Getting Your System Ready for Windows Vista

If you plan to throw caution to the wind and upgrade to Microsoft Windows Vista, here are some things you need to first consider.
If you plan to throw caution to the wind and upgrade to Microsoft Windows Vista, there are some things you need to consider first. Not only do you need to think about which version of Vista is right for you, but you also need to think about issues such as data backup and how to transfer files from Windows XP.

Using the Vista Upgrade Advisor
Perusing the Microsoft Web site and reading about the features and details of each version of Vista will probably give you a good idea of which is version best-suited to your needs, but you also need to make sure the version you have in mind is also suited to your computer system. To help you determine which Vista is right for you, Microsoft offers an Upgrade Advisor, \ a reporting tool that scans your system to help you determine if a Vista upgrade will work with your current system set-up and software.

* Go here to download the Upgrade Advisor

Begin the process by plugging in all your hardware and gadgets, such as external hard drives, printers and so on. Next you install and run the Upgrade Advisor. You'll go step-by-step through the prompts and in just a few minutes the Upgrade Advisor will be scanning your system. After the scan has finished, you get an on-screen report of any known system, device or program incompatibilities that you'll encounter if you install Vista.

From this report you'll have a good indication if the bulk of your hardware and devices will work with Vista, and you'll know beforehand which devices need to be upgraded. If the Upgrade Advisor report shows incompatibilities with some of your system devices, don't assume right away that Vista will require too much in system upgrades to bother with. You need to check the manufacturer's Web site of any found incompatible devices and check for newly released Vista drivers, which just may not be available on the Vista DVD itself.

If the manufacturer does have a Vista driver available, you can install the driver after you have put Windows Vista on your system. While this process can be time-consuming (after all you have to do the work instead of Vista) it does mean you won't necessarily have to upgrade the device. If Vista does not support the device and the manufacturer has not released any Vista drivers, then you might not be able to use it after you upgrade to Vista.

The Upgrade Advisor also produces a report on the software you have installed on your system. If any software is known to not work under Vista, that is noted on your Advisor report. You will probably find that most software will work, but some smaller applications, such as some FTP applications or music-downloading software, for example, might need to be removed from your system before upgrading.

Lastly, the Upgrade Advisor will also make recommendations as to which versions of Microsoft Vista are compatible with your current system. If the Vista you're considering is listed, without any major compatibility issues noted, you're good to go with migrating to Windows Vista. If you decide to purchase an upgrade version of Vista, and not a full install package, be sure to view the system requirements for the upgrade. Not all upgrades work with some versions of Windows XP. For example, if you have Windows XP Home Service Pack 2, you can purchase the Upgrade version of Windows Vista Home Premium. If, however, you have Windows XP Professional Service Pack 2, it is incompatible with the Home Premium upgrade, and you'll need to purchase the full version of Vista Home Premium instead.

Make Use of the Advisor's Report
When you have decided on which edition of Microsoft Vista you are going to purchase (and have made the purchase and are getting ready to install) you should run the Upgrade Advisor again to refresh your memory of which drivers, devices and programs are not compatible with Vista. If you have chosen an upgrade versus a full install version you will need to properly remove those incompatible components from your system before upgrading.

In the case of a full clean install, and by this we mean using a full version of Vista (not an upgrade package, this won't be necessary, as you'll be installing to a clean hard drive. It's still important to note which programs and devices were listed as incompatible. For hardware and unsupported devices, you will want to to remove or disable them before installing Vista and take care of getting those running after the OS upgrade. You will also want to avoid installing fresh copies of those incompatible applications on your new Vista-enabled system as well.

Additionally, if you plan to install Vista as a full clean install, if the hard drive already contains your XP operating system, it's advisable that you format the drive first to get a good, full clean install of the new operating system.

For more information read the source authorized

• Tweet
• Share

Upload 100%, Free Unlimited Disk Space, Up to 200 MB per Upload. Makanya segera buruan daftar disini, Gratis!!!