• Always perform a full backup of your critical data before starting a system software installation. For the best results, create a disk image of the hard drive in its entirety by using software such as Symantec's Norton Ghost. Having an image copy of the drive will protect you in case something goes wrong during the upgrade. For example, your PC could sustain a power loss or your hard drive may have bad sectors (areas of the hard disk that have been demagnetized over time).

• If you've already backed up your hard drive or created an image copy, you should do a simple check to verify that the critical data has indeed been copied. Check your backup target and if possible, open a few files. This precaution will ensure that: a) nothing interrupted the backup or cloning process and b) the target media is readable and experienced no errors.

• Once you've installed Windows 7, you must be sure to upgrade your antivirus software as well. Beyond that, you should also install any updates or patches to the operating system and your antivirus software.

• Lastly, since you've completed a full backup of your drive and verified all the files, now is a great time to implement a regular backup strategy if you don't already have one. (We believe this tip works for both you and your customers.)

Tags: Drive Savers, Windows 7