• An upgrade installation is also referred to as an in-place migration. Upgrade installations migrate the user settings, files, and applications that exist in the previous operating system to the new operating system on the same computer.
• Only Windows Vista with at least Service Pack 1 can be upgraded to Windows 7.

Most users of Windows Vista can select the Upgrade option to install Windows 7. This is the most convenient way to install Windows 7 on your computer. It keeps your fi les, settings, and programs from Windows Vista.

• You cannot use image-based installation when you perform an upgrade to Windows 7. You must run Setup.exe to properly upgrade an existing computer. Only DVD boot installations and distribution share installations use Setup.exe.
• The biggest benefit of upgrade installations is the time saved by automatic migration of user settings, files, and applications. The potential downside is less stability on an upgraded computer.
• The upgrade process for Windows 7 is slightly different from the upgrade process used by Windows XP. The Windows XP upgrade process copied files over an existing Windows installation and reused the same configuration files. Because the Windows 7 installation is image based, the upgrade process captures settings from the Windows Vista installation instead and applies them after Windows 7 is installed. You can see this during the upgrade process. A potential downside to this process is that the upgrade may not migrate all settings and applications because settings stored in a nonstandard way may be missed.

Windows 7 Upgrade Options

An Upgrade Checklist

• Verify that your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 7.
• Be sure your hardware is on the HCL.
• Make sure you have the Windows 7 drivers for the hardware. You can verify this with the hardware manufacturer.
• To audit the current configuration and status of your computer, run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor tool from the Microsoft website, which also includes documentation on using the utility. It will generate a report of any known hardware or software compatibility issues based on your configuration. You should resolve any reported issues before you upgrade to Windows 7.
• Make sure your BIOS is current. Windows 7 requires that your computer have the most current BIOS. If it does not, it may not be able to use advanced power-management features or device-configuration features. In addition, your computer may cease to function during or after the upgrade. Use caution when performing BIOS updates because installing the incorrect BIOS can cause your computer to fail to boot.
• Take an inventory of your current configuration. This inventory should include documentation of your current network configuration, the applications that are installed, the hardware items and their configuration, the services that are running, and any profile and policy settings.
• Back up your data and configuration files. Before you make any major changes to your computer's configuration, you should back up your data and configuration files and then verify that you can successfully restore your backup. Chances are if you have a valid backup, you won't have any problems. Chances are if you don't have a valid backup, you will have problems.