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Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration Self-Study Guide

  • Article

I had not initially planned on this being my next self-study guide, but a request from my someone on my team recently has led me to this topic.  With so much work going on for customers to get off Windows XP due to the coming "end of support" date for it (on 4/8/2014 per the Microsoft Product Support Lifecycle), it made sense to me to put out a quick self-study guide on the guidance from Microsoft related to this topic.  This may not be of interest to everyone who is looking for guides related to our newest products, but given its critical nature I hope it can provide some needed guidance for those customers who are beginning to think about how to upgrade their client infrastructures.

For those of you wondering why I am not including Windows 8 in this guide, I have not done so because as of this writing our newest client operating system has not yet been released.  In fact, the available guidance around an XP to Windows 8 upgrade is virtually nonexistent as of this writing, as this article from Computerworld magazine describes.  Because of these reasons, I've decided to focus exclusively in this post on the XP to Windows 7 that so many customers are currently focused on.  Hopefully it's useful for you.

Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration Self-Study Guide

Microsoft Virtual Academy

  • Deploying Windows 7
    • Windows 7 Deployment Methods and Technologies
    • Preparing the Environment for a Windows 7 Deployment
    • Create a Windows 7 Image
    • Update a Windows 7 Image
    • Deploy a Windows 7 Image
    • Migrate Computers to Windows 7
    • Configure and Manage Application Compatibility
    • Light Touch Installation using Windows Deployment Services (WDS)
    • Deploy using System Center Configuration Manager
    • Create and Manage Windows PE environment
    • Manage Deployments with Microsoft Deployment Toolkit
    • IE 9

Videos and Webcasts

Articles and Documentation

  • Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration Guide
    • Application Compatibility
    • Desktop Virtualization
    • Licensing and Volume Activation
    • Networking
    • Performance and Hardware Compatibility
    • Security and Control
    • Training and Certification
  • Application Compatibility
    • Getting Started with Application Compatibility in a Windows Deployment
      • Understanding the Application Compatibility Problem
      • Gathering an Application Inventory
      • Analyzing Application Compatibility Data
      • Next Steps
      • Additional References
    • Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) Version 5.6
      • Introduction to the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT) Version 5.6
      • Using the Application Compatibility Toolkit (ACT)
      • Application Compatibility Toolkit Technical Reference
      • Customer Support and Documentation Resources
      • Troubleshooting ACT
      • Software and Hardware Requirements for ACT 5.6
    • Addressing Application Compatibility when Migrating to Internet Explorer 8
      • Benefits of Internet Explorer 8
      • Understanding the Application Compatibility Challenge
      • Web Standards and Application Compatibility
      • Browser Changes from Internet Explorer 6 to Internet Explorer 8
      • Application Compatibility and Migration Process Overview
      • Inventory and Prioritization of Critical Web Sites and Add-ons
      • Testing Web Application and Add-on Compatibility
      • Migration Strategies and Solutions
      • Appendix 1: Benefits of Internet Explorer 8
      • Appendix 2: Tools for Debugging Web Applications and Add-ons
      • Appendix 3: Internet Explorer 6 to Internet Explorer 8 Browser Changes
    • Managing Shims in an Enterprise
      • Understanding Shims
      • Deciding When to Use Shims as a Compatibility Mitigation
      • Custom Shim Database-Management Strategies
      • Custom Shim Database Deployment
      • Summary and Resources
  • Upgrade and Migration
  • Deskop Deployment
    • Windows 7 Desktop Deployment Overview
      • Improved Application and Hardware Readiness
      • Enhanced Imaging and File Delivery
      • Streamlined Installation and File Migration
      • Conclusion
    • Deploying Windows 7 from A to Z
      • Migrating User Files and Settings from Windows XP to Windows 7
      • Application Management and Preparing for a Windows 7 Deployment
      • Choosing and Image Strategy and Building Windows 7 System Images
      • Aut