HOW TO: Upgrade Windows XP to Windows 7 with Windows Easy Transfer Upgrade Windows XP to Windows 7 with Windows Easy Transfer Upgrade option for XP users like Windows Vista. In addition, if you completely uninstall Windows XP to install a fresh copy of Windows 7, you will loose your applications, settings, personalized options and stored data. Since there is no official way to upgrade Windows XP to Windows 7, you have to use any third party tool that supports XP to Windows 7 upgrade easily, retaining all your previous settings and data. Here is an easy solution by using Windows Easy Transfer tool. If you can purchase a Windows 7 upgrade license and disk media, you can install Windows 7 on your Windows XP installed drive. But during installation, it will erase all your data from the installation drive to continue with upgrading. Many users upgrade Windows XP to Vista first and then upgrade Vista to Windows 7, since Windows 7 supports upgradation from Windows Vista. But it s a time taking process that consumes more time. Windows Easy Transfer can migrate your existing data and user settings from XP to Windows 7. However, it can t migrate installed application, you have to install them again after Windows 7 upgradation. How to Upgrade Windows XP to Windows 7 Download Windows 7 RTM DVD ISO on your computer first. Burn it to a DVD and insert in your DVD drive to your computer
Run your computer on Windows XP and close Windows 7 installation window, if it appears Mount the Windows 7 ISO on a virtual disk or extract it to a local folder Navigate to Start >> All programs >> Accessories >> Windows Explorer Head to the Windows 7 installation file folder >> Open Support\Migwiz folder >> Click on migsetup.exe file Windows easy Transfer window will open. Click Next to continue. Select An external hard disk or USB flash drive in the next step
Click on This is my old computer for Windows Easy Transfer to start scanning and search files to transfer When scan gets completed, you can select files or folders to transfer. After selection procedure, hit Next
Enter password to protect the file transfer, or else simply leave them blank and click Save Browse to the external location on the network or to the removable media to save the Easy Transfer file, and then click Save Click Next to continue once your file and settings are saved by Windows Easy Transfer
Click Next >> Close to exit from Windows Easy Transfer Navigate to your Windows 7 DVD folder and start the installation process by clicking on Setup.exe file >> Select Install Now Select either of Go online to get the latest updates (recommended) or Do not get the latest updates to proceed to next step. Accept Windows 7 TOS by checking the box next to I accept the License Terms >> Click Next Select Custom (advanced) to proceed with the upgradation
Select a partition to install Windows 7. To move your existing Windows installation into a Windows.old folder and replace the operating system with Windows 7, select the partition where your current Windows installation is located. If you choose to install on a partition that s not having any Windows OS running currently, your system will become dual-boot system Click Next >> OK to proceed with Windows 7 installation Once installation gets completed, login to Windows 7 desktop and insert the removable media with Windows Easy Transfer Browse to Start >> All Programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >> click Windows Easy Transfer Windows Easy Transfer window will open >> Click Next to continue
Select An external hard disk or USB flash drive in next step >> Click on This is my new computer Select Yes to confirm that you have saved previous Windows XP files to an external hard disk or USB flash drive Navigate to the location where you did save the Windows Easy Transfer file, select the file and click on Open Select the files you want to move to Windows 7 system and click on Transfer to continue
Hit Close button once Windows Easy Transfer finishes transferring the old files to the new installation You are done. Once you have completed upgrading to Windows 7 from Windows XP, you can delete Windows.old folder and all it s contents from your computer. To remove Windows.old folder and all it s files, follow the below steps :
1. Head to Start >> All programs >> Accessories >> System Tools >> Disk Cleanup 2. Select Clean up system files to scan previous Windows installation files 3. Select previous Windows Installation(s) option to remove from your system 4. Select OK >> Delete Files 5. You are done. Source: http://tipsandsolutions.blogspot.com