Laplink Software PCMover Professional $59.95 Download Version
If you don't know it already, you can't upgrade directly from Windows XP to Windows 7 using the Windows 7 bootable media. Microsoft suggests upgrading to Vista then to Windows 7. That's an expensive undertaking. It's also quite daunting to consider moving from your old Windows XP computer to a new Windows 7 computer. You'll have to locate and reinstall all your programs and applications, transfer your files and reconfigure your new computer. Using one of Laplink Software's PCMover products, you can make the move with far less expense, stress and effort.
This review covers my own experiences in migrating from my old Windows XP PC to my new Windows 7 laptop.
I've used Windows XP for several years now and have installed several dozen programs, amassed over 100GB of files and customized my computer in such a way that would be difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate without doing a disk-to-disk copy.
I purchased a new Acer laptop (Aspire 7535-5020) that came with Windows 7 Home Premium. I immediately reinstalled the system with Windows 7 Ultimate N and downloaded Acer support files to put it back to a factory fresh state before continuing the migration from Windows XP to Windows 7.
I downloaded PCMover Pro from Laplink's website and installed it on both computers. The installation was smooth and quick on both systems.
Next, I fired up the PCMover software on the old computer--having never read any instructions for the software--and realized that I need to run the software on the new system first.
Basically PCMover works as a sender/receiver pair. You have to set up the listener(receiver/new PC) first and then configure the sender.
Once the new PC was setup to listen for connections, I ran the PCMover wizard on the old system, designated it as the OLD Computer and selected the type of migration (Full)--Selections are Full (Files, settings and applications), Files and Settings only or Files only. Then, I selected my user account and the list of programs that I wanted to move.
The wizard finishes by building a list of files that need to be moved.
Once the migration begins, you'll see a progress meter tell you how many files have been moved, how much time has elapsed and how far you have to go.
The entire process took me 6.5 hours to complete over my wired network. My move consisted of applications and only a small amount of my accumulated data. I recommend Laplink PCMover Pro for moving your applications and data. It's well worth the $60 price tag. It's also worth noting that you should definitely purchase the Laplink USB cable (~$10 if purchased with the boxed Pro Product) to speed up your migration (Reportedy, up to 5 times faster).
Laplink Pro, and the "Mover" family of products aren't perfect but if you want a hassle free move and can make it work on the first pass, buy it.
Rating: 7.5/10
Pros:
Easy to use.
Cost is less than a multiple operating system upgrade.
Requires no intervention/monitoring during the migration.
Easier than a manual move--you don't have to locate licenses or media.
Cons:
Time: There's no real time savings in using this product over installing everything from scratch and moving your data yourself (unless you purchase the Laplink USB cable--not tested).
Needs:
Restart Migration Option: Currently, if something goes wrong, you have to start from scratch.
An Applications Only migration choice for those who don't want to move data.