Jan 30, 2009
Easy upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7? No way.
Running Windows 7 beta? Then you’ve probably found that when you first load up the operating system, it asks if you want to upgrade an existing Windows installation start with a fresh install. But that upgrade feature only works for Vista users. Want to upgrade from Windows XP? You’re SOL.
Now, is this the be all and end all that Microsoft won’t offer a lower priced upgrade at home versions of Windows 7 for Windows XP users? Doubt it. What will probably happen, though, is that you won’t be able to fire up Windows 7 on a computer running XP without losing a lot of the stuff you’ve amassed that interfaces directly with Windows, including your personal data, programs, and settings. But all of you “lucky” Windows Vista users will find that Vista is similar enough to 7 that Vista users can easily install the newer operating system while leaving just about everything intact.