Much as we'd all like to believe that Windows 7 migration is a fast, easy, and unfettered process, one that culminates with birds singing, flowers blooming, and a visit from Jessica Alba, the reality is, obviously, a bit different. Any OS migration will involve at least a few headaches, if not major obstacles or outright roadblocks.

IT services firm Technisource has helmed roughly 5,000 Windows 7 upgrades, so its pretty well-versed in the perils and pitfalls that can accompany it. ITBusiness spoke with Technisource to learn the five biggest Windows 7 migration challenges--and how organizations can deal with them. For example:

Don't Overlook Testing for Internet Explorer 8

Microsoft is practically begging users to move on from IE6, yet Technisource found that compatibility issues with IE8 continue to be a hurdle for many organizations. The problem is that the browser is often neglected when testing for compatibility.

"Make sure that you include IE8 in your compatibility testing phase," says [Technisource Solutions Director James] Wedeking. "It is most important to validate that any enterprise applications that require browser access will continue to function properly."

The company's other recommendations include recognizing that Windows XP Mode is, at best, a temporary solution, and that compatibility issues are still inevitable, despite Microsoft's "outstanding" efforts.

Good reality check, here. But I think it all comes down to that old maxim, which I'll paraphrase: businesses don't plan to fail at Windows 7 migration, they fail to plan their Windows 7 migration. The more planning and testing you do ahead of time, the faster and easier the process will go.

I doubt you'll get a visit from Jessica Alba, though.