# The Safest Way to Upgrade a Home PC and Laptop?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-safest-way-to-upgrade-a-home-pc-and-laptop/599448>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 12, 2011, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-safest-way-to-upgrade-a-home-pc-and-laptop/599448 "2011-10-12T19:10:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![ChrisBooth12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@ChrisBooth12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChrisBooth12)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-safest-way-to-upgrade-a-home-pc-and-laptop/599448/21 "2011-10-14T19:02:35Z")

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Windows 7 has a smaller footprint and is more efficient then windows xp, higher specs not withstanding

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**Author:** ![China\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/779978/32.png) [@China\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/China_Guy)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-safest-way-to-upgrade-a-home-pc-and-laptop/599448/22 "2011-10-14T19:27:56Z")

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It’s been an awful long time since I ran XP but I’m pretty sure XP has “easy file transfer.” Check programs \> accessories \> system tools. Run the program and it basically transfers all of your My Documents as well as all of your settings into a file, then you run easy file transfer on the new machine and it installs all your personal files. For example, after you run easy file transfer, then your desktop items are there, your IE favorites are there, etc. It works really well and is easy peasy lemon squeezy.

In fact, I run this every once in a while as my backup.

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**Author:** ![lazybratsche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ba8739/32.png) [@lazybratsche](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lazybratsche)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-safest-way-to-upgrade-a-home-pc-and-laptop/599448/23 "2011-10-14T19:38:55Z")

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> [@Quartz](#):
>
> There is no trial period with Windows 7.

Not precisely, but Windows 7 will run without activation until 30 days after installation. I have no idea whether that’s a violation of copyright or the license, but it’s certainly possible to use that 30 day window as a “trial period”.

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**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\
**Post date:** [October 14, 2011, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-safest-way-to-upgrade-a-home-pc-and-laptop/599448/24 "2011-10-14T20:03:06Z")

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> [@China\_Guy](#):
>
> It’s been an awful long time since I ran XP but I’m pretty sure XP has “easy file transfer.”

Windows Easy Transfer comes with W7 and can be installed on XP and Vista.

> **[Windows help and learning](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows)**
>
> Find help and how-to articles for Windows operating systems. Get support for Windows and learn about installation, updates, privacy, security and more.

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