Upgrade from Windows XP to Windows 7 with new Laplink PC Mover version

I scored a free copy of Windows 7 Ultimate from the MSDN "New Efficiency" show.  Microsoft doesn't support upgrading from XP to Win7, so I partitioned the hard drive on my laptop and now have a dual boot system.  Now I have to migrate all my programs and such to the new partition.

PCmover is compatible for migrations from all versions of Windows (since Windows 95), and
supports in-place upgrades from Windows 2000 through Windows 7, including 32-bit and 64-bit
upgrades and migrations. Only PCmover automatically moves all settings, files, folders,
applications, and more to a new PC.  Pictures, videos, music, tax files, Internet favorites,
documents, spreadsheets, games, and much more can all be moved automatically. Setting PCmover apart
from any other solution is the ability to move applications, a capability no other tool provides.

“With this version of PCmover, users can upgrade from operating systems such as Windows
2000, XP, or 32-bit Vista to Windows 7 64-bit without losing any data or having to reinstall their
applications,” continued Clark. “With a street price of under $20 for our new PCmover Upgrade
Assistant, consumers and businesses can afford to move to Windows 7 right away.”

The press release says availability today from Laplink, but as of this moment, the new version isn't on their website.  I have used the previous version of PC Mover a number of times (for XP to XP and XP to Vista), and it worked like a charm–highly recommended.  Upgrade Assistant is now available, and apparently actually allows you to do an in-place upgrade of XP to Windows 7.  No idea how this works yet, but it's very promising.  If Upgrade Assiatant works like PC Mover, you can take it to the bank.

Full story at http://www.laplink.com/media/press_releases/pressreleases_0025.html.

 

Access Denied Error When Installing Windows XP SP3

I’ve had the “Access Denied” error on two machines when I tried to install Windows XP SP3.  The real bummer is it happens about halfway through the installation, and you’ve invested a pretty good amount of time just getting to that point.

I’m not sure what causes the error, but since both machines were development machines, it may be connected to the use of aspnet_setreg or similar security measure.  At the day job, the network guys have installed SP3 on over 125 other machines without incident.

The fix discussed below worked on both my machines:

http://blog.malwareteks.com/correct-access-denied-error-while-installing-windows-xp-sp3-release-candidate-2/

Be prepared

Dell Dimension 4400 and Windows XP SP2/SP3

We have an old Dell Dimension 4400 with Windows XP Home Edition, SP1.  When we tried to upgrade to Windows XP SP2, the system slowed to a crawl.  It was terrible.  When I removed SP2, it worked great again.  I found one webpage which suggested replacing the standard hard drive would fix the problem.  I tried that, and no dice.  I replaced the Seagate with a Maxtor and Western Digital (I have these things laying around, since I’m kind of a pack rat when it comes to PC parts).

I had hopes that SP3 would not have the same issue, but it did as well.  Once I removed the SP, it worked great again.  My resolution in this case, since the computer is several years old and is wifey’s main PC, is to get a new one and redeploy this one as something else.

Windows XP: Then Again, Maybe It Is Dead

Following up yesterday’s post (http://rjdudley.com/blog/WindowsXPNotDeadYet.aspx):



Microsoft says Windows XP sales will end June 30 despite comments by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer. Microsoft says it’s listening, but petition author Galen Gruman says Microsoft counts a Windows Vista sale even with an option to downgrade to Windows XP. Galen’s petition has more than 170,000 names asking Microsoft to save Windows XP.


Full story at http://www.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_id=121009GB4QVS&nl=2

Easy SQL to XML with LINQ and Visual Basic 2008

My latest ASP Alliance article has been published:

Easy SQL to XML with LINQ and Visual Basic 2008

In this article, I demonstrate how to create an XML file from a SQL Server 2005 database using LINQ. He provides a detailed explanation of the relevant steps with the help of source code and screenshots captured from Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition. At the end of the article, he also gives a few references where you can learn more regarding the techniques involved with LINQ.

If you’re looking for a super quick intro to using Linq to SQL and Linq to XML using Visual Basic, this might be what you’re looking for.  I’ve added links to a couple other useful references, too.

Crystal Reports Pop-ups and XP SP2

If you haven’t read the article “CodeSnip: Opening Crystal Reports in a New Window in ASP.NET” (http://aspalliance.com/525), do that before you read this.  I received this comment recently:


When I tried this, it was blocked by Windows XP SP2. When I said to temporary allow blocked items, it stated it had to refresh, and then nothing happen.  I got the original page back, not the new page containing the report.

Any suggestions.


My first suggestion is to make sure there are no other pop-up blockers installed and running.  Many antivirus programs install pop-up blockers (sometimes called “ad blockers”), and every search engine toolbar I know of also includes a pop-up blocker.  I use this codesnip in an application I wrote and support; on one support call, we found four pop-up blockers installed (XP SP2, McAfee, Google and Yahoo toolbars).

I also suggest permanently allowing pop-ups from the site you’re working on–add your site to the “allowed sites” list (Tools >> Popup Blocker>> Popup Blocker Settings, then enter the URL of your site).  This will always allow pop-ups from the site in question, and will make debugging easier.

If you are exporting to PDF, XLS, etc. in this window, there are a couple of other settings you may need to adjust.  Go to Tools >> Internet Options >>Security, and choose the zone your website is in (Internet or Local Intranet), and click “Custom Level”.  Scroll down about 1/3 of the way, to the Downloads section, and Enable both “Automatic prompting for file downloads” and “File download”.  In my case, I’ve had to adjust these settings for both zones, since I develop and test in Local Intranet, but deploy to Internet.

I have yet to have a problem after doing all of these things.  You may need to close and restart IE to get all the settings to take effect.


 


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