
To reiterate the main point of the previous blog post: Windows 7 may still look fine to you, but it is dying. On January 14, 2020, Microsoft will stop publishing security updates for Windows 7. From then on, the operating system will be fair game for malware.
Fortunately, there are several viable exit strategies: Upgrade to Windows 10, switch to a different operating system such as Linux or macOS, or even go fully mobile. This article will offer specific advice on how to move away from Windows 7.
The obvious upgrade path from Windows 7 is Windows 10, and Microsoft would really like you to take it. Contrary to what you may have heard, this is not such a bad choice. Yes, Windows 10 is an "operating system as a service" and as such, it keeps mutating a bit every six months through feature upgrades. This has become a problem for some users, but with precautions, most issues can be managed or even avoided. To put it succinctly: Many of the reports badmouthing Windows 10 have been greatly exaggerated.
Even though Microsoft has repeatedly announced that it would cut off the possibility to upgrade to Windows 10 for free, the free upgrade process still worked at the time of this writing (July 2019). All that's needed is a valid product key for Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 and a decent internet connection.
Don't get stuck without a way back
Before proceeding, be sure to make a backup. Yes, it's tedious and time-consuming, but it's still better than losing all your system settings and data if something should go wrong during the process of upgrading your computer. For this purpose, you should use an external hard drive connected directly to your computer via eSATA or USB 3.
The integrated backup feature of Windows 7 may not be the best backup choice in this instance, since you're about to replace the operating system. For fastest results, use an imager such as EaseUS Todo Backup or Macrium Reflect Free.
If you are not concerned about system data, you can also just copy the folder containing your user data. The easiest way to do this is by using a file manager such as FreeCommander, SpeedCommander or Total Commander. First, activate the respective setting to show hidden and system files, then navigate to the folder %userprofile%. Copy all files and folders to a different drive, making sure you include the hidden "AppData" folder. However, you should be aware that this will take much longer than a straight system image.
Upgrade your existing computer to Windows 10
The easiest migration path is to upgrade your existing Windows 7 installation directly to Windows 10. First, make sure you have your Windows 7 (or Windows 8.1) product key written down somewhere. Should you have misplaced your product key, you can use a tool such as Belarc Advisor or Magical Jelly Bean Keyfinder to recover it.
Before the next step, you should really back up your computer. I mean, really, REALLY. Don't worry, I'll still be here when you are done. Take your time.
To perform a so-called "in-place upgrade," you will need an empty USB thumb drive with a minimum capacity of 8 GBytes. Then, download the Windows 10 Media Creation Tool from Microsoft and follow its instructions. If everything goes well, the software should find your previous product key and transfer it automatically. After about an hour of reboots and waiting, your computer should be running Windows 10. Depending on your BIOS settings, you might have to tell your computer to boot from the USB thumb drive for setup to continue.
The direct upgrade process may fail at the first attempt: The Windows 10 Media Creation Tool may report that your system is incompatible and list the problems it found. Some of these can be worked around, such as insufficient memory or storage space. Type the error message into a search engine exactly as you are seeing it and open at least three of the search results to check for different approaches to your problem.
After the upgrade is complete, you may find out that your old computer is too slow for Windows 10. In this case, it's fairly easy to migrate your existing installation to a new machine through an ISO image. Essentially, this process creates a Windows install image which ditches all the device-specific drivers, but keeps all the apps and settings. Tenforums.com has a good tutorial on the process. German users can also use c't WIMage maintained by German computer magazine c't – this English-language tutorial walks you through the process.
Upgrade to a new computer with Windows 10

In some instances, your computer may simply be too old to run Windows 10. One solution can be to switch to a Linux distribution with low hardware requirements. The other solution is to buy a new computer.
If you are switching to Windows 10, you may want to keep as much of your current set-up as possible. There are a number of methods to migrate data from one computer to another:
EaseUS Todo PCTrans Free is limited to two applications and 500 MByte of data. The Professional version without limits costs US$ 50.
Laplink PCmover Express costs US$ 15. It has no MByte limit, but it does not transfer any applications. This feature is reserved for the Professional version which costs US$ 45.
Microsoft suggests a deployment plan to migrate multiple machines from Windows 7 to 10 using the User State Migration Tool. This is free, but not exactly trivial to use.
My personal experience with commercial tools has been hit and miss. PCTrans and PCmover will migrate commonly used apps well enough. However, the settings of less popular commercial applications and shareware tools are often not transferred. Often, several hours of tedious manual work were required to complete the transfer to the new machine.
The most thorough approach is a migration by hand. This involves first copying your old user data, i.e. the Documents, Pictures and Video folders to the new computer and reinstalling all the software on the target machine. The "Uninstall or change a program" feature in the Windows Control Panel is a great help here. The next step is to check where the applications store their user's settings. There are several possibilities:
Some programs store settings in an *.ini file which can either be located in the application's directory or within the AppData folder. Copy the *.ini file to the new computer to transfer your settings.
Other applications collect all settings in a profile folder within the AppData folder. Copy this folder to the new machine to keep using the same settings.
Some applications store their settings in a database provided by the operating system called the Windows Registry. System tools such as Process Monitor will display the Registry keys accessed by the application. Using the Windows Registry Editor, these keys can be exported on the old machine and imported into the Registry database of the new computer.
If all this sounds very complicated and tedious to you, you should possibly consult a local computer repair shop and ask whether they provide a data transfer service. If they do, follow up by asking about their migrating method – if they only fire up PCmover and leave everything else behind, it might be cheaper to purchase a license and do it yourself.
One more thing: Some applications require to be activated through the Internet and they only allow a limited number of activations. Be sure to deactivate the application on your old computer so you don't lose your activation.
How to leave Windows behind
Given the hassle that can be involved in migrating to a new version of Windows, you might consider a switch to a different operating system altogether. If you decide to switch to Linux or macOS, you might be able to keep much of your Windows applications' data and some settings. Should you decide to go the Android/ChromeOS route, you will usually only be able to keep your data.
If you decide to migrate to Linux, you might be able to keep your current computer. If you migrate to macOS, you should move your Windows 7 hard drive into an external drive enclosure.
Here are some specific tips and links on how to migrate common Windows applications to Linux or macOS:
Google Chrome: Copy your user profile from the Windows AppData folder to the user profile folder of your new operating system:
Windows: |
C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Local\Google\Chrome\User Data\Default |
|
Linux: |
/home/USERNAME/.config/google-chrome/default |
|
macOS: |
/Users/USERNAME/Library/Application Support/Google/Chrome/Default |
Microsoft Internet Explorer: This one is relatively straightforward. While still on your Windows 7 computer, import your bookmarks into Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, depending on what you plan to use on your target machine. Then, migrate the browser to your target operating system as described in the sections "Google Chrome" and "Mozilla Firefox."
Microsoft Outlook: You can easily export your calendar as an .ics file and import it into a calendar app on your target system, such as Thunderbird Lightning. It is similarly easy to migrate your address book using the export feature – for best results, select "Tab-separated values (Windows)." Transferring your e-mails, however, may involve installing an old version of Thunderbird or using a commercial tool.
Mozilla Firefox: Copy your user profile from the Windows AppData folder to the user profile folder of your new operating system:
Windows: |
C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Mozilla\Firefox\Profiles |
|
Linux: |
/home/USERNAME/.mozilla/firefox |
|
macOS: |
/Users/USERNAME/Library/Application Support/Firefox/Profiles |
Mozilla Thunderbird: Copy your user profile from the Windows AppData folder to the user profile folder of your new operating system:
Windows: |
C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming\Thunderbird\Profiles |
|
Linux: |
/home/USERNAME/.thunderbird |
|
macOS: |
/Users/USERNAME/Library/Application Support/Thunderbird/Profiles |
SoftMaker Office: SoftMaker Office stores all user data in the "SoftMaker" folder. First, install SoftMaker Office on the new operating system, then overwrite the "SoftMaker" folder with the data from the previous Windows installation. This should transfer all settings and templates to the new machine.
Windows: |
C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\SoftMaker |
|
Linux: |
/home/USERNAME/SoftMaker |
|
macOS: |
/Users/USERNAME/Documents/SoftMaker |
Note: Some settings specific to the operating system cannot be migrated.
A web search might be useful for finding out how to migrate other software. In the search form, enter the name of your application and add keywords such as "migration," "move to another computer" or "backup settings." And be sure to check your applications' online help: Some of them actually include an export feature and useful migration advice.
Are you still using Windows 7? Be sure to tell us about your migration plans in the comments section below.
Comments
I us a dual boot win 7and linux 18.3 cinamon mint desktop - I have never played any games
I have always purchased an oem windows equipped second rated spec as new desktop.
I know/realise that the computer game is imperfect - others have had problems with other humans trying to make a living.
I've never had any trouble with windows (apart from tinkering with the system files) until MS decided to discontinue the protection of win 7.
I have a not on line html5/css3 website and when I swopped over to dual boot half the files changed to xmtl - have sorted the problem now - others in the game took advantage of the MS decision to change...
I am still having trouble getting thunderbird mail to work in the linux environment - every comp is different
D.W.Heslop
http://opentaxsolver.sourceforge.net/index.html
check it
- Evolution (with the ews connector). It integrates seamlessly into the GNOME desktop environment.
- Mailspring. This is a nice looking program. It's only downside is that it requires a "mailspring" account for some of its features.
It's poor performance and endless updates remind one of Windows ME (Millions of Errors).
It is unethical to push win10 on anyone.
The public should stand firm on rejecting win10.
Q: What is the definition of "illogical"?
A: win10 ©2019
I had on an Acer laptop through my work at school (school's laptop), but the laptop died and now school has switched to Win 10 and won't give me a Win 7 Pro disk for my own use.
I have an old personal Gateway laptop with Vista, which works fine. I have several other newer personal laptops (not the school's), but Win 7 Pro is nowhere these days to be found. Sadly.
I run Win 10 Pro on these, now upgraded to 1903 Win 10 Pro. Oh well, I will try picking up a few refurbished laptops/desktops as I've been itching to work with Linux Mint and maybe other flavors.
I don't have a big problem with Win 10 Pro, but it is VERY bloated with way too many things I don't need or want installed. .
I once used win7 on someone else's computer for a few weeks and hated it. Win 10 apart from being spyware seems to cause endless problems. Read about them in all the fora. Also in only a few years (or less) MS will bring out Win 11 and stop support for win 10, so any update to WIN 10 is only temporary. Must we always be in a state of constant continuous change? Can we not rest and keep steady for a while?
I learned to touch-type on a 84 keyboard, then they changed it all and I have never got used to it since, mixing up the shift and control keys.
Change should be only for the better, but nowadays it is often for the worse. Planned obsolescence has destroyed the concept of quality. Soon we will all blow ourselves up without realising what we are doing!
I have been using computers for 32 years and I have a good knowledge. I have tried Linux many times and never continue. But maybe one day? If you're doing basic things: word processing, web browsing, email and watching videos it's a good choice.
For the time being Win7 will stay on my desktop. I did run Win10 for a few days when Billy was giving it away. When it would not allow me to install an update for my $1000.00 photo software, because Bill didn't recognize the company, Win10 was gone. How Microsoft gets away with openly stealing personal information is beyond me. Mention China and it makes front page news for months. Good article and thank you to the person who mentioned Reactor OS. I was involved with for decades with open source software and forgot about it. Good comments in response shows intelligent life does exist on the planet.
People writing as you have merely cause worry
I have machines running Win XP as well as win 7 (and Linux) and they are al working happily.
I'm just going to ask Reziac what hardware I need to purchase and store away for future replacement parts.
In my experiece....MATE is The overall absolutely best desktop to have and easiest to do things and best balance between modern and old and lightweight and full featured...its a shame most people install GNOME3 becuae ubuntu made that its main distro.
I currently recommend Ubuntu 18.04.2 MATE 64 bit if possibible...32but exists as well but less apps available for it....you may have no choice and be able to only use 32bit.
And now ironically SoftMaker Office supports Linux way less than the Windows and Mac counter parts...infact Presenter does not support Video or audio clip insert into presentations (audio it claims it does but never works)...ths needs to happen ASAP and needs to be advertised!
Softmaker Office is quite excellent especially its PowerPoint Clone.
Come On...Video Support and please fix inserting Transistions as currently they need to be clicked twice to take...on the paid full version....works fine in the free
You mentioned a problem regarding the transitions. This is new to us. Could you please contact our support team with the details about it?
Please use our online contact form: https://www.softmaker.com/en/support-assistant
Also scanning and OCR options were lacking in Mint.
I've been updating my computers to Win10 and with SSDs with good success. It enabled me to finally part with a few to needy friends without feeling guilty that I was giving them of a white elephant.
This article is refreshingly clear and concise. Kudos! The comments are great too!
Mageia/KDE would be my next choice for "complete and works", but it needs newer hardware to run well.
Mint/Cinnamon makes a nice desktop if you like it out of the box (and on older hardware it probably has the best performance of any fullfledged distro other than Puppy), but I found it too limiting in annoying ways.
BTW, softmaker folks... be aware reCAPTCHA only really works with Chrome. Other browsers can go round and round forever and never get 'verified'.
You might consider installing "system-config-printer". It is a GUI for the Linux printing system,
CUPS. It auto-detects many printers but also easy to make manual configurations.
Drivers can be found here: https://www.openprinting.org/drivers
and manufacturers like Epson provide Linux-drivers for both scanners and printers.
The fix is to go to your printer manufactures web site and download the proprietary Linux drivers for your printer. Doing that worked on my HP MFP.
I am a total techno-naif and only understood about half of the article. Two years ago I got so angry and frustrated at MS' antics, forced, over the top and useless-to-me changes that I just walked away and bought a Mac. (Love it!) Problem is, I still have two MS computers that contain a lot of data I don't want to lose, but don't need on my daily-use Mac. Both have Windows 7 on them, but neither are connected to the internet.
1. Can I continue to use these two old computers? I always transfer the files I need by thumb drive, not the internet.
2. Will my closed-system computers continue to run Windows 7 even after the MS kill date?
Thank you.
You might want to have a look at the previous blog post which gives a more detailed overview on the implications of the ending Windows 7 support:
https://www.softmaker.com/en/blog/bytes-and-beyond/why-it-is-time-to-leave-windows-7-behind
And in many cases I think Win 10 works better than 7. One thing that works
much more smooth is USB drivers. Often using virtual com ports, on win 7 if
you disconnected the device before closing port you got trouble. In Win 10
it is just to open the port again.
BUT!
There is one thing that is a disaster with Win 10: The automatic restart after
update!!
I don't know how many hours work I have lost when the computer suddenly
reboot in the middle of my work. Calculation that should run over night and
when I'm back at work the computer is rebooted.
It is criminal!
And as I understand, there is no way to turn it off?
settings>update>change active hours: The restart should not take place during active hours.
settings>update>advanced options: Turns update restart notifications on.
When you get an update restart notification, pop-up or on the notification board, go to
settings>update>schedule the restart: To schedule the restart up to a week later.
a few times, but it is just a small notice in the lower right corner on ONE screen. If you work on the other screen at the moment it is likely you wont see it. And suddenly.....reboot...
And when you use the computer for 24h test sequences for PCB:s then you are not happy when you come to work at morning for shipping the system and the computer have done an update and rebooted at night.
Softmaker Office is a great product. It's a shame that the Linux community has such a kneejerk reaction to shareware software. They are their own worst enemy.
To Windows 7 users, please give it a go. Some things are different, but Linux is better than Windows in everything apart from polish.
It's a bit much to criticise a commercial freebie for an office suite yet include Chrome in the Linus OS. But mention it on a forum and you might as well put a target on your back. It's not all of them of course, not even the majority, but it is an energetic minority. Choice of operating systems should be on the grounds of effectiveness for your requirements, not compliance with a mantra.
It is not too hard to find still working AV software, utilities, tools and
even giveaway of AbilityOffice or Atlantic Word Processor that does the job
with new .microsuckzX extension.
Some backup software is still available,
I can enable second CPU core and enable hold instructions by japanese CPU tweaking tool
- that it can be energy efficent -or- manage CPU Process Priority by other most know
CPU tweaking tools /legacy on download area/.
That I still can use it with Firewall/proxy to searching on internet or using YT.
Emails can be read by mine old C>64 that I need modern PC only for games :]
The most funny thing is cloaking mine *ozilla clone browser user agent to convince
stupid websites /authors :D/ that I use the new one Chrome 7x on Windows 10.
Long life for power users that still use their old OS for more than 10% of its abilities.
Microsoft (in my opinion) has shot themselves in the foot by dropping Windows 7, yes it is old but it is also well known and used by millions of Windows users worldwide.
I have looked at the pros and cons of Windows 10 and Windows 7 vs Windows 10; I am NOT convinced that Windows 10 is really any better.
My 82-year old father has a new laptop with Windows 10 built-in; he does not like the bloated OS.
As the old adage goes: If it works, don't fix it... Windows 10 is NOT necessary for my needs; I will NOT be migrating to it... Long live Windows 7!
A. Couttenier
Small footnotes for maybe-benefit of others. (I work as IT Consultant and have bumped into some of these issues many times).
- Win10 in place upgrades generally are very painless. I've found this is one thing microsoft have done well with win10, is the process of updating to it / and then update within win10 to the latest spring-fall major release. For the most part these in-place upgrades go well / on vast majority of systems. I've upgraded >100 computers like this in the past few years, and I think I have had only one older box give me serious trouble.
- as a general data point. I've used many different migration tools to clone hard drives to SSD Drives for clients as part of these upgrades. Moving from old-spinning-rust disk to SSD is a huge performance boost at modest cost, and highly recommended. It can also give you a nice 'back out strategy' if needed, ie (a) Attach SSD to computer (b) Clone your Win7 environment to SSD first (c) Unplug old drive, leave it alone and run from SSD (d) THEN do your Win10 upgrade / or if moving to linux do a clean linux install on SSD and gradually migrate your data off the old disk.
By taking this approach, your old windows environment remains untouched and you can always 'go back' if something goes horribly wrong with the new environment. But having a good backup is still a really good idea! :-)
- It is maybe worth mentioning, of all the free disk clone tools I've used for move to SSD, I think this one is probably the more robust / least likely to suffer 'issues': "MiniTool Partition Wizard" from https://www.partitionwizard.com/free-partition-manager.html (Macrium does work fine some of the time, but I sometimes have issues with it / or it runs quite slowly in some cases I find?)
- once you are on your new win10 environment, it can be sometimes worth running an update tool from your hardware manufacturer to see if there are updates for your hardware - BIOS or core drivers. (If such updates/tools for updates are available). I"ve seen some cases where an older laptop has weird power-management issues in WIn10 that didn't exist on Win7; but once bios is updated - they are resolved / things work better. Be advised that Bios updates need to be done according to the recommended procedure, ie, don't power off the system part way through! :-)
- Finally. For those looking for a light-weight linux for older hardware. I've had good luck with "Zorin" lite edition for such gear. (https://zorinos.com/download/) Note zorin is available in various flavours, including versions for newer hardware / and non-free versions. But the free lite edition is perfectly feature rich, robust, and well suited for older gear I've found. It is also based on a well established linux distro 'under the hood' so long term support should not be a problem / and core package management is not anything weird or unfamiliar as a result.
Anyhoo. Lots of great stuff here, so many thanks to Softmaker for promoting good information sharing via this blog!
-Tim
I have tried to find out if there can be more than one product key stored in bios or more. My guess only one and therefore I am afraid my old win 7 wont boot when I put that ssd drive in.
I have win 7 pro and an OEM license on it.
I prefer Mint to to Win10 and Textmaker to Word. I'd suggest giving it a go.
The only problem is the weight of the laptop.
Organising the dual booting turned out to be much more straightforward than I anticipated although I did prepare thoroughly in case of problems and used Macrium Reflect to create an image backup file before proceeding. Everything went very smoothly and I have no regrets about the action I took. For the time being, both Windows 7 and Lubuntu 18.04 connect to the internet however I did temporarily disconnect Windows 7 to test the situation I would be in after next January - I found this entirely satisfactory.
Early on after installing Windows 7, I created a separate partition for my personal data files which can now be accessed easily from Lubuntu. This has meant that Lubuntu can run effectively on a quite small Ext4 partition as I do not need additional space for my data files.
The dual boot setup may have certain disadvantages although, as yet, I've not experienced any: for me, there are several advantages. I can continue to use peripherals for which there are no viable Linux drivers, I can use software which is not compatible with Linux and I have not had the hassle that changing to a different operating system entails. One small but significant bonus I have found is that I can use Macrium Reflect, which is installed in Windows 7, not only to create system backups of the Windows 7 partitions but also the Lubuntu partition: I've twice used it to restore Lubuntu after early experiments with the operating system went awry.
My experience shows that dual booting Windows 7 with another operating system, after disconnecting Windows 7 from the internet, is a viable strategy and useful alternative solution.
(I'm about to upgrade from XP to 7...... so I'm very far behind..... but still, your post has some very good advice.)
AND THE UPDATES! It seems like every 4 hours, there's an update...and it stops one in their tracks while they download and install. Maybe it's just me, but I reverted back to Windows 7 and to heck with the hackers and their stupid malware. I have an anti-virus and who knows how long THAT will protect my Windows 7. IMHO, it's just not worth the hassle...unless one wants to start with a new system and forget all the apps, programs, and documents one has accumulated over the years. I mean, they work just fine, really. But the migration and slow boot times are a real deal breaker.
That's my 2 cents.
(same I was with XP, never update past SP3, run it until the mainboard died)
https://itsfoss.com/best-linux-beginners/
Would Grub be trashed and need to be restored?
However, you might want to ask this question in a linux-specific discussion forum.
We live in a country town, no hospital, bank, doctor, ambulance and with out a good car to travel fortnightly to a service centre, diesel is $1.50 litre ($6,68 Gallon) plus any thing we buy local is not as cheap as the service centre.
I use xp for emails as I use a freeware mailwasher to delete scam emails.
I have found over the years you use specific computers for specific jobs, xp software wont run on win 10, and by doing this I have reduced my crashes from overload or too many programs.
I would like to be directed to a linux - windows type system which will run my windows type programs as well as my emails, ideally xp or win 7 style.
I keep and archive of emails dealing with local council matters as well as Local Mens Shed, doing newsletters for both organizations, with failing memory I have to resort to saved emails to verify facts.
Cheers Dave
https://www.pclinuxos.com/
My second favorite is called Zorin.
Keep the OS you like best, don't move to an OS that is inferior in various ways. Soon, they'll have us only able to use voice commands - imagine that in an office environment.
I drive a car that's 18 years old - still reliable and has all the features I need. They're trying to introduce driverless vehicles, taking control away from you.
This is an age where manufacturers cheat on quality. We often have later model cars, trucks catching fire while being driven - air bags injuring drivers, cars having to be recalled for all sorts of safety issues. These poor attitudes extend to prams,computer components, software even food quality and plenty of other items. We have high rise buildings failing due to cheap cladding and cracks appearing.
Stick with Win7 - it's superior!!
https://itsfoss.com/lightweight-linux-beginners/
It gives a good overview on the topic.
I now use Linux Mint ( Cinnamon version ) on a laptop which is about 7 years old - having tried many distributions, this seems to me the best in terms of ease of use and support for older computers - performance for day-to-day work is excellent.
For info, I use SoftMaker office for Linux as my productivity tool, VueScan for scanning, InSync for Google Drive updates, Google Chrome for browsing, Skype for calls.
One thing I find poor in Linux is photo editing software, so I keep my Windows 10 laptop just for that.
Those with a fast computer can run Windows 7 also in a virtual pc with VMware Player to keep using older programs or hardware.
Or run older Windows programs in Linux with Wine. Easier to install them for Wine with PlayOnLinux.