued since these original disks or installers came out.
And, there’s another problem: XP hardware drivers won’t work in Windows 7. Microsoft says it can automatically replace thousands of common older drivers with newer Windows 7-compatible versions, but admits that there may be some for which it doesn’t have replacements. The company specifically warns that some netbooks may include obsolete drivers.
Netbook owners face another problem. Even though Microsoft says Windows 7 will work fine on netbooks, most of them lack a DVD drive, which is needed to run the Windows 7 installation disk. So they’ll have to buy or borrow an external DVD drive.
Microsoft has taken some steps to make this easier. It plans to offer a free “Easy Transfer” program (explained at http://bit.ly/M5Il7) that will automate the process of moving your personal files to an external drive, and then restoring them to your computer after Windows 7 is installed. But this program won’t transfer your programs, only your personal data.
Also, if you don’t want to use an external hard disk to temporarily store your files, you can transfer them over a cable or network to another computer. The company even has an alternative where it will stow your personal data in a special folder called windows.old, on the transformed PC. But you’ll then have to manually move all of these files back to their normal locations.
Finally, Microsoft officials point out that this XP migration issue may be moot for many owners of older XP computers, because their ancient machines lack enough memory, hard disk space, or graphics power to accommodate Windows 7 anyway.
And, even if a really old machine is marginally capable of running Windows 7, it’s a mistake to try and cram a new OS into it and expect a great experience.
But if you do own an otherwise capable computer that happens to be running Windows XP, you’re likely facing a painful process should you choose to transition it to Windows 7.
Find Walt Mossberg’s columns and videos online, free, at the All Things Digital Web site, walt.allthingsd.com. Email him at mossberg@wsj.com.
Comments
Or, you can [I say this as an Apple fanboy] just go into your nearest Apple Store and buy a Mac and have the boys [typically] at the Genius Bar migrate all your stuff to your new Mac. FREE.
Posted by Dave Barnes at July 22nd, 2009 at 8:26 pmAs far as I understand, this is not different from any past operating system release from Microsoft. They support an upgrade from the most recent OS (in this case, Vista), but not previous versions. The unique dilemma here is the massive popularity of Windows XP (and I’m one of that crowd!).
It is important to note that Microsoft is taking a new stance on backwards compatibility with Windows 7 that is playing a role here. Instead of focusing on backwards compatibility with Windows XP, they have created the ability to run Windows XP in a virtual machine under Windows 7. This is a new approach, and I applaud it. It allows Microsoft to be forward thinking, and frees them from being tied down to bad decisions they’ve made in the past.
A clean install is often a very good idea to keep the machine fast and running properly. But it is also a large nuisance when it comes to your old programs and files. What WOULD have been great, however, is to allow this virtual machine functionality to be used in an upgrade process from Windows XP. Why not copy the entire Windows XP installation into this virtual machine, then provide the clean install of Windows 7? You’d get the best of both worlds!
With the absence of this, this is how many of us system builders plan to handle the upgrade process for our customers (the ones that don’t just buy new machines, of course!).
Jon Bach
Posted by Jon Bach at July 23rd, 2009 at 5:52 amPuget Systems
http://www.pugetsystems.com
I sense a lot of anger from Ye Me. Wow! Chill out a bit, guy.
This is just one reviewer’s description of an upgrade process. And the secret to the whole thing is the word “UPGRADE”.
There really are a bunch of folks who will want to upgrade from XP to 7. Walt is doing a service to these folks by giving them a heads-up about what the process is like. And he’s pointing out a few alternate approaches to the process.
I’m a Mac user, so this doesn’t really affect me. But I still like to keep up with what is going on in the Windows world.
Posted by walt pinkston at July 23rd, 2009 at 6:08 amWhat about “upgrading” first from XP to Vista and then to 7? Would that work easier?
Posted by Gabor Garai at July 23rd, 2009 at 6:45 amThis will be “gut check” time for several clients who need to re-consider if they need Windows on their machines, or if more of these machines can move to Ubuntu (or similar) as more of their applications are web-based and not installed binaries.
Especially for small businesses, the costs of maintaining Windows, or worse having the additional costs to upgrade the hardware as well is going to make the lower out-source cost of maintaining Linux boxes on existing hardware [with Open Office] actually look appealing.
We help clients make the decision that is best for them, and for many of the small businesses it will be to stick with XP as long as they can, or switch to open source and pay less in total costs.
In this economic down-draft, many businesses would pass even if it was a “free” upgrade, just because of the associated labor costs and disruption.
The day to watch for is when Microsoft finally kills XP.
Posted by Indy Astleford at July 23rd, 2009 at 10:00 amThis company is a joke. Why do people continue to put up with their crap? This company does not deserve my business. They have been running ads about Apple and how they are more expensive…. what an absolute joke! Yeh, and with MS when they come out with an upgrade to their OS, they recommend you buy a new computer!!!!! And this isn’t the first time that people will have to do that because of their bloated crappy products! Advice: buy a Mac! You will be MUCH happier! Mac is coming out with a new release of their OS in a couple months, and you won’t have to buy a new computer to use it!
Posted by Mike Lane at July 23rd, 2009 at 10:43 amI read this article today and to be honest I’m tired of everyone complaining about how hard it’s going to be to upgrade to the next operating system. If you don’t want to reload your old programs from XP to see if they run on Windows 7 then don’t. Why would you expect any OS provider to ensure everything was backward compatible and that those old programs installed on XP will work great on Windows 7? When you see ads for new cars or flat screen TVs are you saying “wow, that’s going to be one difficult upgrade” or do you just toss out the old car or TV and get a new one? If you want the latest and greatest just quit whining and get it. If getting it means tossing out your old junkie PC running ME or XP then so what. Better yet, if you feel that your old PC is so great that you can’t stand to dump it in the recycle machine then donate it to a school – odds are they won’t want it either.
Posted by Christopher Recor at July 23rd, 2009 at 11:12 am“Finally, Microsoft officials point out that this XP migration issue may be moot for many owners of older XP computers, because their ancient machines lack enough memory, hard disk space, or graphics power to accommodate Windows 7 anyway.”
Oops. Enlighten me! Is this the OS supposed to run fine on even netbooks where Vista failed? Now it sounds like a new computer is basically a requirement? Can they make up their minds?
Posted by Uwe Rueckeshaeuser at July 23rd, 2009 at 11:56 amI’m not even and apple fanboy and I’ve lived through a of Windows upgrades this is the first time I have seen one be actually punitive. When they were an innovative company Microsoft didn’t need lawyers to defend their technology or to bully customers. Sad to see all that has changed.
Posted by Lance Hassan at July 23rd, 2009 at 12:42 pmI appreciate the first paragraph mention of Apple, and the subject being Windows 7, but it still seems odd to gloss over this obvious and easy alternative:
Get a mac.
Given the capacity of Intel Macs to dual-boot Windows XP, it seems like a much better solution all-around than putting up with so much s©at from Microsoft.
I would have at least expected a couple of lines explaining the benefits of switching, given the alternatives. Maybe tomorrow?
Posted by David Schor at July 23rd, 2009 at 1:10 pmWhat a load of crap.
If you don’t know how to use a computer, upgrading to Windows 7 will be painful. Obviously, if this this is your case, you have more money than sense. If this is your case, yes, by all means you should buy a Mac.
If you know how to copy your files, then installing Windows 7 will be the cleanest, easiest and fastest version of Windows ever.
While its really nice that Apple (with mere a 3% functional market share) can rely upon a Pavlovian fan base to pull stunts like OS X, where all of the existing Mac software and most of the extant hardware was rendered obsolete, most consumers with more sense than money are going to reject such nonsense.
I’m installing Windows 7 into brand new machines, 10 year old machines, and even weird kludges of cross-branded Korean PC knock-offs. Windows 7 works flawlessly on all of these systems. I’ve yet to see a single device not recognized.
From the bottom of my heart, I thank Apple’s marketing department. You shamed Redmond into fixing what us lowly Vista users could not. Windows 7 is now going to clean Apple’s clock, and all of the whiny Apple fanboys who were 1000 times more adept at Apple evangelism than actually producing any work can be cheerfully ignored.
Posted by Doug Gann at July 23rd, 2009 at 4:29 pmI’m both a PC and Mac user and must respond to Doug Gann. I value good design and technology (and report on it for a San Diego paper) and have migrated to the Mac simply because it is so much better than Windows.
This came about after one morning I turned on my PC to read my email, and 20 minutes later, after a long wake up time, and after the automatic updates finished downloading and installing – without my being able to delay them – I finally was able to read my first email. That was the day I bought a Mac.
When I moved over to a Mac I found some remarkable differences. Wake up time from sleep was 5 seconds, not 40-60 seconds. Going into sleep mode was equally quick.
As a result I found my behavior changed, turning my Mac on and off for a few minutes use and not leaving it on all day, as I did with a Window computer.
This feature alone, something Microsoft has had a decade to fix, makes the Mac a better choice.
But Macs have problems, but even when they do they’re more manageable. My OS became corrupt and Apple’s support asked me to reinstall the operating system. Did I have to back up my files and reinstall them again? No. The OS reinstalls without effecting your programs, files and settings. Ten minutes later the problem was fixed, and I didn’t need a day to reinstall everything as I did with a PC.
And when I upgraded my notebook I simply chose the option of restoring from my Apple Time Capsule device using Apple’s built-in Time Capsule software, and in about 30 minutes, my brand new notebook was a replica of my old one, every program intact and every file in its place.
I evaluate products based on how well they work, not on passion and emotions. And I have concluded, as has Walt and many other technology reviewers that all work with both-even those that write for PC centric publications- that the Mac has clearly a better OS.
With regard to Windows 7, there should be no technical reason why MS could not develop the software to make the transition from XP to Win7 easy to do. MS has great engineers and huge financial resources. But like never improving startup times over the years, they chose not to do this. And that’s truly a shame.
Posted by Phil Baker at July 23rd, 2009 at 8:32 pmI’ve been running 7 for many months. Chucked XP with the 7 beta, it was that good.
You’re a moron if you try to upgrade from an old OS to a new OS. Clean install, people. Avoid the headaches.
Posted by Colonel Travis at July 26th, 2009 at 6:57 pmFood for though…
I’m currently in a delima. I want to replace the carpet in my living room, but the carpet guys state I have to remove everything from the room in order to install the carpet. I asked them if they could just upgrade the carpet without loosing any of the furnature currently placed in the room for a short time. They said no.
Funny that life often has very similar situations, but yet with very different reasons. Far too many people accept change in one area, but refuse it in others even though the effort and results are virtually identical.
I have never recommended that anyone “upgrade” the basic layer of any computer. Nor do I or MS want to force you into upgrading your computer, either you want to or you dont. If you want Windows 7, common recomendations like mine are to wait until you are willing to upgrade the whole package, computer and even basic applications. Like my living room, I’ll probably replace more than just the carpet. But the cost and need is not quite there yet, so I’m waiting for now. I’d recommend the same for a PC. This is similar to the latest iPhone update 3.0. If you want the best of all 3.0, you’d have to update not only the OS on the phone, but also the phone to get the compass, voice command, speed, battery, etc etc. You can upgrade an old phone, but you still have to back it up, and in some cases restore it too, though that step is getting much easier. Plus the iPhone is 100 times a more simple device than a full PC. That update is not too unlike a PC OS update.
All those folks that are so quick to yell that MS is such a bad company need to step back and get a real idea of how life works. MS is far from mistakes, but are we all so perfect that every step we take in life is painless? Nobody is REQUIRING that you update the whole package. You can stay with XP or whatever. You can even attempt the “upgrade” if you’re willing to put up with the extra work.
Oh and my thoughts on the boot time delima posted by Phil Baker. You have issues with your setup, easy to see. Words I’ve stated and I suggest you live by: “Every piece of software you install on a computer, PC or Mac or whatever, is a liability to the operation of that machine.” Every piece of software, no matter how small or simple can cause issues on any machine. If you install an application that doesn’t play well with another application, then you eventually run into the problem you have posted. Sure, a Mac does suffer this issue less. Then again, there is so much less available to install on the Mac, so reason shows that is why they don’t have this problem as frequently. Me personally, I use both Macs and PCs too, and own an iPhone and a Windows Mobile phone. The Apple products are great products and I too love to use them, but far from adequate in so many tasks I’m asked to do. Apple just don’t cut it in my world to be my only source, as in most other computer users. And, most other users can only afford to use a single machine. If your usage is narrow, then the Apple is your pick. If you have real work to get done, PC is the obvious choice.
All this complaining just shows me how weak we’ve become as a society, and how our expectations have really gone overboard. Nothing comes for free. Nothing.
Posted by Scott Wilkins at July 27th, 2009 at 8:11 am@ Scott Wilkins: I am amused by the total inappropriateness of your iPhone 3.0 metaphor: the point is that upgrading the phone OS is seamless to the user: plug it into iTunes, click upgrade, walk away, click restore, walk away, and in maybe in 30 minutes or so it’s all done… new OS, and everything back in it’s place. 2 major updates (and many small ones) later, each time the result is your old iphone is suddenly newer and better- literally.
The same holds true for Mac OS upgrades- if you have not insanely hacked your system, it is a one-click process- put in the dvd, click upgrade, walk away and let it work. When it’s done, new OS and everything in it’s place.
This is simply not possible in the Windows world.
A few choice comments from the “PC geeks” above:
” Instead of focusing on backwards compatibility with Windows XP, they have created the ability to run Windows XP in a virtual machine under Windows 7″
“A clean install is often a very good idea to keep the machine fast and running properly. But it is also a large nuisance when it comes to your old programs and files…this is how many of us system builders plan to handle the upgrade process for our customers (the ones that don’t just buy new machines, of course!)”
“I read this article today and to be honest I’m tired of everyone complaining about how hard it’s going to be to upgrade to the next operating system”
“If you don’t know how to use a computer, upgrading to Windows 7 will be painful… I’m installing Windows 7 into … 10 year old machines” (Utter nonsense)
This is the problem in a nutshell- gentlemen, what planet are you from? You are talking about a consumer operating system here! You think it is “normal” for someone to have to spend hours backing up all of their files, wiping their hard drive, reinstalling everything manually, figuring out where all of the files go … for what? What is the compelling reason to upgrade? In fact, these fellows may feel the above should be done periodically anyways, to keep Windows PCs working smoothly.
These guys want you to believe this is normal consumer computing life…
“All this complaining just shows me how weak we’ve become as a society, and how our expectations have really gone overboard. Nothing comes for free. Nothing.”
This, then, is their take on consumer computing: “What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger”.
Um, OK. Or, seriously… buy a Mac.
See, these “PC geeks” above, are salivating. Visions of sugar plums are dancing in their heads, because they envision that this estimated 86% of all Windows users still using XP, will be lining up to pay them to upgrade their computers for them- because doing so themselves would be so painful.
Here’s the dirty little secret- if you want a computer that gets out of your way and lets you do the work you need or want to do, seamlessly and without drama, get a Mac. Go to any tech conference, and you will see legions of these PC guys behind glowing Macbook Pro logos.
If you want to spend your entire computing life endlessly reinstalling, tweaking, resetting, antispam and spyware-ing, or paying these guys to do it for you (yeah baby!) … by all means, get that new Windows PC or upgrade everything to Windows 7.
But again… why?
Posted by Dave Shepard at July 28th, 2009 at 9:42 am