NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article, November 2009
Can Your Computer Run Windows 7?
By Ira Wilsker, APCUG Director;
Columnist, The Examiner, Beaumont, TX; Radio & TV Show Host

iwilsker@apcug.net
(click to email author)

WEBSITES:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/default.aspx
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/upgrade-advisor
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=161223 (direct download)
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/products/system-requirements
http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatesteal-us/default.aspx ($30 Windows 7 Professional for college students)
http://windows7.digitalriver.com/store/mswpus/en_US/DisplayHomePag ($30 Windows 7 Home Premium for college students)

You have likely been exposed to the hype about Microsoft’s new operating system, Windows 7. While beta and pre-release versions have been circulating for several months, it was just on October 22 that Microsoft officially released the “official” version of Windows 7. Windows 7 comes in several versions including the Home, Professional, and Ultimate versions, all available in both 32 and 64-bit types. I have played with some of the versions of Windows 7 (all in 64 bit), and have been very favorably impressed. In my limited experience with it, Windows 7 appears to be a superior product than the much-aligned Vista that it is intended to replace as Microsoft’s flagship operating system. As I have the opportunity to become more familiar with the intricacies of Windows 7, I will write about this new operating system in an upcoming column.

What is a pressing question that I am frequently asked is, “Can my current computer run Windows 7?” The minimum system requirements for Windows 7 are not much different than they were for Vista, and most computers that run Vista fairly well will likely be able to run Windows 7. Microsoft has published the minimum recommended system requirements for Windows 7, and they are: a 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor; 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit), 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit); and a DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver.

Microsoft has stated that Vista users can likely upgrade to the similarly named Windows 7 version (Vista Home to Windows 7 Home, for example) without having to do a “clean” install, which will retain all of the software and drivers currently installed on the Vista computer. Microsoft has also recommended that XP users who want to upgrade to Windows 7 should do a clean install, which would necessitate wiping out all of the programs and data files currently installed on the XP computer, installing Windows 7, and then reinstalling all of the programs and data files on the PC after the 7 is installed. There have been some articles and blogs posted where users have tricked Windows 7 into doing an upgrade install on XP machines, but these upgrades have been difficult and mostly not very successful; Microsoft strongly recommends against this method, and strongly encourages a clean install on XP machines.

Before even considering installing Windows 7 on a Vista or XP machine, the user should check to see how compatible his current computer hardware and software would be in a Windows 7 environment. Microsoft has made two free utilities available to check a computer for compatibility issues, Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, and Windows 7 Compatibility Center.

The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor can be downloaded directly from Microsoft at http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=161223. This program will take several minutes to run, but can provide a wealth of information about compatibility issues. Microsoft recommends that the Upgrade Advisor be run on any computer prior to installing Windows 7 not just to confirm that it will run on the target computer, but also to inform the user in advance about any compatibility issues which may arise after the installation of Windows 7. In describing the Update Advisor, Microsoft says, “It scans your PC for potential issues with your hardware, devices, installed programs, and recommends what to do before you upgrade.” Before running the program, the user is to be sure that all devices that may be used under Windows 7 be connected or plugged in, such as USB devices, external drives, and other devices. This is necessary so that the Upgrade Advisor can test them for compatibility under Windows 7.

I ran Upgrade Advisor on both my newer desktop Vista Home Premium 64 computer and my older XP Home computer. After running the Advisor, I came to a not so startling decision that my Vista 64 computer will run well with Windows 7 Home Premium, but my four year old XP desktop machine will have some issues with Windows 7, and is not a prime candidate for upgrading to Windows 7.

On my Vista Home Premium 64 computer, the Upgrade Advisor first tested my hardware and responded back that my hardware was capable of running the 64-bit versions of both Windows 7 Home Premium, and Ultimate. The Advisor notified me that two Vista features that I do not use, Windows Mail (not the same as Outlook), and Parental Controls are no longer included in Windows 7. The Advisor does say, “You can get similar programs for Windows 7 from other software manufacturers. Go to the Microsoft website to learn more (hyperlink).” In terms of hardware, my video card “… supports the Windows Aero user interface.”, and my quad-core CPU, 8GB of RAM, and the 404 GB of free space available on my C: drive is more than adequate to run Windows 7. All of the devices connected to or a component of my computer were listed by Advisor as compatible with Windows 7, including my system controller (Advisor reported that there was an update available), sound card, Wi-Fi adaptor, printer, scanner, and other hardware components were compatible with Windows 7. It was reassuring to find that all of my hardware will work just fine with 7, which is the opposite experience I had several years ago when upgrading a computer from Windows 98 to XP.

Software compatibility between Vista and Windows 7 was slightly less encouraging. Several of my programs and utilities were labeled with a “caution” icon, and the statement, “Update Available - We don’t have compatibility information about this version of the program. Get an update to a compatible version (hyperlink).” One program, a gaming utility provided by the PC manufacturer says, “Reinstall after upgrading – Before upgrading to Windows 7, we recommend uninstalling this program. It can be safely reinstalled after the upgrade.” Since I do not use this gaming feature, I will probably uninstall it and not reinstall it after upgrading to Windows 7. The “Home Networking Installer” provided by my broadband ISP is labeled by the Advisor as “Known Issues – You may experience issues running this program on Windows 7. Before upgrading, we recommend uninstalling this program.” A hyperlink is provided to the ISP’s website, which informed me that they are aware of the issue and are working on a Windows 7 compatible network utility, or to just use the networking features already built into Windows 7. Thirty-one other programs and utilities that I do use on a regular basis, including my security products, were listed as compatible with Windows 7, several of which are listed with the official “Windows 7 logo” showing proven compatibility and functionality.

Some users who are considering upgrading hardware components or software prior to installing Windows 7 may find Microsoft’s Windows 7 Compatibility Center (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7/en-us/default.aspx). This website enables the user to manually determine in advance which software and hardware has been tested and determined to be compatible with Windows 7. The site is searchable, and contains a menu hierarchy making it easy to locate hardware and software that is Windows 7 compatible. While I personally have not had any significant problems with the Vista Home Premium 64 that was factory installed on my newest computer, I will be installing Windows 7 Home Premium 64 on this machine as soon as it arrives. I was eligible for the free upgrades to Windows 7 based on my purchase date, and have been notified that my disc is being shipped. Having run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, I am reasonably confident that I will have minimal or no problems with my current hardware and software. Also based on the results of running Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor on my older XP machine, I will not be upgrading that machine to Windows 7, as there were too many potential problems indicated by the Advisor.

If your machine is capable of running Windows 7 as determined by the Upgrade Advisor, then it may be worthy of considering. Windows 7 in retail boxes is readily available at all of the local big box, office supply, electronics, and discount stores. Microsoft has been promoting a special price of $30 for qualified college students who want to upgrade to Windows 7. College students can purchase the Professional version of Windows 7 from Microsoft’s “Ultimate Steal” service at http://www.microsoft.com/student/discounts/theultimatesteal-us/default.aspx, and for the same price can purchase the Home Premium version from an authorized Microsoft partner at http://windows7.digitalriver.com/store/mswpus/en_US/DisplayHomePag . Users who purchased a new computer with Vista factory installed on or after July 26 may be entitled to a free upgrade to the same version of Windows 7; if you fall into that category, check with your manufacturer to determine your eligibility and the availability of the free upgrade.

If it is within your budget, the Upgrade Advisor says it is OK, and you are not happy with your current operating system (Vista), then upgrading to Windows 7 may not be a bad choice. I am doing it on my Vista computer.

Click here to return to top



==================================================================