How to Plan to Move Away from Windows XP

Preamble

Support for Windows XP ends at the beginning of April 2014. That means there will be no more updates, which means that XP will increasingly become a security risk (because the majority of updates are plugging “security holes” in the operating system).

People are strongly advised to consider their options in the run-up to April 2014. Of course, one option is to stay using XP. XP has been a very successful operating system, and there are lots of people who are more than happy with its features.

All I will say to those who want to stay with XP is: Good luck! It may be that there will spring up Support Groups, run by people dedicated to keeping XP going. How successful they will be in protecting users from virus attacks is anyone’s guess.

But if your judgement is that it is time to move away from XP, what follows will, I hope, help you through the process.

Some Background Information

Windows 7 (W7) is the successor to Windows Vista; in fact, Windows 7 is called an “upgrade” to Vista. That means Windows 7 can be installed on a PC currently running Vista with no loss of programs or data files. However, you would be well advised to back up your data files before installing the upgrade – just in case!

Most of what follows applies to a move to Windows 8, currently the latest version of Windows. But a word of warning – Windows 8 is a very different beast! It is designed for use with a touch screen, and looks similar to the opening screen on a tablet computer or a smartphone. Behind – as it were – the opening screen is what looks like W7, the Desktop, and looks reasonably familiar. But there are differences, because it is designed for use with a touch screen. Most startling of all is the lack of the Start button (bottom left on XPO, Vista, and W7).

Planning to Leave XP

But enough of Windows 8! Let’s turn to what needs to be done in moving away from Window XP. For the purposes of this article, I’m going to refer to Windows 7 throughout; however, much the same applies to a move to Windows 8.

Hardware Requirements

Some current computers can take W7. Microsoft has helpfully provided a Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor on their website (use the search option to find it). The report produced needs some careful reading. As Microsoft is very keen for you to spend your money with them, they keep the minimum specification for running W7 quite low, but the experience of running W7 on a minimum specification is not going to be good.

I advise running the Upgrade Advisor if you are keen to keep your current hardware. In addition, you could consider adding extra RAM, or upgrading to a more powerful graphics card, or adding some of the latest USB connections, or … It will all mount up, and in the end possibly cost you nearly as much as a new PC.

Some computers are happy to run W7 with 2GB of RAM. In my view, that is a bare minimum, and I would recommend 4GB as a minimum.

As W7 provides some distinctive graphics features, the capability of the graphics in your current PC need to be assessed carefully. Otherwise, you will have a reduced visual experience.

Some older CPUs will struggle to make the best of W7. In fact, if your PC is more than 6/7 years old, it is unlikely to give you the best experience with W7.

For many people, the move away from XP is the reason to get a new PC. But a word of warning: I have met a couple of people recently who went for a new PC and came away with a Windows 8 machine. They then found to their amazement that Windows 8 is a step-change away from XP/Vista/W7. Before agreeing to buy a Windows 8 computer, please get the seller to demonstrate Windows 8, and explain to you how you can best use it without a touch screen. Yes, Windows 8 is the latest version of Windows, but it is not for everyone, and Windows 7 is still available.

I’m quite happy to support people as they get used to Windows 8, and I have already prevented 2 computers from being pulverised! But please make sure that Windows 8 is for you before you pay. End of rant!

What Transfers and What Doesn’t

If your current hardware running XP could take W7, there are a number of issues to face.

XP to W7 is a complete reinstall, which means everything on the PC will go, programs as well as data files. Data files, therefore, must be backed up safely, ready to be transferred after the installation of W7.

Programs cannot be transferred. You need the original installation disk and Product Key. If you use legally free programs, those can be downloaded from the Internet, always checking that you are installing the W7 version.

Some programs used with XP will not work with W7 – again, it is worth checking in advance that your favourite/important programs work with W7 or have W7 versions.

For example, most people use Microsoft Office. Early versions are not suitable for W7, but please check suitability. Use your usual search engine to find sites that tell you which versions of Office are suitable for W7.

If you do not have the original installation disk or the Product Key for Office, you will need the services of a qualified computer engineer/technician. The Product Key can be found, and a good computer engineer will have access to a range of installation disks for Office. However, Office comes with a variety of licences, one of which restricts the use of Office to one PC only.

It can be very complicated! It is important to talk to your friendly computer engineer if you are nervous about doing things yourself.

Email

The next aspect to consider is email. If you use webmail (i.e., you go to a website to get your emails), there will be no problem. However, those of you using Outlook Express are in for a surprise – Outlook Express does not exist in W7. Outlook Express has been replaced by Windows Live Mail.

If you want to move stored and current emails from Outlook Express to Windows Live Mail, you will need a computer engineer – unless you are very knowledgeable and very bold!

Most other email clients (e.g., Outlook (part of Microsoft Office), Thunderbird) present fewer problems.

I would recommend, in advance of a move from XP to W7, that people start using webmail. Webmail makes life so much easier for all concerned, and means you can access your emails wherever in the world you can get an internet connection.

Stored emails in an email client can be printed out, or copied and pasted into a Word document.

Email needs to be thought through very carefully before making a move to W7.

Printers

Some older printers are not supported by W7. The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor should indicate whether there is a W7 driver for your printer. Or you can go to the website of your printer’s manufacturer, find your model of printer and see if there is a W7 driver.

The above applies to any other hardware that you regularly plug into your PC: webcam, digital camera, USB mouse and keyboard, etc.

And Finally …

Moving away from XP is going to be a wrench for many of you. You will quickly get used to W7, as there is a natural progression from XP to Vista to W7, retaining the best features, while improving on some of the niggles and annoyances of XP and Vista.

If any of the above gives you the screaming frights, then please consult a suitably qualified computer engineer. I have done a goodly number of transfers, and each one presents some unique features. My experience of those transfers is reflected in the advice and guidance offered above.