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For someone who is not incompetent, but is no computer expert:

What is the most efficient and effective approach to transferring from Windows 7 to Linux?

I liked XP, and like 7. I want nothing to do with 10.

I am a composer, among other specialized avocations, with very specific concomitant applications.

I already lost some valued programs when switching from XP to 7. (The Virtual XP setup never really worked well for me.) My concern is losing Windows-only programs that I must have.

"What is the most efficient and effective approach to transferring from Windows 7 to Linux?"

Remove (or simply disconnect) the Windows hard drive, load Linux on the new HDD, boot and configure Linux, then reconnect the XP HDD and transfer your personal files over.

Your Windows applications by and large will not work. Some can be made to work under WINE (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wine_(software)) or similar, but it makes for a steep learning curve asking a Linux noob to run something that's mission critical on WINE.

"I already lost some valued programs when switching from XP to 7. (The Virtual XP setup never really worked well for me.) My concern is losing Windows-only programs that I must have."

You could run REAL XP in a virtual environment on a Linux system using VBox. XP's only shortcoming is that it's vulnerable if networked so just don't enable the virtual OS's network devices and it will be fine.

Or you could run XP in a stand-alone PC. Just don't network it and it will be as functional (apart from not being networked) as it was in Y2K.

I've still got one desktop and one laptop running XP. I did the "PosReady" hack on both so they're still receiving updates (as are the millions of ATMs that are still running on XP) but there are other hiccups. They stopped updating Flash Player and Java for XP quite some time ago and not that long ago they stopped updating Firefox. But for a standalone (non-networked) system that you're only using for certain pet applications, that shouldn't matter.

What you'd rather do is find a buddy who's Linux-literate (and has a suitable amount of gray hair) and offer him a case of beer to do the job for you.