Meh, was going to take a fresh install anyway...
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2350740,00.aspWindows XP to Windows 7: It's Going to Be a Bumpy Ride
Microsoft's decision to leave Windows XP users behind, with no easy upgrade path to Windows 7, is, possibly, the sole mistake of an otherwise pitch-perfect product development and launch campaign.
Yes, I know there's precedent for Microsoft not helping customers upgrade from multi-generations-old operating systems. When XP shipped in October of 2001, Windows 3.1 and even Windows 95 were left behind. The exact phrasing Microsoft uses in its literature is: "No Supported Upgrade Paths." When Vista shipped in January 2007, XP had multiple paths, but Windows 2000 (and older OSs) were left out in the cold.
To clarify, Microsoft isn't abandoning these users. The company is simply making it clear that for any user running a Windows operating system older than Vista, there is "no supported upgrade path." That means, of course, that you'll need a clean install to run Windows 7. Look, our tests have shown that Windows 7 is one of the leaner Windows OSs in recent years. It can even run on sub-powered netbooks. So, it'll likely run on your older systems (within reason, of course). However, if you want to move that XP system to Win 7, you'll need to do what Microsoft is calling a "Custom install." Microsoft describes it thusly:
"A custom installation gives you the option to either completely replace your current operating system or install Windows on a specific drive or partition that you select. You can also use Custom if your computer does not have an operating system, or if you want to set up a multiboot system on your computer."
Just so you know, "…replace your current operating system…" means starting over. You'll lose settings and will need to back up all your files to storage outside that XP system. All your apps will need to be reinstalled, as well. And you may have to manage some of the hardware driver updates, too. Microsoft also is not promising that all your XP apps will work with Win 7: The company has always promised that all Vista hardware and software would.
I don't think Microsoft is being unfair here. Like I said, this is how it has always done its upgrades. On the other hand, XP followed Win 98 and Vista followed XP. Despite some initial misgivings, users came to tolerate, if not like, 98 and XP, especially once each one of them got its Service Packs and Special Editions. Theses upgrades made a world of difference. By the time new OSs came along, adoption was pretty much universal.
Things are different now.
For one thing, perception of Windows Vista has been almost universally bad. It became the poster child for a product that over-promised and under-delivered. Like the OSs that came before it, Vista now has its own set of Service Packs. SP2 solved most of Vista's major issues, and now, it is, in fact, a good OS. But oh, the way Vista is perceived. It's been so bad that it's kept many consumers and huge swaths of businesses away. What's more, Vista, unlike Win 7, is a resource hog that demands a powerful system to run effectively.
And then there's the netbook thing. The netbook explosion created a very unusual problem for Microsoft. An operating system that Microsoft was trying to euthanize—XP—rose from the dead and now marches among us on netbooks, with its own third Service Pack. I don't think Microsoft planned the last one, but XP remained so popular that it had to release it. Netbooks are only serving to extend its improbable run. Eight years after its initial release, new systems are still selling with XP preinstalled. Steve Ballmer must be cursing the netbook explosion.
Interestingly, when I went to the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference where the first Win 7 beta was introduced, Microsoft executives made a special point of showing off how well Win 7 runs on a netbook. They had to know that current netbooks are running XP. So, why didn't anyone push for an upgrade path?
The point is, XP may be an old OS but it's widely used. Consumers, in particular, will be squeamish about installing a completely new OS. I think the word of mouth about Win 7 is so good—and rightly so—that users will finally want to upgrade. However, when they hear that they have to replace their operating system and, ostensibly, rebuild their relatively new PCs, they could balk.
Microsoft is also ignoring the countless businesses that stuck with XP. I hate to admit it, but I work at one of them. Sure, I'm surrounded by PCs running Vista, Win 7, and even the Mac OS, but my work PC is XP (SP2!). My IT department, like so many others, wanted nothing to do with Vista, or the headaches they assumed they'd encounter. Microsoft needs companies to feel comfortable about switching to Win 7. If they can't upgrade from the OS most are using, they'll wait, too.
Obviously, many businesses will wait anyway (I know of some firms still running Windows 2000 and earlier OSs), but this Microsoft strategy will certainly scare off many XP users who were considering an upgrade. There is a bit of good news. Microsoft's decision has left the door open for third-party tools. LapLink (remember them?), for example, has created a utility that will let any XP user upgrade to Win 7.
There are still a few months before Win 7 ships. Perhaps Microsoft can do something on its own, too. Now that Win 7 is in RTM, it's unlikely Microsoft can do anything to the code, but the company could offer its own free migration utility.
Microsoft execs will read this and remind me that this is the way it's always been done and tell me my criticisms are unfair. I'd disagree and remind them that I believe in Win 7 and am only wondering why they'd do anything to harm its chances in the marketplace.
