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Upgrading to Windows 7:
You may perform an upgrade to Windows 7 from either Windows
XP SP3 (or higher) or Windows Vista SP1 (or higher). Note,
however, that it is impossible to upgrade from a 32-bit
version of Windows to a 64-bit version of Windows or vice
versa. Therefore, if you wish to install Windows 7 as a
replacement for a previous version (Windows 95/98/ME/2000)
or you wish to cross the 32-bit/64-bit boundary, you must
perform a clean installation, which entails backing up
your personal files, erasing the hard drive, and installing
everything from scratch.
Windows 7 Compatibility:
Any application and any peripheral which worked with Windows
Vista should work with Windows 7 as Microsoft strove to
prevent another compatibility disaster like the one
associated with Windows Vista. In addition, some
applications and devices which did not work with Windows
Vista may work with Windows 7 due to expanded compatibility.
However, those upgrading from Windows XP will still face
potentially significant compatibility issues. With that in
mind, I suggest
clicking here to review a wiki that has been
dedicated to the topic. It contains a vast list of software
that has been tested (unofficially, by other users) on Vista
and determined to be compatible, incompatible, or somewhere
in between. A similar wiki exists for hardware that's been
tested with Windows Vista...click
here. If you have hardware or software that you have
tested with Windows Vista and is not listed I encourage you
to add it to the list so that others may benefit from that
knowledge. You must register to update the list, but
registration is free. In addition to those two wikis,
Microsoft recently compiled their own list, which can be
found by
clicking here. Those listings should serve as a
guide to compatibile hardware and software until more
comprehensive Windows 7 listings become available.
Aside from that, keep in mind that some software that fails
to install or run on Windows Vista can be dealt with in one
of two ways:
1.) Use Compatibility Mode. Windows 7 is designed to enter
Compatibility Mode automatically for programs it detects are
designed for a previous version of Windows, but, like in
Windows XP and Vista, it can be enabled manually. To
manually enable Compatibility Mode, right-click the program,
select Properties, and select the Compatibility tab. You can
then enable Compatibility Mode for that program and select a
previous version of Windows from the drop-down menu, among
other options.
2.) Make sure you check back to the author's website for
updated versions, patches, and drivers that enable Windows 7
compatibility. Not all software will be made compatible, but
in the months after Windows 7's release you should see a
dramatic increase in support by third-party vendors. |
