I have been reading a few blogs today complaining at Microsoft for NOT allowing current Windows XP users to have an upgrade path (without a clean install) from their current OS to Windows 7, when released later this year.

(This is in response to a new posting on the Windows Team blog  re-announcing this old news…)

What!?

…who in their right mind would try and upgrade a PC running Windows XP to Windows 7 without first re-formatting the hard drive and performing a clean install?

This is just sheer nonsense. The number of issues you would run into in attempting to upgrade an old(er) PC running Windows XP to Win 7 would have any tech/user pulling their hair out…

(The same as it would if you tried with Apple’s OS’s)

Old hardware and drivers not supported by 3rd party vendors becuase they want you to purchase NEW hardware from them, rather than make exisiting kit compatible – is only the 1st issue that springs to mind.

Sure, Windows 7 can be run on a less demanding PC than Windows Vista, but you are going to want to install it from scratch!

With owning a PC comes a “cost of ownership” that means YOU putting in some effort when it comes upgrades/security etc…

So I say to the bloggers, STOP complaining as Microsoft are doing the right thing here. (In fact I do not think they go far enough… but that is for another post!)

IF Microsoft did as they asked it would be a support nightmare online, and I doubt these guys would be pitching in to help users… nope, they would all be to busy complaining at the mess.

Just my 2 cents

Regards

Marc Liron – Microsoft MVP