Windows 7 Business Insights: Migrating from Windows XP to Windows 7

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The majority of companies not yet on Windows 7 are migrating from Windows XP, and the deployment process and support available to do this is a hot topic. Extended support is now being offered for Windows XP SP2 (and support for Windows XP SP3 is ending in 2014) so keeping ahead with your IT infrastructure will mean considering an update of your operating system.

Case studies

NetBenefit had all its desktops and PCs on Windows and due to a significant amount of hardware acquisition over the past five years, the computers were running different images of Windows XP. That stratification became increasingly difficult for the IT department to manage, and the department wanted to upgrade and standardise its operating system, without investing in new client hardware. The company decided to simultaneously upgrade all 300 existing workstations to the Windows 7 Enterprise operating system. Read the full case study here to see all the benefits this gave them.

Atkins - As Windows XP began to age, the company recognised that it could provide a higher level of information services for its IT, engineering, and business users by updating its operating system. “We anticipate benefits over the lifespan of the operating system. Windows 7 is going to enable us to do so much more for our business in the future.” Tom Basham, Manager, IT Architecture and Planning Team. Read full case study here.

Technical resources

The Windows XP to Windows 7 Migration Guide takes you through all the migrating decisions and the tools and resources available from Microsoft to help you each step along the way.

If you would rather watch than read, these Windows 7 walkthrough videos will help. Covering topics including how to use the User State Migration Tool (USMT) to migrate user files and settings from Windows XP to Windows 7 using a default installation.

With all the migration tools, guides, and project plans available, are you wondering how to start your Windows XP migration? The Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2010 provides a single, comprehensive guide to efficiently managing the Windows 7 deployment process. Learn more in this video.

You can view all the other topics we have covered with Windows 7 Business Insights here, including IT value, deployment, security and application compatibility.