Updated: 2007-08-13

The 2007 Microsoft Office system is a major release that offers many improvements and new features in response to customer needs. Changes such as the new file format and new Setup architecture require careful planning and preparation before your upgrade. Your migration planning includes evaluating the files in your environment, identifying potential conversion issues, and reviewing migration considerations for each program within 2007 Office system.

The process for migrating from Microsoft Office XP to the 2007 Office system is similar to the process for migrating from Microsoft Office 2003 to the 2007 Office system. It is important to review the system requirements for the 2007 Office system. You should also review the differences between Office XP and Office 2003 and the differences between Office 2003 and the 2007 Office system.

One of the biggest changes in the 2007 Office system is the new file formats. You can use the Office Migration Planning Manager (OMPM) to assist with migration efforts. OMPM helps you to examine the files in your environment and to decide whether to archive the files, convert them in bulk with the Office File Converter that is available in OMPM, or convert them manually. OMPM is designed for migrations between Office 2003 and the 2007 Office system. You can also use the tool to assist in Office XP migrations if you have at least one computer that is configured to meet OMPM system requirements.

NoteNote:

   OMPM detects migration issues for files that are developed with Office 2003 applications. OMPM might not detect all migration issues between Office XP to Office 2003. It is important to review migration issues from Office XP to Office 2003 to determine whether any of these issues might affect the files in your organization.

Your migration plan from Office XP to the 2007 Office system should include the following steps:

  1. Review top migration issues. See Review migration issues for the 2007 Office system.

  2. Review system requirements for the 2007 Office system. See Getting started with the 2007 Office system.

  3. Review security documentation for the 2007 Office system. See Security and protection for the 2007 Office release.

  4. Review differences between the 2007 Office system and Office 2003. See Differences in the 2007 Office system. Many of these issues are detected by the OMPM Office File Scanner. Other issues might require a different user behavior or might require changes in custom solutions.

  5. Review differences between Office 2000 and Office 2003. See Differences between Office XP and Office 2003.

  6. Review file format changes. For quick information about file format changes, see FAQ: File format. For more in-depth information about the new file formats, see File format reference for the 2007 Office system.

  7. Review collaboration issues for the 2007 Office system. See Collaborating with previous versions of Office and other programs.

  8. Review migration considerations for applications in the 2007 Office system. See Migration considerations by application.

  9. Assess your environment with OMPM. This involves the following steps:

    1. Review system requirements for OMPM. See Introduction to Office Migration Planning Manager (OMPM).

    2. Install and configure OMPM File Scanner.

    3. Distribute OMPM File Scanner.

    4. Prepare a SQL database for OMPM.

    5. Import OMPM log files into the database.

    6. Analyze reports from OMPM.

  10. Plan an approach to migration. See Determining the best migration strategy.

For more information about planning a deployment for the 2007 Office system, see Planning and architecture for the 2007 Office release.