Is Your Computer Ready For Windows 7?

[Dencandy]

If you want to know if your computer is capable of handling Windows 7 there's a small application available from Microsoft which you can run on your computer for an assessment. I haven't used it myself yet but would be interested in others' experience with it.

You can download the utility here: UPGRADE ADVISOR.

[andsome]

Little point in me personally trying this out. I like XP and deliberately chose to stay with it when I had this computer built late last year. After all the problems posted on here and other forums concerning Vista, I consider that this was a wise choice. As my computer is so new it is odds on that it would run windows 7, but I cannot see the point in installing a program specially to find out, as I will be happy with XP until this computer goes to the scrap yard. There is no point either in eventually buying Windows 7 when the computer is running perfectly well on XP. I stayed with Windows 98 SE until I had a new computer five years ago, as so many people were getting problems with upgrading to XP. I think that if a computer is running well on its existing operating system, it is looking for trouble going the upgrade route, with the costs involved, just to claim to have the latest on the market.

Just my personal view of course. :D

[Hb_Kai]

Andsome, I don't totally agree with you there. I tend to go with Ubuntu's upgrades as they work properly. Just, Microsoft's don't. :P

Anyway, since Andsome's reply wasn't as helpful as you may have wanted Decandy, I thought I'd give it a try for the forum.

One thing before going along though is that this program is only available in American English only, if you care... :)

During the time the program takes to check your PC it gives you a link to "see how Windows 7 features will make a PC faster and easier", which may be interesting for some people on here who don't want to try this heap of junk, the link is ...

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/whats-new.aspx

Anyway, I found this quick and easy. It decided to let me know that 896MB RAM isn't enough as you need 1GB, 16GB hard drive space and that I need to back up properly first...

But I got a few problems. 2 of which are with ATI graphics cards and drivers. You need to update to make them compatible after installing Windows 7.

DVD-RAM Driver v 5.0.2.5 needs to be uninstalled before installation and installed after, Radmin Server 3.3 has compatibility issues, Atheros Client Utility (Atheros is my wireless adapter / driver), also has compatibility issues and ATI Desktop Component also has compatibility issues.

So like always, Microsoft have found new ways to anger their new customers by telling them that half of their hardware is probably going to be incompatible and I'm sticking with XP until the day I die or I totally switch to Linux operating systems. :)

Hope that's something what you expected to hear. :lol:

Just read through again to make sure I didn't make many mistakes and thought... Why doesn't Windows try and make all this incompatible software, compatible? It would make a lot more sense and their time wouldn't be such a waste then... They really are a stupid bunch of ... yeah

[andsome]

If there is the same resistance to W 7 as there has been to Vista, maybe Microsoft will have second thoughts. I am not knocking Decandy's topic, just the fact that I see little point in this constant desire some people have to ditch a perfectly good operating system in favour of a potentially troublesome newcomer. XP is the best and most stable system ever. Why don't they just concentrate on improvements to it rather than going down hill with pretty looking troublesome new comers? Probably because they want to make even more billions. :D

[Hb_Kai]

But after XP, I'm sure most of Microsoft's Windows customers had trust in Microsoft to be able to depend on their new operating system, before they tried it. I'm sure the majority of smarter Windows users now know not to go ahead and wipe your whole hard drive just to replace it with last week's trash and find some mean of backing up before doing so...

Partitions are good for this since they can be made easily and wiped, sort of easily...

That's what I think I'm going to be doing anyway. After, of course "updating/upgrading" my laptop which Windows has took quite a delight to feel they should tell me... May make a thread about it for WF too.

[CurlyWhirly]

Why don't they just concentrate on improvements to it rather than going down hill with pretty looking troublesome new comers?

I've had no problems with my Vista PC's (I have 2)

XP is 8 years old so it's hardly surprising that there are newer Windows versions.

[AlanHo]

Why don't they just concentrate on improvements to it rather than going down hill with pretty looking troublesome new comers?

I've had no problems with my Vista PC's (I have 2)

XP is 8 years old so it's hardly surprising that there are newer Windows versions.

I agree entirely - we have two Vista computers at home and they are both totally stable and far more user friendly than XP.

In this regard I speak from long experience of both operating systems - unlike those who have only ever used XP and its forebears and who rely on the opinions of others - who may have their own agenda about Vista. I would only accept the statement "XP is the best and most stable system ever" from someone who has experienced and properly compared it with other operating systems.

[catgate]

In this regard I speak from long experience of both operating systems - unlike those who have only ever used XP and its forebears and who rely on the opinions of others - who may have their own agenda about Vista. I would only accept the statement "XP is the best and most stable system ever" from someone who has experienced and properly compared it with other operating systems.

Yes, but you are just looking at it objectively.

[Hb_Kai]

Why don't they just concentrate on improvements to it rather than going down hill with pretty looking troublesome new comers?

I've had no problems with my Vista PC's (I have 2)

XP is 8 years old so it's hardly surprising that there are newer Windows versions.

I would only accept the statement "XP is the best and most stable system ever" from someone who has experienced and properly compared it with other operating systems.

I don't agree - I may not know as much about computers and Windows' operating systems as most other users of this forum but I do however, know enough to know that the statement "XP is the best and most stable system ever" usually comes from those who don't have the proper hardware requirements to run the massively demanding Windows Vista.

But also, in this statement people often use the fact of how demanding Windows were being software-wise. I can't remember what it's called but wasn't there something similar to blocking 3rd party software from being installed on it and for its place, Vista had similar programs installed with the system.

And before Andsome says something about this; did you try with a good enough PC? :lol:

[CurlyWhirly]

I agree entirely - we have two Vista computers at home and they are both totally stable and far more user friendly than XP.

In this regard I speak from long experience of both operating systems - unlike those who have only ever used XP and its forebears and who rely on the opinions of others - who may have their own agenda about Vista. I would only accept the statement "XP is the best and most stable system ever" from someone who has experienced and properly compared it with other operating systems.

I also speak from personal experience.

I was worried about having Vista on my new PC (I subsequently bought a second PC with Vista on it) as I have heard negative comments about it but like you I have found it as stable as XP which I was using for around 5 years.

I think that all new operating systems have 'teething problems' when they are first released and XP was no different.

Also I think that when it was first released, Vista PC's were too underpowered for it to run smoothly but such is the advancement of PC technology, this is no longer a problem.

Another thing that gave Vista a bad name was the lack of driver support but this is hardly Microsoft's fault - 2 companies that were guilty of this were Creative and Nvidia!

I have both a 32 bit version of Vista (Basic) and a 64 bit version (Home Premium) and I don't get any problems with either PC.

[CurlyWhirly]

I do however, know enough to know that the statement "XP is the best and most stable system ever" usually comes from those who don't have the proper hardware requirements to run the massively demanding Windows Vista.

Vista Basic isn't too demanding as it lacks the Aero feature.

Besides the Vista minimum requirements are bound to be substantially higher than XP as, over the course of 8 years, PC technology has continuously improved with faster CPU's, graphics cards, RAM, etc.

I'm all for this advancing technology as otherwise the PC would be like games consoles with hardware that never improves (Edit: until the next model comes out)

[CurlyWhirly]

Anyway, whether I will upgrade to Windows 7 will depend on the price as I don't think that there are enough new features to make me go out and upgrade if you are already running Vista (just my opinion though)

[Hb_Kai]

Besides the Vista minimum requirements are bound to be substantially higher than XP as, over the course of 8 years, PC technology has continuously improved with faster CPU's, graphics cards, RAM, etc.

My point. Anyway, I had Vista, didn't get that much of a problem, I didn't have what I needed in my laptop in all fairness, but still didn't get much of a problem. But it did have its annoyances with the security features they placed in.

Good ideas, they were just annoying.

[andsome]

I still don't see the point of buying a new operating system if the current one is doing all that you require of it. There only seems to be a point in buying a new operating system for a NEW computer, not for an old one. :D

[Hb_Kai]

Because people expect that Windows 7 will be able to do more than XP?

[AlanHo]

My answer to the question posed by the thread title is YES. I built my computer just over a year ago with top of the range components at the time. It is adequate for running Windows 7 and there will be no need for me to upgrade it.

One of the problems when buying a computer is the temptation to keep the price down by trimming the spec to just meet the requiremnts of the software. The price you pay comes later if you want to upgrade the OS - the computer will need upgrading or replacing to cater for the demands of the more powerful and feature rich software. THis is why Vista got bad press - too many people tried to instal it on a computer that was able to run XP but lacked the spec required by Vista.

People like me who installed Vista on a computer adequate for its needs have had generally a good experience and we can look forward to Windows 7 as a step forward.

People who tried Vista on inadequate equipment - or who rely on media hype to form an opinion because they have not tried it themselves - will be more cautious.

[CurlyWhirly]

But it did have its annoyances with the security features they placed in.

Good ideas, they were just annoying.

I use http://www.nortonlabs.com/inthelab/uac.php - I know that Norton has a bad name but this tool works remarkably well.

[CurlyWhirly]

I still don't see the point of buying a new operating system if the current one is doing all that you require of it.

I didn't plan on upgrading my PC but my old XP PC was crashing all the time with the dreaded BSOD screens (mind you it was around 7 years old and subject to heavy use) so I decided to get a new PC.

I took a risk by going for a Vista PC but the gamble paid off - I'm glad I didn't listen to all the negative publicity!

There only seems to be a point in buying a new operating system for a NEW computer, not for an old one. :D

Well you didn't do it as you stuck with XP which is on the verge of becoming obsolete :D

[CurlyWhirly]

People like me who installed Vista on a computer adequate for its needs have had generally a good experience and we can look forward to Windows 7 as a step forward.

My PC is also more than capable of running Vista with ease B)

[Dencandy]

Well you didn't do it as you stuck with XP which is on the verge of becoming obsolete :D

Very interesting responses here. However, my view is that XP won't become obsolete until Microsoft produces another operating system that the public trust more than XP - and for that we will have to wait and see for how Windows 7 measures up in practice. Vista did not make XP obsolete for the general public for several reasons, and if W7 doesn't measure up XP won't yet become obsolete (or unless someone else comes up with an alternative general use OS). Personally, if this 5 year-old PC holds up, I think I'll wait for about 12 months and note other people's experiences with W7 and then decide.

[Hb_Kai]

Yeah, I'm finding this topic quite interesting actually.

I doubt XP will become obsolete for a few more years yet anyway. Even though Windows are giving up support in 2012 or whenever, its users won't as easily give up on the OS as Windows are because the the majority of users have eyes that they can open. They know what they want out of an operating system and XP gives them just that.

It's a flexible operating system which is easily editable by themselves.

Vista was not and I have no doubt Windows 7 will be much similar either.

[-pops-]

I haven't received my Windows 7 CD yet, but I want to be ready.

I have Vista now, but I disable the password because I'm the only person who uses this computer. And when I "wake up" the computer from sleep, it just says, "Jason Locked" and I click on the icon I chose, and my computer is running again.

The thing is, I looked at screenshots for upgrading to Windows 7, and one of the screenshots says it wants you do enter your username and password, but I have neither. Will I have trouble?

It would be better for you to begin a new thread rather than piggyback on to one which is more then three years old.

Also,please do not register and post under several names - more important, do not insert advertising links.

[GabrielPotts]

Yes I currently use window 7 32 bit. But If I want to upgrade it 64 bit what I need?

[ɹəuəllıʍ ʇɐb]

You cannot "upgrade" a 32-bit installation to 64-bit; you need a completely fresh installation (assumed that your computer's CPU has 64-bit capability).