Windows XP to 7 question

hey, i just updated from Windows XP Home edition 32 bit to Windows 7 Professional 32 bit.

during the process, a windows.old folder is created, which contains all files, programs and data from XP

I talked to Microsoft today, and they said that anything in the Windows.old file except the Documents and Settings folder wont work on/effect Windows 7. is this true? does this mean I can just delete the Program files and Windows sub-folders along with any other file in the Windows.old folder? And they said even Program Files uploaded through Windows Easy Transfer wont work, is this true as well?

I ask because before I was first imformed, I moved all the Program Files from the Windows.old folder to the Windows folder for Windows 7 (except the Program Folders that would overwrite Program Files that come with Windows 7). How do I tell now which Program Files are from Windows 7 and which are from XP, because if the XP Program Files wont work I might as well delete them off the computer.

Rich, youre saying that program files from the .old folder wont work in the regular Windows 7 program files folder, correct? that is what Microsoft told me today.

I want to know what Program Files are originally on Windows 7 so I can delete the Windows XP Prgram Files

Look for any missing drivers or apps on your computer manufacturer's Support Downloads page for your model. You may also have an apps/driver CD which came with the computer.

There won't be any programs in the Programs Files when you first install Win7. Just delete any that you have not installed since your Win7 install.

By now you know that all programs must be reinstalled. Let us know if you need any help locating them. For example, Sun Java has a perfectly suitable free Ofc Suite compatible with Office.

So since i installed it Jan 3, any program file before that time was ffrom XP? And I know there were program files already in the Windows 7 folder before I transfered some over from the Windows.old folder. Theres no way I can find out which ones were there in the first place?

ok, but my question is: how can I tell what was from the Windows.old folder?

OP seems to say he moved some Program Files from windows.old into the new Win7 Program Files. Now he wants to know how to determine which those are to remove them.

Look in Control Panel>Programs and Features. Those are the Programs actually installed. Others in the Program Files are the ones you likely copied over. Just be sure before deleting each one that it isn't one which you have installed to Win7.

Set a restore point first so you can reverse the action if unable to retrieve a wrongly deleted Program file from Recycle Bin.

You might want to just put them back in the windows.old folder and keep it around until you are fully sorted out on this.