Windows 7: Difference between OS Migration and Upgrade

Hello Tech Friends,

I am a newbie and very much willing to learn about Windows 7. Please tell me the difference between OS migration and upgrade. I am studying MCTP 70-680 right now. And I really dont understand the difference. Please give me an expositional and detailed explaination about this. If you can give me links and references, i will appreciate it too...

Appreciate all your help.

An upgrade is when you have an older operating system, put in the newer OS DVD/CD and let it upgrade from one to the other. Leaving all your apps and data where they are. With Windows 7, you can only upgrade from Vista!

A migration is when you manually backup your data and then perform a clean install and then put all your data back on that fresh clean install. Migration is also the term used in big business for changing from one OS to another on a large scale no matter if they are upgrading or clean installing. NOTE --- Clean install is always preferred!

A clean install is a reformat and total reinstall of all apps!

Darryl, I'm sorry but I would like to change what you said a bit.

IMO, upgrading happens every time when you change your OS to a newer one. Upgrade can also be in-place upgrade, difference being that in-place upgrade installs on top of the existing OS, whereas upgrade replaces the old OS with the new one.

After in-place upgrade your applications are intact and can be used, whereas after upgrade you have to re-install everything. You can for instance upgrade from XP to Seven but in-place upgrade to Seven is only possible from Vista.

When migrating to a new OS, you have two scenarios: you can either upgrade your existing computer, or migrate to a new computer. If you are migrating using the same computer, part of this process is upgrading. It's then up to you to decide if you want to / need to upgrade doing a clean install, re-installing your applications, or in-place upgrade.

Kari

Darryl and Kari covered it succinctly. Can only add from an installer's perspective that migrating data is fine however I would not migrate settings using Easy Transfer or any other backup/transfer utility as this is a known corruption path. Better to get a totally clean start without importing problems you can otherwise leave behind.

Since the Settings are stored in hidden AppData files, you may import them without knowing it using a utility. This is why I don't use Easy Transfer but just drag my active User folders off external to import them.

A popular way to take advantage of Windows 7's built-in Backup Imaging is to place User folders on a separate data partition, so that the OS/Programs partition backup image is kept lean, and if Windows 7 becomes irreparable you can reimage to its partition in 15 minutes and your latest files are safe and ready in their own partition "vault" which is backed up separately.

User Folders - Change Default Location
Data Partition

Kari... I agree with what you said... mostly!

My point was that Migration is a term usually associated with an enterprise (big business). It is usually performed by either a 3rd party sw for that purpose, virtualization, imaging, scripting, or some combination of those. Migration is not a term usually associated with a single or small number of PC's.

I dont know of any enterprise that would ever consider an in-place upgrade, although it is a possible path to do so!

Precisely. But companies and enterprises upgrade. My point was that upgrading does not automatically mean what is known as in-place upgrade, installing the new OS on top of the old one, keeping apps and settings. It's upgrading, too, when an enterprise decides to replace XP with Seven on 600 computers.

Kari

I think "Migration" is a term left over from the old days of large systems. It implied changing the hardware whilst very often keeping the same OS (e.g. IBM /370 MVT).

Although it doesnt apply to a client OS here is an msdn article I found after googling "migration vs upgrade"

Upgrade vs. Migration: Definitions - Matt Mitrik - Site Home - MSDN Blogs

Here is a technet article:

Windows 7 Upgrade and Migration Guide

Hope they help!

wow.. the discussion confused me... ahahaha.. but i learned. thanks guys...