It’s getting to be that time folks.

Windows 7 will soon be available for you to get in your grimy paws and while it won’t be much of a problem to upgrade from Vista the same path from XP isn’t going to be so easy. Now I could make this a post a whole bunch of quotes but instead I’ll give you one and pass you the link to a really good post on upgrading from XP.

Unfortunately, Microsoft has not made it easy for XP users to move to Win7. You won’t be able to slap in the upgrade disk and have Win7 install on top of XP, leaving your data and programs in place.

Instead, you have two options:

1. You can do a clean install, in which you wipe the hard drive clean and install virgin copy of Windows 7, then reinstall your software and copy your data back to the drive.

2. You can do a custom install, in which your older setup is squirreled away in a folder called WINDOWS.OLD. This will include your program files, though you won’t be able to run your software from there. It will also include data files, but you probably shouldn’t rely on this as your backup strategy prior to upgrading.

Because you can’t upgrade directly on top of XP, there are some steps you’ll want to take before you install Windows 7 to make the process easier. This game plan also works if you plan to do a clean or custom install on a Windows Vista system.

For the full, and good, post head over to TechBlog where Dwight Silverman will give you the complete lowdown.

It might not be pretty and it might be painful but it’ll get the job done.

With the full release to retail of Windows 7 just around the corner there are a lot of people who have stuck with XP but are now seriously considering upgrading to the new release of Windows. Unfortunately the move from XP to Windows 7 isn’t going to be as easy as the one from Vista. In order to help the folks facing this upgrade path Microsoft has put together the Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration page on their TechNet site.

This guide provides assistance on migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7, all the way from gathering information about your environment to deploying the operating system. As you move through each step in the process, you can leverage deeper resources by clicking on the individual icons. With this content, you can make the best decisions and learn about the tools available from Microsoft.