54

Chapter 2

Windows Vista Upgrades and Migrations

■

Migrating Migrating is the process by which the user’s settings and data are moved to

a new Windows Vista installation. There are two types of migration: side-by-side and

wipe-and-load. A side-by-side migration is one in which you migrate files from one com-

puter to a separate computer. A wipe-and-load migration is one in which you migrate

data off a computer, perform a clean installation of a new operating system on that com-

puter, and then migrate the data back.

Here are some examples that might help you understand the differences between an upgrade

and a migration:

■

If you purchased a second computer that had Windows Vista pre-installed and you

moved all of your data from your original computer, regardless of what operating system

is on the original computer, you are performing a migration. This type of migration is a

side-by-side migration.

■

If you add a new hard disk drive to your existing computer, install Windows Vista in a

dual boot configuration, and move your settings and data across to Windows Vista, you

are also performing a migration. This type of migration is a side-by-side migration.

■

If you back up your data to a DVD-ROM, format your hard disk drive, and then perform

a clean install of Windows Vista, you are performing a migration. This is a wipe-and-load

migration.

■

If you back up your data to a DVD-ROM and then upgrade the original operating system,

you are performing an upgrade.

■

If you use the Custom Install option to install Windows Vista on top of the partition that

currently hosts Windows XP, you are performing a migration. In this scenario, your orig-

inal Windows folder will be renamed Windows.old. Although your applications will still

be located in the Program Files folder, they need to be reinstalled to be recognized by the

new installation of Windows Vista.

CAUTION

Perform a full backup!

Prior to migrating or upgrading, you should take a full backup of the original operating system,

including all user data. You should get into the habit of backing up important user data regularly.

Although using one of the migration tools is likely to be all that you need, you should take a full

backup prior to performing a migration or upgrade. Having a full backup gives you a fallback posi-

tion if something goes catastrophically wrong.

Identifying Valid Upgrade Paths

Direct upgrades to Windows Vista from previous versions of Windows are the exception

rather than the rule. In general, unless you are running Windows XP, it will be necessary to

perform a migration rather than an upgrade. It is also important to consider that it is not pos-

sible to upgrade from a 32-bit operating system to a 64-bit or from a 64-bit operating system