An in-place operating system upgrade to Microsoft Windows 7 on a Windows XP system is impossible. Here's how to migrate your data and apps with the fewest hassles.
With Windows 7 now available for pre-order (and selling like hotcakes), it's fast poised to become the next big emblematic version of Windows -- what for a long time XP was to Windows as a whole. But people currently running XP who want 7 need to be mindful of a potential complication: While Windows supported direct upgrades from XP to Vista, they're not supporting a direct upgrade path from XP to 7.
What's this mean for potential upgraders? It means you can't take a current Windows XP computer, throw in the Windows 7 installation DVD, and upgrade your running XP installation to 7 with programs and data intact.