“7 Days to Windows 7,” A NetPass Blog Series Day 7: The Final Countdown

Welcome to the 7^th and final day of our exclusive “7 Days to Windows 7” blog series.  Today, the much anticipated new OS was released and is available for consumer purchase.  Over the past 6 days we’ve been talking mostly about what you can expect to discover in the new system.  Today, those of you upgrading will have a first-hand look at Windows 7 in action.  For some, this is an exciting time.  For others, there can be anxiety transitioning from one Windows version to another.  That’s why we wanted to use the last post of the series to feature answers to some of the questions we’ve received throughout the series from you, our readers to help make the transition a little easier.  So here goes…

One of the more frequent questions asked was “How do I know if my computer will run Windows 7?” This is an excellent question.  Determining if your computer will run the new OS first can save you time, money and a lot of frustration, so where going to put quite a bit of emphasis on this topic.

Whether you’re running Windows Vista, XP or an earlier version, we strongly suggest you do a couple of things to test whether your computer is right for Windows 7 before upgrading.  First, you should download and install the free Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/upgrade-advisor.  Now, make sure all peripherals such as Printer(s), USB wireless adapters, external hard drives, etc. are plugged in and powered up then launch the Upgrade Advisor from the Start menu.  Once the Upgrade Advisor opens (see figure 1), click the Start Check button. Now go get a cup of coffee, clean your closet, or maybe take a vacation because the process can take some time (ok, maybe not long enough for that vacation, but you get the idea).

When the Upgrade Advisor has finished, a new window should appear (see figure 2) containing the Advisor’s findings.  This report is divided into three (3) sections as follows:

1. System – This will tell you whether or not your computer meets hardware requirements to run the Windows 7 OS.
2. Devices – This details what drivers Windows 7 will automatically install during the upgrade process and which ones will require manual installation.  Those drivers listed with green check marks are those Windows 7 will install for you. You should make note of the names and manufacturers of any drivers in the list without the green check mark as you will need to  manually install these after the upgrade is complete.  In most cases the report will make available a URL that leads to a website that will have some or all of the drivers you need.  If you  visit that website and download the drivers, we recommend you save them CD, DVD, Flash Drive, or secondary Hard Drive.  DO INSTALL OR NOT RUN WINDOWS 7 DRIVERS UNTIL YOU HAVE SUCCESSFULLY UPGRADED TO WINDOWS 7.
3. Programs – This report looks very similar to the ‘devices’ report with green check marks designating compatible programs in Windows 7.  Chances are good there will be some programs that will not show compatibility.  Don’t fret.  Refer to Day 2: Playing Well With Others in our series which provides information on program and application incompatibility and how you can still run many of these programs using Windows XP mode.

At this point you will know if your computer is Windows 7 ready.  If so, you’re ready to upgrade, right?  Not so fast!!  The next most popular question we’ve received is “Will I lose all of my contacts, e-mails, photos, music, documents and/or other critical files/data if I upgrade?” The answer is no… maybe.

Ok, we understand this is vague, but note that there’s no way we can guarantee that in everyone’s individual situation, nobody will lose anything in the upgrade process.  However, there is something you can do to best ensure you don’t lose valuable information in the upgrade process… backup anything you want to keep (an excellent habit ongoing).  Some programs like iTunes, Quickbooks, etc. offer backup options within the application itself and we strongly encourage you to use them.  Other files, folders, etc. containing photos, images, documents, spreadsheets, etc. can be backed up using conventional media such as CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, thumb (a/k/a Flash) drive, or external hard drive (last we checked, you can get an external hard drive with an adequate amount of storage space for as little as $49.00 – a purchase well worth the cost).

There is an alternative method for backing up your stuff that is more compact than using individual programs and “drag and drop” processes.  Windows offers a free Easy Transfer utility that can be downloaded from http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/features/windows-easy-transfer.  Once downloaded, start the installation process then launch the Easy Transfer utility from the Start menu and follow the step-by-step process choosing options that are best for you and your backup needs. 

While we have tested this utility to a rather large degree of success, the only sure fire way of ensuring you have successfully backed up everything is to manually backup and then check your back ups before upgrading.

The final question we’d like to address is “There are three varieties of the Windows 7.  Which one is best for me?” While individual needs will vary, for most individual users Windows 7 Home Premium edition will be the flavor of choice.  This edition offers everything required for home computing including Windows Media Center that plays a wide variety of multimedia formats including DVD and also features a built-in DVD maker for making movies and burning files, images, etc. to CD, DVD and even Blu-Ray disks directly from Explorer.  The Home Premium edition has includes a full backup utility that can create a full system image (we touched on this in Day 5 of the series – Reliable Recovery) alongside “previous version” functionality that allows you to retrieve files you may have accidentally deleted or modified.  For Vista, this feature was only available in the Business edition so this is a nice addition to the home version.

Windows 7 Professional offers all of the features available in the Home Premium edition with the addition of some advanced networking features such as Location Aware Printing (lets the user choose different default printers for different networks with encryption capabilities to protect individual systems), remote desktop (enables others with permission to connect to your Windows 7 PC across the Internet from just about any computer), and probably the most celebrated feature Windows XP mode (discussed in Day 2: Playing Well With Others) which ensures greater file and program compatibility by allowing users to enter XP mode to run programs, etc. that may not be compatible in Windows 7.

Windows 7 Ultimate of course offers all of the features available in the Home Premium and Professional editions with additions like extra enterprise (like Direct Access and BranchCache) and security (just as BitLocker-to-go which lets the user encrypt files on both the computer AND removable disks like USB thumb – a/k/a flash – drives) features along with multiple language support on the same PC.

One important note is that you can upgrade your version whenever your needs require it through the Anytime Upgrade feature built into Windows 7.

So you’ve tested your system to be sure it’s Windows 7 ready, you’ve backed up your files, data, etc., and you’ve determined which flavor of the new OS is right for you.  Now you’re ready to upgrade to Windows 7.  And Windows 7 makes it easy.  Just insert the provided media or run the downloaded purchase and follow the installation instructions.  Once completed, we strongly recommend you install and activate antivirus software before restoring your backups.

Your upgrade should now be complete.  We hope you’ve enjoyed this series and the information we’ve provided.  Our hope is that it has armed you with enough knowledge to successfully transition to the new Windows 7 and quickly start enjoying everything the new OS has to offer.

While this series ends with this post, please use http://blog.netpass.com as your regular resource for valuable information related to computers, the Internet, web site design and development, application programming, multimedia (including online game) production, secure e-commerce (cart development and transaction processing), web site hosting, and online marketing (SEO/SEM).  Or, visit our website at http://www.netpass.com to learn more about our firm and how our 15 years experience can help you and your company reach new heights online.

NetPass, LLC is an Interactive Advertising and Multimedia Agency located in Central Florida. Information contained in this post has been researched and reported individually by the author. Any statements, opinions, or views expressed herein are the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of NetPass, LLC or its ownership. NetPass, LLC is not affiliated with or contracted by Microsoft or any of its affiliates, wholesalers or distributors for the purposes of this series.