Later on this year i plan on upgrading with a new system from windows xp to windows 7 64-bit. I got quite a few characters i created and saved through m4 and m4 morphs, with props, clothes, etc. But one thing just hit me. In windows xp, everything is saved in program files under my smith micro folder. However, in windows 7, you can't save into the program files, so i would have to move everything into probably my documents when i re-install everything. The problem is poser will ask for the location of the missing files since everything is in a different location, and it would be a nightmare since all the files would be moved into a different place. How would i save my characters in advance if i'm switching from win xp to win 7? 

This just occurred to me when i was working with one of my characters. It won't be a problem in the near-future, since i don't plan on upgrading till way later this year, or even early 2014, but i'm just trying to prepare for when the time does come.

I guess that you are using an external hard drive already? Just copy the whole runtime onto the external drive and copy it back onto your new machine. In poser, add the library and your'e done.

Later versions of Poser are aware of the Windows Program Files restrictions and will give you the option of placing your libraries in your documents when you install. In any case, as "other Bob" says you can link in your old library (unless you're still using Poser 4..?)

Yeah, but right now my download folder where i have m4, v4, and everything else is in program files. But when i upgrade to windows 7, i'll have to move it somewhere else since we aren't allowed to put poser files in there. Let's say i move it back into "My Documents" on my new win 7 machine. Then i try to load up a V4 character named "Jessy" that i created with morphs/props/clothes. Wouldn't poser try to look in the old place in Program Files for all the clothes/props/morphs since that is how it was initially saved?

No, Poser searches the runtimes that you tell it about for the files it needs to build your scene. As long as you add the runtime with your characters in it to the library in your new installation, it will be fine.

M4 and V4 themselves should still be installed to the main runtime, I believe - but your characters can be anywhere, so long as Poser is aware of their location(s).

Technical note: even if your scene file has an absolute path to the old program files location, which may happen if you had to locate files manually in the past, Poser will still search its attached runtimes.  

Ahh ok thanks for the clarification =) I'll make sure to save a backup of my runtime.

No, no, no, M4 and V4 do not need to be in the main Poser Library.  Only morph packs and the base files should be together.  This is a fallacy that's been circulated for way too long.  The scenario for Win 7 installation, select the option which will place a Poser runtime into a shared document folder.  All content will now reside away from Programs File folder.  Since the original WinXP content file already occupies the Download folder, simply transfer that runtime to the new Download folder under the Win7 environment. 

Now, you are aware that unless you are building this new computer from scratch, any new computer you purchase will have Win8 installed.

Yeah, M4 and V4 and everything else is all in the download folder. I save all my characters in a folder within that runtime, so it looks like it'll be an easy transfer. I really should make a backup though of my runtime. With my luck, my hd will crash one month before i decide to build my new comp =P

I always build my computers from scratch since it's a lot cheaper that way. But i'll definitely make sure i keep vista 2.0...i mean windows 8 as far away as possible ;)