XP to Windows 7 Migration Tools Review

Windows XP can only be upgraded to Windows 7 or Windows 8  by a clean install. That is  all software should be re-installed anew

There are two approaches to migrate the Windows XP environment to a new Windows 7 or Windows 8 PC : 

• Transfer programs, settings and  personal files on a new PC
• Run old Windows XP as a virtual machine inside new Windows.

Transfer Programs

The most critical issue while moving to a new PC is to transfer licensed, rare or discontinued programs to a new PC. After extensive search we were able to find only 2  3  tools able to migrate those programs  from Windows XP to Windows 7 or Windows 8.

• PCmover Professional. Transfers ~350 programs, settings and files, $40 .
• SoftRescue -transfers ~80% of programs and settings and files, about $30(site is down)
• PCTrans - Transfer applications and data, Free for 2 apps, $50
• PickMeApp - transfers about a million programs "only", but FREE!.

See our detailed and fair comparison between PCMover and PickMeApp

Transfer Single Program

• Presto Transfer Ultimate -  transfers about 35 popular ( mostly free)  programs  $15
• Firefox and Thunderbird - manual instructions and some free tools.

Transfer User Profile Settings, Program Settings  and Files.

• PCmover Professional. Transfers user profile settings and files, $40 .
• Windows Easy Transfer - transfers operating system and program settings and files, free.

Program Settings Transfer and Backup

• Fab's AutoBackup 4 - already non free $70 backup, restore, transfer tool for web browsers, email clients, ++
• BackRex -  a $70 settings backup and transfer tool ( for web browsers , emails clients, etc.)
• SSBT 1.4 - A free settings backup tool supporting 28 programs on windows XP

Windows XP Virtualization    

Note:  Read Microsoft Warning before looking for those solutions.

• Zinstall - transfers old PC inside a proprietary virtual environment running on Windows 7,  about $90.
• Parallels Desktop^® for Upgrading to Windows 7
• VMware Converter free
• Disk2vhd v1.63 - a free tool to create a snapshot of original Windows XP to run it in the XPM.
• SmartDeploy uses VMWare Converter  to provide virtualization.

Other

• Application Mover is a shareware tool relocating installed programs from one path to another on a hard disk. The tool  substitutes files paths so that new path will reference to the old one.  c:\prog\editor -> c:\oldstuff\edit

• A free alternative of the tool above.

Mass Migration

• Dell KACE Kbox image cloning system for a mass migration
• Viewfinity User Migration  to automate Microsoft User State Migration usage

Please let us know if we missed any solution.