As Windows XP has retired lately (on April 8, 2014), Microsoft is no longer offering support and security updates to its shoppers across the globe, except in the United Kingdom (the UK Govt. paid £5.5 million to extend Windows XP support in their public sectors for one year). You might not be a citizen of the UK and could no longer be able to continue to your work on your Windows XP based system with worry lines on your forehead. The only way out of the hereafter troubles and their corresponding consequences is taking the wise step to upgrade to a secured platform – either Windows 7 or Windows 8.
Options beyond Windows XP
When it comes to upgrading from Windows XP to a newer platform, it is obvious for you to look forward to Windows 7, or Windows 8 (being a bit advanced). However, for how long you would be able to stick to this platform is uncertain. In fact, you might not be able to continue using Windows 8, or even to the upgraded one – Windows 8.1, in case you have been Windows XPian ever since you stepped into the world of computers. I suggest, upgrading to Windows 7 to continue working in an environment similar to that of Windows XP.
Windows 7 is the Stable Platform
Windows 7 has been the most stable operating system ever since it emerges. Before this, Microsoft came forward with Windows Vista that later became a nightmare for the company. Consequently, Microsoft had to put countless efforts into development of a better and stable operating system (i.e. Windows 7) for its buyers in different countries across the world.
The launch of Windows 7 was not an entirely independent step taken by Microsoft, but this OS emerged from its predecessor (i.e. Windows Vista), and it has the same system requirements as that for the earlier version. Windows 7 provided the users what they had been looking for in the newer version of their current OS. For instance, the latest version looked better with upgraded processing speed, reduced system boot and shutdown times, working with Windows 7 is not a complex task after a recent upgrade, and the key feature is, the newer OS acquires even lesser drive space.
Windows 8 is the Most Recent Edition
As you know, Windows 8 is the most recent version of Windows operating systems with bundles of excellent features, including the Metro-styled Start screen where your computer lands you on startup. This tile-based interface of the Start screen is a brand new feature injected into Windows 8 that replaced the former Start button.
Afterward, Microsoft made considerable changes in the Start screen, powered built-in security programs (i.e. added antivirus component), and upgraded as well as added many excellent features. The experience with this incredibly powerful Windows is quite unexpected, and users across the globe are still uncomfortable with new styles they have to follow to perform their daily tasks. For instance, Windows 8 PC lands you to the Start screen instead of the desktop. If you need to open a file that is stored in a folder in the D drive, then you have to look around for My Computer on the Start screen, and then you can take the initiative, i.e. opening the D drive followed by My Computer. The problem is not the Start screen, but the habit of landing to the desktop directly.
The Bottom Line
“How would you react if your personal computer gets its settings changed and things are no longer the same as you have left them? You might sink into chaos. In contrast, things might get even more difficult for you to be comfortable with if it was your office computer. The same scenario might come across sooner with the cut-off support and security updates for Windows XP – the most preferred operating system incorporate. Therefore, the situation demands to upgrade to a newer version of Windows (i.e. Windows 7 or Windows 8) or a platform other than Windows series of operating systems, i.e. Macintosh-based computer.”
Upgrading from Windows XP requires you to go through a reliable and efficient way to migrate all your data to the newer platform. For this, you can take out the hard drive from your current system and install it on the newer machine. However, you have to boot from the secondary drive. In contrast, better would be if you move all the data to the newer machine using a reliable data transfer media. You can also use a backup tool to archive all the data on your current system, and then move it to the newer machine. Later on, you can simply restore the file to get data in its original form.
Note: If you install your Windows based hard drive on Macintosh based computers, you cannot read and write access everything since the file systems of both the platform are distinct.