Overarching observations
• This is the easiest Windows update ever.
• There is no direct upgrade path from XP to 7, but Microsoft has tools that make the process easy.
• Windows 7 is far faster than Vista and faster even than XP.
• Disk-heavy applications (Carbonite backup, for example) can coexist (most of the time) with applications such as Itunes.
• Networking and file sharing (via Homegroup) alone are worth the cost of the upgrade. All systems must run Windows 7.

The short account:
1. Win XP to Win 7 – no need to format the drive.
2. If you use Microsoft’s update tool, most of the settings for applications will be preserved.
3. Microsoft provides a list of apps that were installed previously. There is no way to print this list.

We often wonder why our workaday computer chores seem to take just as long as they ever did, despite the fact
that hardware is generally more reliable and more powerful than ever. The answer to this apparent riddle comes in the
form of McFedries’ law of computing codependence: The increase in software system requirements is directly proportional to the increase in hardware system capabilities. For example, imagine that a slick new chip is released that promises a10% speed boost; software designers, seeing the new chip gain wide acceptance, add 10% more features to their already bloated code to take advantage of the higher performance level. Then another new chip is released, followed by another software upgrade—and the cycle continues ad nauseum as these twin engines of computer progress lurch codependently into the future.

So, how do you break out of the performance deadlock created by the immovable object of software code bloat
meeting the irresistible force of hardware advancement? By optimizing your system to minimize the effects of overgrown applications and to maximize the native capabilities of your hardware. Of course, it helps if your operating
system gives you a good set of tools to improve and monitor performance, diagnose problems, and keep your data safe. Windows XP came with a decent set of client tools, Vista improved on them (although not with anything radically
new or earth shattering), and Windows 7 stays the course.

IN THIS CHAPTER
. Monitoring Performance
. Optimizing Startup
. Optimizing Applications
. Optimizing the Hard Disk
. Optimizing Virtual Memory

Windows 7 was designed to upgrade from Windows Vista and not from Windows XP. Additionally, Microsoft will only allow the following upgrade path to Vista users:
• Windows Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Home Premium
• Windows Vista Business to Windows 7 Professional
• Windows Vista Enterprise to Windows 7 Enterprise
• Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Ultimate
***Any other upgrade path from Vista to Windows 7 will require a clean install***
***Any upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 will require a clean install***
Before proceeding with an installation of Windows 7, you are strongly advised to run Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor. Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor will check the compatibility of your computer with Windows 7 and alert you to any issues that you should address before installing Windows 7. The download is available at http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows‐7/get/upgrade‐advisor.aspx.