2. Performing an Upgrade to Windows 7
This section describes how
to perform an upgrade to Windows 7 from Windows Vista. Similar to a
clean install, you can run the installation from the installation DVD or
over a network. The only difference in the installation procedure is
your starting point: from your optical drive or from a network share.
For the steps in the following sections, it is assumed that you are
using the Windows 7 DVD to install the Windows 7 operating system.
The three main steps in the
Windows 7 upgrade process are very similar to the process for a clean
install. The three steps of upgrading to Windows 7 are:
In Exercise 2, you will go through the process of installing Windows 7 by upgrading Windows Vista.
Insert the Windows 7 DVD. If
Autorun does not start, navigate to the DVD drive and click setup.exe.
Once the setup starts (via either setup.exe or Autorun), click Install
Windows 7. You
are prompted to update your current operating system. If you choose not
to update, the installation might fail. You can also choose to send
information to Microsoft during this process. The
Microsoft Windows 7 license terms appear. The installation will not
allow you to click Next until you have accepted the license terms. You are prompted to select the type of installation you want to perform. Choose the Upgrade link. You
will see a compatibility report that will alert you of any applications
or drivers that are not supported in Windows 7. Click Next. The following steps will take place in the Installing Windows section of the upgrade. During
the Installing Windows phase, all the files required by the Setup
program will be copied to the hard drive. The computer automatically
reboots during the installation process. This process takes several
minutes and proceeds automatically without user intervention. The
following steps appear on the screen along with a completion percentage
for each: Copying Windows files Gathering files, settings, and programs Expanding Windows files Installing features and updates Transferring files, settings, and programs
Once
your computer finishes copying files and reboots, you will be in the
Setup Windows phase of the installation. The following steps are
involved with completing an upgrade. You'll be asked for your Windows product key. Type in your 25-digit product key and click Next. Settings
related to Windows Update and security appear. You can use the
recommended settings, install important updates for Windows only, or
have the computer ask you later. On the next screen, set up your local time and date and choose whether you want daylight savings time. Click Next. The installation completes.
|
3. Troubleshooting Installation Problems
The Windows 7 installation
process is designed to be as simple as possible. The chances for
installation errors are greatly minimized through the use of wizards and
the step-by-step process. However, it is possible that errors may
occur.
3.1. Identifying Common Installation Problems
As most of you are aware,
installations seldom go off without a hitch. You might encounter some of
the following installation errors:
Media Errors
Media errors are caused by defective or damaged DVDs. To check the
disc, put it into another computer and see if you can read it. Also
check your disc for scratches or dirt—it may just need to be cleaned.
Insufficient Disk Space
Windows 7 needs at least 16 GB of free space for the installation
program to run properly. If the Setup program cannot verify that this
space exists, the program will not let you continue.
Not Enough Memory
Make sure your computer has the minimum amount of memory required by
Windows 7 (1 GB). Having insufficient memory may cause the installation
to fail or blue-screen errors to occur after installation.
Not Enough Processing
Power Make sure your computer has the minimum processing power required
by Windows 7 (1 GHz). Having insufficient processing power may cause the
installation to fail or blue-screen errors to occur after installation.
Hardware That Is Not on the HCL If your hardware is not listed on the HCL, Windows 7 may not recognize the hardware or the device may not work properly.
Hardware with No Driver Support Windows 7 will not recognize hardware without driver support.
Hardware That Is Not Configured Properly
If your hardware is Plug and Play compatible, Windows 7 should
configure it automatically. If your hardware is not Plug and Play
compatible, you will need to manually configure the hardware per the
manufacturer's instructions.
Incorrect Product Key
Without a valid product key, the installation will not go past the
Product Key screen. Make sure you have not typed in an incorrect key
(check your Windows 7 installation folder or your computer case for this
key).
Failure to Access TCP/IP Network Resources
If you install Windows 7 with typical settings, the computer is
configured as a DHCP client. If there is no DHCP server to provide IP
configuration information, the client will still generate an
auto-configured IP address but be unable to access network resources
through TCP/IP if the other network clients are using DHCP addresses.
Installing Nonsupported Hard Drives
If your computer is using a hard disk that does not have a driver
included on the Windows 7 media, you will receive an error message
stating that the hard drive cannot be found. You should verify that the
hard drive is properly connected and functional. You will need to obtain
a disk driver for Windows 7 from the manufacturer and then specify the
driver location by selecting the Load Driver option during partition
selection.
3.2. Troubleshooting with Installation Log Files
When you install Windows 7,
the Setup program creates several log files. You can view these logs to
check for any problems during the installation process. Two log files
are particularly useful for troubleshooting:
The action log
includes all of the actions that were performed during the setup process
and a description of each action. These actions are listed in
chronological order. The action log is stored as \Windows\setupact.log.
The
error log includes any errors that occurred during the installation.
For each error, there is a description and an indication of the severity
of the error. This error tog is stored as \Wirtdows\setuperr.log.
In Exercise 3, you will view the Windows 7 Setup logs to determine whether there were any problems with your Windows 7 installation.
Select Start => Computer. Double-click Local Disk (C:). In
the Windows folder, double-click the setupact.log file to view your
action log in Notepad. When you are finished viewing this file, close
Notepad. Double-click
the setuperr.log file to view your error file in Notepad. If no errors
occurred during installation, this file will be empty. When you are
finished viewing this file, close Notepad. Close the directory window.
|
4. Migrating Files and Settings
Rather than perform an in-place
upgrade, you can choose to migrate your files and settings from an
existing installation. In this case, you can use the User State
Migration Tool (USMT) or the Windows Easy Transfer utility.
4.1. User State Migration Tool
You can download a utility called the User State Migration Tool (USMT)
that is used by administrators to migrate large numbers of users over
automated deployments. The USMT for Windows 7 is now part of the Windows
Automated Installation Kit (Windows AIK). The USMT is similar to
Windows Easy Transfer with the following differences:
The USMT is more configurable and can use XML files to specify which files and settings are transferred.
The USMT is scriptable and uses command-line utilities to save and restore user files and settings.
The USMT consists of two executable files: ScanState.exe and LoadState.exe. In addition, there are three premade migration rule information files: Migapp.xml, Migsys.xml, and Miguser.xml. Finally, you can create a Config.xml file that specifies what should and should not be migrated. The purpose of these files is as follows:
ScanState.exe collects user data and settings information based on the configuration of the Migapp.xml, Migsys.xml, and Miguser.xml files and stores it as an image file.
LoadState.exe then deposits the information that is collected to a computer running a fresh copy of Windows 7.
The following information is migrated:
USMT will not migrate
hardware settings, drivers, passwords, application binaries,
synchronization files, DLL files, or other executables.
4.2. Using the USMT
The USMT is downloadable software from Microsoft's website. In its simplest for m, you use the USMT in the following manner:
Run
ScanState. exe on the source computer. ScanState. exe will copy the
user state data to an intermediate store. The intermediate store (for
example, a CD-RW) must be large enough to accommodate the data that will
be transferred. Scanstate.exe would commonly be executed as a shortcut
sent to users that they would deploy in the evening or through a
scheduled script.
Install a fresh copy of Windows 7 on the target computer.
Run LoadState.exe on the target computer. LoadState.exe will access the intermediate store to restore the user settings.
When you use the USMT, you can
create a script that can be run manually or can be used as an automated
process at a scheduled time. Table 1 defines the options for the Scanstate.exe and Loadstate.exe commands.
Table 1. Options for Scanstate.exe and Loadstate.exe
| Option | Description |
|---|
| /config | Specifies the Config.xml file that should be used |
| /encrypt | Encrypts the store (Scanstate. exe only) |
| /decrypt | Decrypts the store (Loadstate. exe only) |
| /nocompress | Disables data compression |
| /genconfig | Generates a Config.xml file but does not create a store |
| /targetxp | Optimizes ScanState for use with Windows XP |
| /all | Migrates all users |
| /ue | User exclude: excludes the specified user |
| /ui | User include: includes the specified user |
| /uel | Excludes user based on last login time |
| /v verboselevel | Used to identify what verbosity level will be associated with the log file on a scale of 0-13, with 0 being the least verbose |
4.3. Windows Easy Transfer
Windows 7 ships with a utility called Windows Easy Transfer
that is used to transfer files and settings from one computer to
another. You can transfer some or all of the following files and
settings from a computer running Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or
Windows Vista:
You can transfer the migrated files and settings using the following methods:
Easy Transfer Cable, which is a USB cable that connects to the source and destination computers
CD or DVD
Removable media, such as a USB flash drive or a removable hard drive
Network share
Direct network connection
You can pass word-protect the migrated files and settings if you use CDs, DVDs, removable media, or a network share.
