As the Windows XP Expiration date nears you may be finding yourself concerned about legacy applications that your business still depends on. If you are still running Windows XP on a number of your clients, there are ways in which to determine that a given application will still function when installed on windows 7 and windows 8 systems.

First, the obvious. Simply install the client-side application and test first-hand the results when running the application on a newer operating system. Microsoft is making available to the public, the following resources, in order to ease the complications with your updating process.

Microsoft is providing two useful tools in which to transfer and test applications and data for use on a newer system. Including, A windows xp desktop migration tool called Windows Easy Transfer and an Application compatibility toolkit which are part of the Windows Assessment and Deployment Kit. Depending on your situation, these tools may just make your life a little easier.

The application compatibility toolkit or (ACT) can help you with the following:

• Understand potential application compatibility issues by identifying which applications are or are not compatible with the new versions of the Windows operating system.
• Lower costs for application compatibility evaluation by providing an accurate inventory of the applications in your organization.
• Test your web applications and web sites for compatibility with new releases of Internet Explorer.

Microsoft has also made available:

Deployment Tools

Deployment Tools enable you to customize, manage, and deploy Windows images. Deployment tools can be used to automate Windows deployments, removing the need for user interaction during Windows setup.

User State Migration Tool (USMT)

The User State Migration Tool is a scriptable command line tool that IT Professionals can use to migrate user data from a previous Windows installation to a new Windows installation. The USMT will allow you to move a users account from one system to another in an easy manner.

Volume Activation Management Tool (VAMT)

The Volume Activation Management Tool enables IT professionals to automate and centrally manage the activation of Windows, Windows Server, Windows ThinPC, Windows POSReady 7, select add-on product keys, and Office for computers in their organization. This can be utilized for volume activation using retail keys , multiple activation keys, or Windows Key Management Service keys.

Windows Performance Toolkit (WPT)

The Windows Performance Toolkit includes tools to record system events and analyze performance data in a graphical user interface.

Windows Assessment Toolkit

The Windows Assessment Toolkit includes the ability to discover and run assessments another computer however, is limited to just one computer for analysis. This will assess the state of the computer you are interrogating. The assessments produce metrics for various aspects of the system, and provide recommendations for making improvements.

Even with the looming Windows XP Expiration, these tools should greatly assist you in preparing and updating your company's network. If you find that you don't have time to utilize these resources, Superior Solutions can provide some assistance with an upgrade planning guide in order to get your business up to date. We are an atlanta it consulting company that is experienced with system upgrades and hardware replacement. Reach out to us and we would be glad to help in any way we can.