Microsoft has provided upgrade paths in the past for its previous operating systems and Windows 7 is no exception. Because of the many product versions of Windows 7 available and the variety of previous operating systems to upgrade from, the best path to choose may seem difficult. As part of our Windows 7 informational series, we lay out the various upgrade paths to make them easier for users to understand.

Before any explanation begins, it is important to declare the risks and dangers associated with upgrading an operating system. First it is important to make sure your system meets the system requirements for Windows 7. Secondly, doing an in-place upgrade, which is installing Windows 7 over a past operating system, may cause stability and performance issues. It may seem easy to just do this because it is not necessary to reinstall applications, but when possible, always backup your data and perform a clean install of Windows 7.

There are three methods of installing Windows 7: a clean install, upgrading (in-place upgrade), and a migration.

Clean Installation:

As stated above, performing a clean installation of Windows 7 is definitely the recommended option and will provide the best performance and stability in the long run. It will ensure that no file incompatibilities or "loose ends" that may occur during an upgrade will cause issues in the future. The easiest way to do this is to backup important data, like pictures and documents, but not applications, onto a DVD, thumbdrive, or an external hard drive. Once your non-recoverable data is backed up, just insert the Windows 7 installation media and boot to it during startup and follow the on-screen directions to format the hard drive and perform a clean install of Windows 7.

Upgrading:

Microsoft allows an in-place upgrade to Windows 7 from Windows Vista only. To perform an upgrade, the user inserts the Windows 7 installation disc while running Windows Vista and selects upgrade. The installation will then upgrade Windows Vista to Windows 7 while keeping all of your current applications and data intact. It will also move over all of your user accounts and personal settings that can be transferred to Windows 7. There are many risks with doing this, such as application incompatibilities, issues with moving files and registry entries. It is still important to backup crucial files that you cannot replace if something should happen.

Migrating:

If you are a user running Windows XP, your only other option besides performing a clean install is to migrate your data. Also, if you currently use Windows Vista and want to at least install a complete version of Windows 7 without doing an in-place upgrade but still keep your data (but not applications), this is the way to do it. This is the second recommended method besides doing a clean install because it will not cause incompatibility issues in the future.

To perform a migration, the Windows Easy Transfer wizard will search your current installation for all of your personal data files, such as photos and documents, and will combine them into one Windows Transfer file that you can move from your old installation to your new installation. This program is found on the Windows 7 DVD in the directory D:\support\migwiz (assuming D: is your DVD drive) and the file name is migsetup.exe. The wizard is very visual and leads users step-by-step through the process with a lot of explanation and ways to pick and choose what to save. Once your new Windows 7 installation is up and running, just open Windows Easy Transfer again and choose the option to restore files and select the Windows Transfer file from your old installation. Remember, this method will not save or move any of your installed applications, so make sure you have all of the installation files and product keys associated with the programs you will want to reinstall in the new Windows 7 installation.

This migration can also be used to move from an older XP or Vista PC to a new Windows 7 computer.