Hi Regina,
This is a multi-faceted question and without knowing all the software you have now on XP Pro,
it's hard to give a precise answer. However.......
Start by making a list of current software and check the individual software for Win 7 compatibility.
Windows 7 Upgrade Adviser will tell you compatibility of your present software and hardware,
but the hardware part is irrelevant if you get a new computer.
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=1b544e90-7659-4bd9-9e51-2497c146af15&displaylang=en
Check the requirements either in the program itself or on the program's website.
Some utilities to list your software:
BelarcAdviser http://www.belarc.com/free_download.html will list your present soft- and hard- ware.
Safarp http://wistinga.online.fr/safarp/ This is actually an un-installer ,but it will list your software
extremely fast and the list can be saved as .HTML or .RTF or CSV.
Includes links to program websites as well.
Win 7 does have a compatibility mode for older software, but not guaranteed to always work for every program.
I'm not talking about XP Mode, which BTW is only available for the Pro, Ultimate and Enterprise versions.
A less expensive alternative would be to run VirtualBox eg. on Win7 Home Premium. http://www.virtualbox.org/
and run XP Pro in that.
It may be possible to get XP Pro on a new computer (already installed i.e),but the chances of finding one
are getting really slim.
If you own a retail version of XP Pro you could install that on the new machine, which could be without an OS on it
or with Win7 (OEM version).Either way you could have XP Pro.
Scenario 1 would just have your XP version on it
Scenario 2 could be Win 7 and XP Pro in a dual boot setup. Use EasyBCD to accomplish the dual boot environment.
Scenario 3 could be Win7 and then run XP Pro in VirtualBox.
Don't be put off by some reports how hard it is to dual boot or use VirtualBox.
There is plenty of info available to do this quite easily.
EasyBCD can be found here http://neosmart.net/dl.php?id=1 However, this version is more suited for Vista.
Register at their forum to get the latest version ,which is geared to Win7
http://neosmart.net/forums/showthread.php?t=642
Everything depends on your requirements.
Also be aware that compatibility runs two-fold - older hardware (peripherals ,like printers,scanners etc)
may not have Win7 drivers available and software may have the same issues, although, as mentioned before,
they may acceptably be run in compatibility mode. Failing that you may have to resort to VirtualBox
or Win 7- XP Mode ,if you opt for the Pro, Ultimate or Enterprise versions of Win7.
Hope this will give you some idea. There are still other combinations you could try.
Peter E.
From: Reggkay
Sent: Wednesday, 09 June, 2010 1:33 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: [PCSOFT] Old software on new computer
I'm looking to upgrade my computer in the next 6 months. However, I
don't want to have to upgrade all my software. Everything is running
right now under Windows XP Pro. How do I tell if my current software
will work on Windows 7? Do I want to upgrade the operating system or
can I still get XP Pro on a new computer? Thanks in advance for your help.
Regina Long
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Digest mode - visit our web site:
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