Can your PC run Windows 7?

Well, after years of frustration with Windows Vista, it appears that Windows 7 is just about ready to hit the store shelves. The good news? The vast majority of beta testers tell us that Windows 7 is a MUCH better operating system than Vista – as in faster boot-up times, faster program execution, and greater system stability when compared to its predecessor. The bad news? Windows 7 might not work on your PC as it is currently configured.

As a general rule, if your PC currently runs Windows Vista it can most likely run Windows 7 as well. But if it currently runs Windows XP, maybe it can run Windows 7, and maybe not. How can you find out for sure? It’s simple: Just download and run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor from the Microsoft website. The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor will scan your system and inform you about any hardware or software issues that might arise if you upgrade to Windows 7.

It is strongly recommended that you take the following actions BEFORE downloading and running the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor:

1 – Run Windows Update to ensure that your current installation of Windows has all the latest updates installed.

2 – Visit the manufacturer’s website for each of the peripherals that you have connected to your PC (i.e. printers, scanners, etc) and update the drivers to the latest versions.

3 – Download the latest updates for any software packages that you have installed as well.

4 – After you have completed the steps above, make sure all of your peripherals are connected to the PC and powered up.

5 – Download, install and run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.

If the Upgrade Advisor finds one or more issues which might affect your PC’s ability to run Windows 7, it will list them and tell you what you need to do to fix the problem(s). Some problems can be fixed (such as adding more memory or a larger hard drive) and others cannot (such as your PC lacking enough CPU  “horsepower” to run Windows 7.

If your PC is capable of running Windows 7, I strongly recommend that you purchase the upgrade version of your choice and install it. If it cannot run Windows 7, perhaps it’s time to replace your PC?