7 Steps to Migrate from Windows XP to Windows 7 using WinINSTALL ™ and Survey
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Ta ble of Contents
Introduction ...... 3 Step 1-Determine what machines meet windows 7 hardware requirements ...... 3 Step 2-Targeting Windows XP workstations for Upgrade to Windows 7 ...... 4 Step 3-Determine a Windows 7 Deployment method ...... 5 Step 4-Applications ...... 6 Step 5-Personality and User data ...... 8 Step 6-Putting all of the tools together ...... 9 Step 7-Step by Step Instructions for Performing a Windows 7Migration using WinINSTALL ...... 9 A. Configuring your WinINSTALL PXE Server ...... 9 B. Creating your WinINSTALL PXE Template ...... 24 C. Selecting your Windows XP machine for Migration to Windows 7 ...... 33 Conclusion ...... 35 What you should do next? ...... 36 Resources and Reference Information ...... 36
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Introduction According to Microsoft's Technet Website, "there is no Upgrade option available when installing Windows 7 on a computer running Windows XP. The task involves using Windows Easy Transfer to migrate files and settings from Windows XP to Windows 7 on the same computer. To do this you must first copy files to a removable media, such as an external hard drive or UFD, or to a network share. Then, you will need to install a fresh copy of Windows 7 on your existing hardware, migrate your files back from the removable media or network location and then onto your computer. When you are finished, you must install your software programs again, but your files and settings will have been copied from Windows XP¹.”
Since this can end up being a multi-step process involving many trips to the desktop, Scalable Software can offer you an alternative solution to performing your upgrades with a zero-touch process in mind. Combining both Scalable Software's Survey product and WinINSTALL Desktop Availability Suite, you will be able to determine first, what machines meet the minimum requirements for Windows 7 and then be able to target those machines for your Windows 7 Migration using WinINSTALL's zero-touch process. Step 1-Determine what machines meet Windows 7 hardware requirements Deploying a new operating system, such as Windows 7, is a balancing act. On one side of the scale are the functional benefits of the new system. On the other side are the time, cost, and effort of deployment; the inevitable compatibility issues; the ambiguous and error-prone deployment processes; and the lack of well- integrated, single-solution management tools. The deployment effort seems even more daunting when you consider these facts:
The majority of today’s business PCs do not support Windows 7’s minimum hardware requirements, which means they will need to be upgraded or completely replaced Upgrading an existing PC with increased memory or video capabilities involves a costly hands-on hardware upgrade process Hardware upgrades typically cost more than acquiring and deploying a completely new PC, so migrating to Windows 7 will most likely require purchasing and deploying new PC hardware
It’s important to know which hardware assets currently deployed meet the recommended hardware requirements and what will it take to upgrade machines that do not meet the requirements. Using an asset management tool such as Scalable Survey or WinINSTALL to determine what machines do not meet the requirements for Windows 7. Windows 7 Recommended Hardware Requirements *Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM, an additional 15 GB of available hard disk space
32-bit 64-bit Proc Speed 1 Ghz processor 1 Ghz processor Memory (RAM) 1 GB of Ram 2 GB of RAM Graphics Card Support DirectX 9 with 128 MB Support DirectX 9 with 128 MB HDD free space 16 GB free space 16 GB of free spaced Optical Drive DVD DVD www.scalable.com 3
Below is an example of the Scalable’s Survey Migration Planning report for machines that do not meet the Windows 7 recommended requirements. It’s important to know what machines meet the requirements. It’s just as important to know what machines do not meet the recommended requirements and why. Using the below report an administrator can determine what machines can be upgraded and what machines should be replaced.
Step 2-Targeting Windows XP workstations for Upgrade to Windows 7 So now that we know which machines are eligible for an upgrade to Windows 7, we can leverage WinINSTALL to target these machines into a single Search Group. The benefit here is that you can search for all Workstations that have Windows XP installed on them and then cross reference those machines with your list generated from Survey.
As you can see from the screenshot below, I have targeted workstations that have Windows XP Operating System installed on them. From this list, I can use my Survey Migration Planning report to eliminate machines that I do not want to upgrade.
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Step 3-Determine a Windows 7 Deployment method As you begin planning for a migration of this size, a cost effective implementation plan aimed at minimizing the labor required to deploy Windows 7, is always the end goal. OS deployment tools such as Scalable Software’s WinINSTALL can be used for a Zero touch Windows 7 roll out. WinINSTALL uses PXE to start an automated install of Windows 7. WinINSTALL has the ability to implement custom Windows Imaging Format (WIM) along with Pre/Post processes such as hard drive preparation and all application distributions that need to be preformed. WinINSTALL PXE OS Deployment is hardware independent. All needed Plug and Play drivers can simply be added to the PXE server, where they are stored in a repository for distribution during the installation process. The clients will only install drivers for its specific hardware loadset. No post-install process or Sysprep is required. Once a client has finished the WinINSTALL deployment, it will have the operating system, correct name, AD account, OU Membership, and SID.
PXE Client Reset templates can be created to customize installs for different:
Active Directory OU placement Customized Application Load set PC Profile and Application Setting Restoration Post-Installation Utilities including running .bat files, scripts, or custom setup routines Customizable DOD Level drive wiping options, including up to 32 write counts per hard drive Support for optimizing screen resolution, refresh rate, and color depth Support for both Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit Operating System Installations Support for setting local Administrators password, as well as adding local and domain accounts to workstation WinINSTALL Agent deployment integration
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Additionally, you will be able to implement default settings for: Windows Sidebar User Account Control (UAC) Windows Defender and Firewall Configuration and change control for new devices
Below is a chart showing how the PXE server, PXE Template, and PXE clients are connected:
If you are using a disk imaging solution (such as Norton Ghost ™) to manage anything beyond operating system distribution, you probably will not realize true automated software distribution, patch management, or PC disaster recovery. In fact, you may end up managing images instead of PCs. Disk imaging software is frequently misused for software distribution, data backup, and patch management—tasks that it was not designed to perform.
Step 4-Applications IT administrators need to find out how currently deployed, homegrown, and packaged applications will run on Windows 7. In other words, will they behave correctly and adhere to Windows 7’s new security and rights management configurations? To gather this information, IT Administrators will have to communicate with ISVs and other application providers to understand how their Windows 7 support plans impact the migration cycle.
Windows XP mode (XPM) can be used as an option for applications that where not designed and do not function on Windows 7. Windows XP Mode is a virtual machine package for Windows Virtual PC containing a pre-installed, licensed copy of Windows XP SP3 as its guest OS. Pre-installed integration components allow applications running within the virtualized environment to appear as if running directly on the host
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Application packaging and deployment should be considered separate from OS deployment for an efficient Windows 7 Migration strategy. This allows applications to be updated or replaced easily without changing the OS deployment method. According to Gartner, in 2007 fewer than half of the average company’s applications will be MSI-packaged or automated distribution (Gartner, Managing PCs from Start to Finish, September 2006). This leaves the task of application packaging up to the IT Administrator. Using a reputable tool such as WinINSTALL can help you avoid packaging pitfalls. As IT costs rise and resources shrink, following best practices approaches like those listed here can help you streamline IT processes, increase desktop availability, and effectively manage the PC lifecycle.
Once it is determined what application can run natively in Windows 7 and what applications will need to be run in XPM, a labor efficient deployment method will be needed. This is an area where a well-defined Windows 7 Migration strategy will greatly benefit the IT administrator. Using a product such as “Scalable Software’s WinINSTALL Desktop Availability Suite, application deployment can be integrated into the Zero touch WinINSTALL 7 deployment. WinINSTALL provides easy ways to package and edit applications so they can be deployed along with a new OS or to existing machines on a network.
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Step 5-Personality and User data Personality and user data can not be overlooked. In order to keep productivity maximized it is important to consider the end user experience. Being able to migrate the Personality and User data to Windows 7, will provide your end users with the familiar and comfortable feel that they have become accustomed to in their working environment. This functionality will help to minimize any learning curves and allow the end user to stay as productive as possible. Tools such as Scalable Software’s WinINSTALL Personality Transfer not only migrates an application’s persistent settings, but also migrate their user documents.
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Step 6-Putting all of the tools together Once the IT administrator has determined what machines can be migrated to Windows 7, a procedure can be created. A zero touch procedure should include:
Backup PC Personality and user data, including Application Persistent Settings Prepare hard drives by performing DoD Level Wipes of the hard drives, and creating new partitions Deploy pre-configured Windows 7 WIM Image Create AD Computer account; and join the computer to AD Domain, as well as an OU Enable Remote Desktop connection Turn On/Off features such as Windows Sidebar, Windows Defender, and User Account Control (UAC) Enable/Disable the Windows Firewall and configure for custom Port Exclusions Se the local Administrator Password and add new local or domain accounts to the workstation Deploy the WinINSTALL Deploy customized application loadset Restore Personality and user data
Where possible a “Windows 7 Pilot group” is recommended. Define a test group of key personal in the organization. Use the complete migration process on this test group and allow them use the new Windows 7 loadset for a time period. This will provide feedback and allow an IT Administrator to make adjustments in a controlled environment before rolling out Windows 7 Company wide.
Step 7-Step by Step Instructions for Performing a Windows 7Migration using WinINSTALL 7-A. Configuring your WinINSTALL PXE Server
Before you can migrate your target Windows XP machines to Windows 7, you will need to create a WinINSTALL PXE Server. This process involves configuring your PXE Server credentials, loading your Windows 7 Operating System, loading your Drivers and Post Installation utilities, and configuring any Advanced Options you wish to implement.
If you have already created a PXE Server, you can skip this step and move on to loading your Operating System.
Inside your WinINSTALL Console, click the + Sign next to PXE Client Reset and then right click on Servers and choose, Configure PXE Server.
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Next you will be prompted with the Welcome to the PXE Server Wizard Dialog box, click Next
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On the PXE Server Wizard Dialog Screen, select the WinINSTALL Server you wish to configure as a PXE Server. You will be presented with a list of all available WinINSTALL PXE Servers that are in the database. Once you have made your selection, click Next .
On the Server Logon Credentials Dialog Screen, enter your Domain Administrator credentials. This account must be a Domain Administrator account to be able to access the WinINSTALL Share during the PXE Connection process, and then click Next .
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On the PXE Server Wizard Screen for Operating Systems and Languages, click on the Add New button. Then select Add Windows Image File (WIM) and click the Browse button to locate your source files of your Windows 7 Installation
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WinINSTALL will identify your Operating System and provide additional options by clicking on the drop arrow next to Operating Systems. Options will be available if you are using a combined DVD of Windows 7 that has multiple versions of the Operating System. WinINSTALL will also identify the architecture of the OS files, displaying either x86 or 64-Bit and the Language and Service Pack Level of the files.
Then click on the Add License Key to List button and enter your OEM, Volume License of Technet License Key and click Next.
Then you will be presented with the Completing the Operating System Wizard. WinINSTALL will copy over WinPE and then copy over your OS WIM Image to a location in the WinINSTALL Share
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Once you Operating Systems WIM image has been copied over to the WinINSTALL Share, click Next to begin adding Drivers.
On the Additional Windows Driver Dialog Screen, you can choose to add a Single Driver or Multiple Drivers. These drivers would include Video, Audio, Wi-Fi Cards, Bluetooth, Media Reader, Modems, Nic Drivers, Chipset Drivers, Webcam Drivers, Biometric Fingerprint Drivers, etc.
Once you added all of your Drivers for all of your hardware types, click Next .
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After all of your Drivers have been added, you will be able to Add Post Installation Utilities, such as the full ATI Catalyst Control Center or the Full Sigmatel Audio High Definition Driver application.
Click on the Add Post Install Utility to the List, give a Description for your utility, select the executable you wish to install, add the appropriate command line parameters and click on Ok when you are done and then Next when you have added all your Post Install utilities. These can also be bat for vbs scripts and don't have to be executables only.
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On the Advanced PXE Server Options Dialog Screen, select Register Unknown Machines to Database, if you wish for WinINSTALL to add all new machines that boot to the network. WinINSTALL will do by adding the machine and naming it by its corresponding MAC address. You may also select a default template to assign to the machines, if you have created one. This will not deploy the template to those machines unless you select it to do so from the Clients Section of PXE Client Reset.
You also have the option of setting the number of clients to install at one time by Checking off Queue clients when more than XX resets are pending.
You can also set your Network Boot Program Timeouts and Shut down the machine or machines on completion of failure of Operations.
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Select your Options and then click Next and Finish .
In the console you will now see your PXE Server present.
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And if you select this machine from your all Machines list and scroll down to the Agent Status Window, you will see the PXE Server Sub-Agent Running.
7-B. Creating your WinINSTALL PXE Template
Before you can perform your actual migration, you will need to create a WinINSTALL PXE Template. This process involves creating a template, specifying the Operating System and other additional settings, screen shots are shown below outlining each screen available for customizing your Windows 7 installation.
Inside your WinINSTALL Console, click the + Sign next to PXE Client Reset and then right click on Templates and choose, Create Template
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7-C. Selecting your Windows XP machine for Migration to Windows 7 Because we want to be able to perform a full migration, it is assumed that you have already created a Personality Profile Backup of your targeted Windows XP workstation or workstations. This is crucial to the process, since when you begin the task, WinINSTALL will wipe the hard drive of your targeted workstation.
To select a client to Migrate, inside your WinINSTALL Console, click the + Sign next to PXE Client Reset and then click on Clients. *** If you do not see your client machine in the list, right click on Clients and select Add Clients.***
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Once you have added or found your target machine in the clients list, right click to see a list of available options. If you wish to reset the client, click on Properties
On the General Tab, verify you have the correct machine to Migrate and then select the appropriate Template from the Assigned to Template drop down list. If you wish to begin the migration the next time the machine boots to the network, select Reset on Next Reboot.
You also have the ability to add Static IP and DNS information on the Advanced Tab
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Conclusion Windows 7 migration from Windows XP can be accomplished with a good strategy. Eliminate the use of disjointed tools and utilities. Instead adopt a single solution such as Scalable Software’s WinINSTALL that tightly integrates all of the necessary PC management tasks into a seamless workflow. A unified solution that automates complex PC management tasks
Scalable Software’s WinINSTALL offers:
Asset Management OS Deployment, Application Packaging Software Distribution Patch Management PC Personality & User Data Migration
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WinINSTALL can improve IT efficiencies, cut total cost of ownership, and improve desktop availability for the user. Time-consuming as these steps may be, the knowledge you gain from this early groundwork will help to ensure the success of your Windows 7 migration.
What you should do next?
1. While it’s fresh in your mind, please forward this whitepaper to everyone you believe can benefit from it – coworkers, colleagues, business partners, etc. When passing this along, here’s the link to send: http://www.scalable.com/whitepapers/xpto7migration
2. If you would like to see WinINSTALL in action or test out a migration, you may download a free, no obligation 45-day fully-functional evaluation at: http://www.scalable.com/softwaredownload/dasdownload
3. If you’re curious about how the information we’ve shared in this document can benefit you and your business, please contact us to discuss your particular situation and explore opportunities. This is not a sales call, but a sincere conversation to see if there are opportunities for you and your business to gain from the information, tips, and process we outlined in this whitepaper. Tel: 713-316-4900 or [email protected] .
Resources and Reference Information ¹ http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd446674%28WS.10%29.aspx#BKMK_UpgradeFromXP
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