40. Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor
Upgrading from one operating system to another
can be problematic in the sense that one never
really knows if the hardware or software you already
have will be compatible with the new operating
system.
Fortunately, two companies, Microsoft and
TouchStone Software Corporation have created Vista
readiness applications that instantly tell you
whether your PC is compatible with the latest
Windows Operating System.
Microsoft Vista Upgrade Advisor
Microsoft have taken the worry out of upgrading
by developing an Upgrade Advisor application which
you can download and run prior to installing Windows
Vista.
The software scans your PC and provides an easy
to understand summary of all system, device and
program compatibility issues on your PC. you can
then see at a glance which of your current software
applications will work with Vista and which, if any,
pieces of hardware/devices you may have to upgrade.
To download the Windows Vista Upgrade advisor
click on the following link:
Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor
TouchStone's Vista Readiness Test
An alternative to Microsoft's Vista upgrade
advisor is TouchStone Software Corporations Vista
Agent. TouchStone has been a trusted source for PC
diagnostics for over 20 years, so has plenty of
experience to offer.
The Vista Agent requires the download of a secure
Active X application or plugin that is compatible
with Internet Explorer, Netscape, Mozilla Firefox,
Mozilla, Opera, and other popular web browser
software. It is easy to use and provides a
comprehensive breakdown of system hardware passes
and failures. It even advises you if your PC needs
to update any drivers.
If driver updates are required there isn't any
need for you to start searching the web for
replacements. For a yearly subscription of $29.95
(US) (£15) you have access to DriverAgent.com where
you will have access to the most current and up to
date drivers available for your system.
If you are using a dual boot system, wherby two
operating systems are installed on separate
partitions, make sure that the Windows XP partition,
or whichever partition you will be eventually using
to upgrade to Vista is 40 GB in size. Any less and
the Vista Readiness test will say that your computer
fails the test. The parameters for disk size with
Vista readiness test are set for Vista premium and
Ultimate which require a minimum of 40GB. Obviously
Vista Basic will only require 20GB but this is not
taken into account with the test.
The Vista Readiness test performed by Vista Agent
is free and can be downloaded from the following
link.
Windows Vista
Readiness Test