Migrating from XP to Win 7

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VictoriaF
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Migrating from XP to Win 7

Post by VictoriaF »

Yesterday, I ordered a Lenovo ThinkPad running Windows 7 Professional to replace my current laptop running Windows XP. When the new laptop arrives I will have to move all my software and files. Microsoft proposes to use Laplink PCmover Express with a disclaimer that "The free data transfer will not migrate your apps."

Here are some questions:
1. What would Laplink do for me that I could not do myself by copying my files to an external drive and then copying them into the new laptop?

2. Is there software that migrates applications?

3. What are common pitfalls that I should watch out for? (The new laptop is refurbished.)

Thank you,
Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
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cheese_breath
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Re: Migrating from XP to Win 7

Post by cheese_breath »

I only upgrade about once every 8 years, and rather than moving apps I view this as my opportunity to install the latest versions.

As far as migrating data I do it myself. All kinds of junk builds up over 8 years so this is my opportunity to clean up my data by moving only what I want. Copy it to an external hard drive on XP, copy it back in to Win 7.

What Email system do you use? If you use Outlook Express you'll have to convert to something else as OE isn't supported in Win 7. I converted to Thunderbird. Did the conversion on the XP machine first and tested it thoroughly before moving the files to Win 7.

Keep your old XP machine around for awhile in case you discover later you forgot to convert / move something.
The surest way to know the future is when it becomes the past.
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VictoriaF
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Re: Migrating from XP to Win 7

Post by VictoriaF »

cheese_breath wrote:I only upgrade about once every 8 years, and rather than moving apps I view this as my opportunity to install the latest versions.
Same here; I have this laptop since 2007. I need to decide whether to use MS Office applications or try OpenOffice. The last time I tried OpenOffice, I thought it was awkward in comparison with Microsoft.
cheese_breath wrote:What Email system do you use? If you use Outlook Express you'll have to convert to something else as OE isn't supported in Win 7. I converted to Thunderbird. Did the conversion on the XP machine first and tested it thoroughly before moving the files to Win 7.
I use Windows Live Mail. Perhaps, I should try Thunderbird, but I worry what would happen with my accumulated email archives.
cheese_breath wrote:Keep your old XP machine around for awhile in case you discover later you forgot to convert / move something.
Good point. Thanks!

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
cbass
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Re: Migrating from XP to Win 7

Post by cbass »

VictoriaF:

I am in the process of a similar migration: have a Lenovo Thinkpad currently running XP.

May I ask your opinion of the $100 credit offered by Microsoft? (or were their selections too limited?)

I am currently still shopping for a replacement laptop, but plan on installing Microsoft Office (I can get a heavily subsidized copy through work) - I am not a fan of Open Office. For email, I typically use gmail.

Thanks
Cbass
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VictoriaF
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Re: Migrating from XP to Win 7

Post by VictoriaF »

Hi Cbass,

I am not aware of the $100 credit offered by Microsoft. I also purchase MS Office through work at a discount, but the limit is one copy. If I install it on my new laptop I won't be able to install it on any other devices.

I have a gmail account but seldom use it, because I don't like the web interface. This migration will force me to acquire new Internet habits, but I don't want to have more of them than necessary.

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
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Epsilon Delta
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Re: Migrating from XP to Win 7

Post by Epsilon Delta »

After I transfer the obvious stuff I pkzip the entire old disk and put the image on the new disk. If you upgrade every 8 to 10 years the image should be less than 10% of the size of the new disk so this is manageable. It usually takes a day (or a week for a slow link) but I run it at night so it's not a big deal. Then I can nuke the old disk and re-purpose the old PC and still recover anything I missed.
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VictoriaF
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Re: Migrating from XP to Win 7

Post by VictoriaF »

Epsilon Delta wrote:After I transfer the obvious stuff I pkzip the entire old disk and put the image on the new disk. If you upgrade every 8 to 10 years the image should be less than 10% of the size of the new disk so this is manageable. It usually takes a day (or a week for a slow link) but I run it at night so it's not a big deal. Then I can nuke the old disk and re-purpose the old PC and still recover anything I missed.
Have you had a chance to access something from the old disk image? How easy is it?

Victoria
Inventor of the Bogleheads Secret Handshake | Winner of the 2015 Boglehead Contest. | Every joke has a bit of a joke. ... The rest is the truth. (Marat F)
pshonore
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Re: Migrating from XP to Win 7

Post by pshonore »

Goping forward, you may want to keep all your data (MS office stuff like ss, word docs, email messages, photos, etc) on an external drive. Then all you do have to with a new PC is install (using original disks or files) the apps on the new PC. Then link to the data files on the external drive.
richard
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Re: Migrating from XP to Win 7

Post by richard »

VictoriaF wrote:Yesterday, I ordered a Lenovo ThinkPad running Windows 7 Professional to replace my current laptop running Windows XP. When the new laptop arrives I will have to move all my software and files. Microsoft proposes to use Laplink PCmover Express with a disclaimer that "The free data transfer will not migrate your apps."

Here are some questions:
1. What would Laplink do for me that I could not do myself by copying my files to an external drive and then copying them into the new laptop?

2. Is there software that migrates applications?

3. What are common pitfalls that I should watch out for? (The new laptop is refurbished.)

Thank you,
Victoria
1. Nothing. I'd copy to an external drive

2. The better course is to reinstall or upgrade to the latest version. For the free software you use, download the latest versions now so that you won't have to waste time downloading later. For the paid software, find the install disks and serial numbers.

3. Lenovo refurbished Thinkpads tend to be indistinguishable from new. Keep your old laptop at least until you have the new one up and running with everything you need.

You might consider again using gmail and google calendar. They work very well and make migration to a new machine trivial.
lazyday
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Re: Migrating from XP to Win 7

Post by lazyday »

In another thread someone suggested http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/wind ... y-transfer
which I would expect to find data spread around your hard drive.

When I last used Windows, your data could be located in strange places. It was always a risk trying to help someone upgrade unless the whole disk was backed up. Maybe the above program will make it easier.
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Epsilon Delta
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Re: Migrating from XP to Win 7

Post by Epsilon Delta »

VictoriaF wrote:
Epsilon Delta wrote:After I transfer the obvious stuff I pkzip the entire old disk and put the image on the new disk. If you upgrade every 8 to 10 years the image should be less than 10% of the size of the new disk so this is manageable. It usually takes a day (or a week for a slow link) but I run it at night so it's not a big deal. Then I can nuke the old disk and re-purpose the old PC and still recover anything I missed.
Have you had a chance to access something from the old disk image? How easy is it?

Victoria
Yes I have gone back. The difficulty is you can browse a .zip archive by file name, you can't search for a say string in a file. So if I don't know exactly where to look I'll extract a number of likely looking subdirectories and then index or search them using whatever tools are available on the new PC. This can take a while, but I'm usually motivated.*

The usual reason to go back is to find out how I configured some tool I only use occasionally, but intensively.** Sometimes there's an undocumented registry key or similar needed to make it work and I'll have to dig that up. I try to document the settings I use, but some software squirrels them all over the disk; some defaults depend on the update history; and a lot are undocumented.

* Backups should be easy and reliable. Restores must be reliable, but can be hard -- because if you need a restore you will do what is necessary.
** E.g. a debugger for old hardware. I might not use this for a year, but then something comes up and I'll be using it intensively for a month.
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