Upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7 Step 5

Step 5: Reinstall your programs and update drivers

After you've run Windows Easy Transfer and your files and settings are back on your computer, you can reinstall your programs and check for new or updated drivers.

Windows Easy Transfer provides a report detailing the programs you used in Windows XP that you might want to reinstall. To reinstall your programs, you'll need to use the installation discs or setup files that you gathered earlier.

A report lists programs that you might want to reinstall.

If your computer came with several programs pre-installed, you might see programs listed in the report that you've never used before or rarely used. When you begin reinstalling programs, start with the ones that you know and use regularly, especially new antivirus software for your computer. If you don't have new antivirus software for your PC running Windows 7, you can look for new programs at the Windows 7Compatibility Center.

If you have a program that you used in Windows XP that isn't compatible with Windows 7, try using the Program Compatibility troubleshooter. For more information, see Open the Program Compatibility troubleshooter.

If the troubleshooter can't fix the problem, you might be able to run the program using Windows XP Mode in Windows 7. For more information, see Windows XP Mode.

Note

Some programs such as Windows Mail and Outlook Express are no longer included in Windows 7. If you used Windows Mail or OutlookExpress as your e‑mail program, you'll need to install a new e‑mail program to read your messages or to send and receive e‑mail. For more information about Windows Live Mail and instructions for importing your e‑mail, contacts, and calendar, see Importing your e‑mail, messages, contacts, and calendar into Windows Live Mail.

Update drivers

A driver is software that allows your computer to communicate with hardware or devices. Without drivers, the hardware you connect to your computer—for example, a video card or a printer—won't work properly.

In most cases, drivers come with Windows, or you can find them by using Windows Update and checking for updates. To do so, click the Start button, click All Programs, and then click Windows Update.

If Windows Update doesn't have the driver you need, check out the Windows 7 Compatibility Center, which has direct links to driver downloads and manufacturer support pages. For more information, see Update a driver for hardware that isn't working properly.

Netbooks and drivers

Some netbooks and laptops that were running Windows XP might not have specific Windows 7 drivers for features such as function buttons. If Windows Update doesn't find a driver, visit your computer manufacturer's website and search for a download or support page where you can search for drivers for your PC.

You can try to install a driver made for Windows XP onto your PC running Windows 7. If the Windows XPdriver won't install, you can run the Program Compatibility troubleshooter to try and fix the problem.

1. Download or copy the driver installation file to your computer.
2. Right-click the file, and then click Troubleshoot compatibility.
3. Follow the steps in the Program Compatibility troubleshooter to change the compatibility settings for the driver.

Post-install clean-up (optional)

During Windows 7 installation, if you don't format the partition, files that were used in Windows XP are stored in the Windows.old folder. The type of files in this folder depends on your computer.

After you've used Windows 7 for a while, for example one or two weeks, and you're confident that your files and settings are back to where you want them to be, you can safely reclaim disk space and use Disk Cleanup to delete the Windows.old folder.

You can also delete the Windows.old folder if you receive an error during Step 4: Moving your files and settings back to your computer of this tutorial that indicates that you don't have enough free disk space to transfer your files and settings back to your computer.

Warning

Before you use Disk Cleanup, make sure that all of your files and settings moved correctly to Windows 7 where you expected them to be. Deleting the Windows.old folder can't be undone.

1. Click the Start button, and in the search box, type Disk Cleanup. In the list of results, click Disk Cleanup.
   If you're prompted to choose a drive, choose the drive you just installed Windows 7 on, and then clickOK.
2. Click Clean up system files. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.
   If you're prompted again to choose a drive, choose the drive you just installed Windows 7 on, and then click OK.
3. Select Previous Windows installation(s) and any other categories of files you want to delete.
4. Click OK, and then click Delete Files.