Microsoft has released its new operating system Windows 7. Here are a few tips on what to look out for should you decide to upgrade your computer, and a consideration of whether it is worth the effort.

Will Windows 7 allow users to forget Vista?

For most computer users, upgrading to a new operating system is never routine, regardless of whether it is Microsoft, Apple or Linux.

But installing a new Microsoft operating system might fill you with particular trepidation. Two-and-a-half years ago, I made the experiment of upgrading an old computer from Windows XP to Windows Vista.

The fact that most people still prefer XP says it all. Back then I likened my upgrade experience to falling into the Vista trap .

So has Microsoft learned anything? To find out, I installed Windows 7 on three computers:

  • a two-year-old computer running Windows Vista
  • a ten-month-old netbook running Windows XP, and
  • a six-and-a-half-year-old computer running Vista (the machine that was the subject of my Vista trap story).

There are two options to put Windows 7 on your PC:

The upgrade, which works on Vista machines only; all your files and applications stay in place and, with a few exceptions (especially anti-virus software), you won’t have to reinstall any programs.

The clean install, which wipes parts of your hard disk and forces you to reinstall all your applications, although Microsoft says its "Easy Transfer tool" will help you move across documents and profile settings. It’s more laborious than the upgrade and may daunt those who see their PC as a black box – to be used but not tampered with.

For this experiment I decided to upgrade the first machine, and do clean installations on the netbook and the old computer.

GETTING STARTED

Step 1: Can you upgrade?

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