Question: I would like to upgrade from XP Professional to Windows 7 Professional. Could someone give me a few basic steps of the process? I keep reading about "clean installs", "migration", and saving everything before upgrading. What specificly, must be saved...or should I not have skipped Vista all these years?

Answer: 
Use the Migration Wizard (aka Windows Easy Transfer) that comes with the Windows 7 media. In the `support\migwiz` directory run `migsetup.exe`. This will help you transfer your files to an "External Hard Disk or USB drive".

Perform a clean installation of Windows 7 on your machine and then restore your data again running the same tool.
You won't be able to do a direct xp to 7 upgrade. for some inane reason, microsoft decided against it. you can only do a clean install which means you'll have to backup all of your settings, documents, media and do a clean install of 7 then import your stuff. 

i think this is microsoft's way of giving us the finger back for rejecting vista.