IT Help Center - Desktop Applications - Microsoft Windows Vista

UPGRADING TO Windows VISTA FROM XP PROFESSIONAL

What is an upgrade?

The process described on this page is a general guideline for those who wish to attempt to upgrade a computer running Windows XP Professional to Windows Vista without erasing and reformatting the disk. To whatever extent possible -- and this will vary considerably from one instance to the next -- existing documents, settings, and installed applications will be preserved through this process.

Should I upgrade, or reformat and start fresh?

Reformatting and starting fresh has some clear advantages.

Reformatting ensures that old registry information and outdated program files that frequently remain even after the programs have been uninstalled aren't perpetuated in your new installation of Windows, where they may affect performance. Another major benefit is that any lurking viruses or spyware will be eradicated by reformatting.

Nonetheless, many people opt for the convenience of an upgrade over the benefits of reformatting. If you are sure that your computer is free of viruses, spyware, corruption, and quirks, and you know you won't ever store sensitive documents that could benefit from BitLocker's protection, you may want to try an upgrade. It should be noted, however, that some people who choose the upgrade path later encounter subtle problems they can't resolve and end up reformatting and starting fresh.

BitLocker Considerations

If you plan to activate BitLocker, a new security feature in Vista that allows you to protect your computer by encrypting your disk, you should review the additional steps required before you install or upgrade to Vista. BitLocker is particularly attractive for notebook computers containing sensitive data. Learn more about BitLocker, which is available only in Vista Enterprise and Vista Ultimate editions.

Windows Easy Transfer

If you choose to reformat, you can still make your life somewhat easier by using Microsoft's new Windows Easy Transfer utility, which is provided on the Vista installation disk. Windows Easy Transfer was designed primarily for moving your documents and Windows and application settings (but not the application programs, themselves) from one computer to another, but it can also be used to restore these onto the same computer after a reformat and fresh installation of Vista. Windows Easy Transfer brings over more baggage than you really need, e.g., registry entries from applications you've long since uninstalled or updated, so it's not the best choice for purists who really want a fresh start. But it can be a time saver for people who prefer convenience. For more information, see these pages at Microsoft and WindowsNetworking.com:

Brief description of Windows Easy Transfer

Getting ready for Vista and using Windows Easy Transfer

Windows Easy Transfer: Frequently Asked Questions

WindowsNetworking.com: Detailed example of Windows Easy Transfer

Is there anything else I should know before I begin?

People will have a range of success in upgrading to Vista. Many people will, and should, simply wait until they get a new computer to use Vista. Your personal experience will depend on which software applications you use, the state of your computer at the time of the upgrade, and your preparation. Be sure to check our compatibility issues page before proceeding and run at least one of the readiness advisor tools, CNET's Vista Readiness Advisor and Microsoft's Vista Upgrade Advisor. If you are not affected by any listed compatibility issues and the output of the upgrade advisor leads you to believe that your computer is a good candidate for an upgrade, you can proceed with the following upgrade instructions.

Steps for upgrading from Windows XP to Vista without reformatting

The steps outlined below represent the experience of one user upgrading to Vista (Enterprise) from Windows XP Professional. These steps do not necessarily reflect exactly what you will experience when going through the upgrade process. However, we hope this information will be helpful. Be sure to read over all the instructions before beginning.

NOTE: This process will take several hours. For some of that time you will be able to walk away from the computer.

Prepare your computer:

Back up your documents and any other files that are particularly important to you. It is not expected that you will lose any data, but better safe than sorry.
Make sure you have enough memory. Vista runs far better on 1 Gigabyte of memory than the the official minimum of 512 Megabytes.
To use BU's wireless network, you must have installed Cisco's VPN client. You must now uninstall the Cisco VPN client, using the Uninstall feature within the Cisco folder. Using the Cisco Uninstall feature will allow you to preserve your settings and certificates.

Once you are really ready to start, if you are using McAfee VirusScan, use the Add/Remove Programs Control Panel to remove VirusScan. After you've done that, reboot your computer.
If you have not already done so, go to www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/upgradeadvisor/default.mspx to download the Upgrade Advisor. (There is also a link to this Advisor on the Vista installation DVD.) Once the download has finished, launch the Advisor and run the scan. The scan will provide information about files and software drivers that will be, or might be, incompatible with Vista. Print the summary of these issues using the Print Task List button.

Resolve any issues that are listed in the "Things you need to do before installing Windows Vista" section of the list.

Insert the Vista installation DVD and begin the install process. In general, using the Microsoft recommended defaults is going to be the best direction to take, but you should read the choices as you go through and decide according to your own circumstances.
At one point in the process you will be asked to review Potential Issues. You have already done that if you went through step 5 above, so you can just click Next.
The installer will run now and take quite a while to go through its process. You can walk away from the computer, but might want to check in on it occasionally.
Once you are done and the computer has restarted into the Vista interface, you should log in as you normally would and can explore a bit. However, you should very quickly download and install the Vista-compatible version of McAfee VirusScan. After it's installed, you should let McAfee download an update to virus definitions, which it should prompt you to do automatically. It might also ask to scan your computer, which you can delay a bit if you did a scan shortly before upgrading.
You might next want to update any drivers that were identified as a potential issue (or just wait to see if they really are). For example, your mouse could have been listed as incompatible with Vista, but you might find that it works just fine.

As you begin to use the new operating system, there will be things that you almost certainly will need to tweak. For example...
- If you have not already done so, and are not using other anti-virus software, you will want to install the Vista-compatible version of McAfee VirusScan.
- If you are unable to print, you will need to reinstall print drivers that are compatible with Vista.
- If you use BU's wireless network, you will need to download and install the Vista-compatible version of the Cisco VPN client.
- If you have a product key, you might need to submit it. To do that, do a right click on your "Computer" icon and choose Properties. Then scroll down to the bottom and click on Change product key.
- If you use Mozilla Thunderbird, it's recommended that you upgrade to the most current version, as you might otherwise notice that features related to the address book work sluggishly. This is a simple download that will adopt all of your existing settings.
- If you have not already done so, you should check our compatibility issues page to download any other drivers or updates you might need.
With any luck, the steps outlined above will get you started toward the transition to Vista. You should explore its menus and new features and you'll soon feel comfortable using it.