Two weeks after the launch of Windows 7 and I think we can safely say it went rather well. There was a successful build-up to the launch, a huge buzz created around the new operating system, and despite a few upgrade hiccups, very few technical difficulties for end users. And first week sales figures suggest consumers responded by opening their wallets.

Worms are the quickest growing security problem for Windows PCs this year according to Microsoft. It comes as “drive-by downloads” and adware become less of a problem.

It took its time in finally arriving but it’s now here at last. Windows 7 went on general sale yesterday around the world. In many ways, the true test for Microsoft’s new operating system now begins. Beta testing is fine but it cannot ever hope to compete with millions of average everyday PC users installing and using the OS on their machines.

If you are upgrading to Windows 7 from XP, or if you are upgrading from Vista but changing editions (for example Vista Home Premium to Windows 7 Ultimate rather than Windows 7 Home Premium), you will need to carry out a clean install. Unless you are going to partition your drive, this will mean reformatting your hard drive and wiping out all the data on it. Here are some pointers to minimize the hassle this causes.

Corporate sales of Windows 7 could get off to a good start if businesses follow the advice of a leading analyst firm. Gartner has suggested companies should skip the common policy of avoiding a new operating system until its first service pack.

With 13 patches for a total of 34 problems, it’s a whopper of a Windows Update this month. However, security experts are warning that some fixes should take priority over others.

Windows 7 is almost here, with just two weeks until Microsoft’s latest operating system is unleashed on the great unwashed. Everything has so far gone swimmingly, with a good beta testing and very positive reviews from people who should know what they’re talking about. But wait a goddamn minute. Is there any chance that Windows 7 could turn out to be another Vista?

The whole world is still locked into a recession right now, and one of the sectors hit for consumer spending is technology. But there could be a savior on the horizon, and it’s probably not the one most people would have pictured. That’s right folks, Microsoft is about to save us by releasing Windows 7, an OS that could potentially persuade us all to spend once more.

Windows 7 is now just a few weeks from going on general release, with Oct. 22 the date when all of us will be able to get our hands on Microsoft’s newest operating system. And it’s at that point that Vista will become old and outdated. But it seems the trend is ahead of the expected curve, with Vista losing some of its market share and Windows 7 already picking up the slack.

Windows 7 will be officially released in a matter of weeks, but if you’re in the market for a new PC, when will you be able to run the new system? We explain your options for getting hold of Vista’s successor and the relevant timelines for doing so.

Should you upgrade or do a clean install once Windows 7 hits? Which will take longer, which will cause more bother? I’m afraid those questions aren’t easy to answer because it all depends on what system you have, how much data you have saved and what applications you have running. Microsoft reports that one Vista to Windows 7 upgrade could take almost a whole day to complete.

In the month before Windows 7 is released, monthly figures show the biggest ever switch from XP to Vista. But the gulf between the two remains immense.

Windows 7 is now out in the wild and only a couple of months away from being available to everyone who wants it. Which means the Windows Vista era is over, that is if it ever actually existed in the first place. Sure, Vista had a couple of years as Microsoft’s leading operating system, but it didn’t exactly set the world alight in that time.

Are you planning to upgrade to Windows 7 come Oct. 22 when the new OS is released to general availability? Then good luck, because judging by the upgrade chart released by Microsoft it’s a confusing and complicated business.

Microsoft has officially confirmed that a family pack edition of Windows 7 will cost $149.99. It’s also announced the price for upgrading netbooks to the full-fledged edition of the system.