Since Windows 7 launch on October 22nd, there have been various sources compelling you to buy a new system than trying to upgrade your old OS. Those who decide to upgrade to the OS from XP or Vista are going to be in for a world of hurt unless everything that’s installed is bang up to date come release day - and even then there’s room for problems.

All pundits are advocating the use of a clean install instead of an upgrade, meaning you will have to wipe your hard drive clean and start afresh. A Wall Street Journal column titled "For Some, Move To Windows 7 Will Be Tough" – states that the upgrade process "will be anything but simple for the huge base of average consumers still using XP, who likely outnumber Vista users. It will be frustrating, tedious and labor-intensive."

Microsoft in this case came up with a brilliant support based agents for installing/upgrading to Windows 7. They were in the avatar of Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor and the Windows 7 Compatibility Centre.

This was a nice gesture on their part, especially if we look back at the time of Vista launch such tools came long after the operating system hit general availability.