Microsoft investigates Windows 7 upgrade troubles

Microsoft is working on upgrade snags that some users have described when moving from Vista to Windows 7.

The complaints started late last week in the Microsoft Answers forum for Windows 7. Users appear to be experiencing two distinct problems, as described in this thread. In one case, Windows 7's installation process cuts short at 62 percent completion. The other problem involves an endless reboot, where the Windows 7 upgrade never completes.

The company is currently working on the reboot issue.

"Microsoft is continuing to investigate this issue, and we will post information on the existing threads in the Answers forum as it becomes available," a company spokesperson explained in an e-mail. "Customers who had requested an alert when the answer is posted will be notified."

The GCN Lab recently reported that upgrade could be made easier by using Mictosoft's Windows Easy Transfer utility.

Disgruntled forum posters weren't the only ones experiencing the problem. A Microsoft employee encountered the reboot when upgrading to Windows 7 on a home PC, the spokesperson explained.

"Endless reboot" is a phrase that may jog some memories. Last year, some Vista users faced a similar reboot cycle when upgrading to Vista Service Pack 1. Microsoft has fixed that problem.

With regard to the incomplete upgrade problem with Windows 7, Microsoft does offer a workaround. The solution is described in a knowledgebase article, "KB 975253." Apparently a service, possibly the "Iphlpsvc" service, interferes with the upgrade to Windows 7. The workaround involves executing a detailed set of steps that may take the joy out of the upgrade process, especially for home users. Possibly, Microsoft may release an easier-to-apply solution.

"We are investigating using the Fix it technology to automate the steps outlined in KB 975253," the spokesperson explained. "Fix it" is Microsoft's online one-click patching service.

Finally, users could face another problem that may occur after a successful Windows 7 upgrade on machines that use solid-state drives (SSDs). The upgrade results in a storage system failure on certain machines using Intel SSD firmware, according to a report by Betanews.

The storage failure seems to be associated with "Trim command" technology, which helps SSDs keep track of file additions and deletions. Trim technology is specifically supported in Windows 7, according to the Engineering Windows 7 blog.

The Microsoft spokesperson indicated that the company is currently investigating the SSD storage failure problem and will post to the Microsoft Answers forum should more information become available.