I tried out the Windows 7 Beta earlier this year. I had that sinking feeling in my gut when I realized that I would have to reinstall all my programs in order to move from Windows XP sp2 to WIndows 7 Beta. Apparently, the directory structures were not the same so the programs would not run. Or something. I sucked it up and installed a raft of development tools so that I could have the new OS. At least I was only going to have to do this once.
So when I ran the upgrade installation program for Windows 7 Professional, I was surprised to get this message:
Windows 7 Ultimate cannot be upgraded to Windows 7 Professional. You can choose to install a new copy of Windows 7 Professional instead, but this is different from an upgrade, and does not keep your files, settings, and programs. You'll need to reinstall any programs using the original installation discs or files. To save your files before installing Windows, back them up to an external location such as a CD, DVD, or external hard drive. To install a new copy of Windows 7 Professional, click the Back button in the upper left-hand corner, and select "Custom (advanced)".[EMphasis added]
So what do you think: should moving from Windows 7 Ultimate (beta) to Windows 7 Professional (release) require reinstallation of every non-operating system program on my machine? Would you go ahead or just return the upgrade package and wait until Microsoft gets its act together?
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