Four applications bundled with Windows Vista — Windows Photo Gallery, Windows Movie Maker, Windows Calendar and Windows Mail — are not included with Windows 7, and were replaced by Windows Live-branded versions as part of the Windows Live Essentials suite.
Medtem kot je Windows Vista vsebovala številne novosti, je bil Windows 7 zasnovan kot manj radikalna nadgradnja, s ciljem zagotoviti kompatibilnost s strojno in programsko opremo, ki ju je podpirala že Vista.