Find Out If Your Computer Can Run Windows Vista

With the release of Windows Vista around the corner, I started wondering if my laptop will even run Vista. Thankfully Microsoft provides a utility to examine your system and let you know if you need to upgrade anything.

You can download the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor here.

Download and start the install:

 Once you launch the application, click the Start Scan button.

You’ll be sitting on this screen for at least a few minutes, while you get to read some of Microsoft’s marketing crap:

Well, it looks like my computer can run Vista:

But it also looks like I have a few recommended upgrades:

 It looks like my video card won’t support the Aero user interface… so even though I can run Vista, I won’t be able to use the cool new GUI:

Oh well. I plan to get a new desktop PC in the next few months anyway, and by that time maybe it’ll be bundled with Vista.

| More

This article was originally written on 11/30/06 Tagged with: System Administration, Windows, Windows Vista

Daily Email Updates

You can get our how-to articles in your inbox each day for free. Just enter your name and email below:

Name:
Email:

Similar Articles	Tinyhacker - Tiny Geek Hacks
Fixing "BOOTMGR is missing" Error While Trying to Boot Windows Vista Find Your Missing USB Drive on Windows XP Fix "Sleep Mode Randomly Waking Up" Issue in Windows Vista Turn on Remote Desktop in Windows 7 or Vista Use Windows Vista Reliability Monitor to Troubleshoot Crashes	Turn Your PC into a Streaming Music Server using Sockso Reliability Study: 1 in 3 Laptops fail over 3 years Mac, Windows, Linux. Now Google Chrome OS! 77 Windows 7 Tips from TechNet Your Video Card and GPU Explained With a Tiny App With the Holidays Fast Approaching, Remember somEEcards
Latest Software Reviews	Super User Daily
PCmover Professional Spyware Doctor + Antivirus 2010 Cakewalk Guitar Tracks Pro USB BitDefender Total Security 2010	Windows 7: Don't download updates while connected with cellular internet Can you block installers from making desktop shortcuts? Natively extract ISO from CD with Windows 7 I want to install more than the supported amount of RAM on my PC. Is it likely to work?
Geek Arcade	Popular Forum Threads
Open Doors Boombot Demolition City Heavy Weapons	New build! Budget £500, suggestions please Making a simple animation Microsoft Security Essentials vs Other Free Anti-Virus (Avast, AVG, etc.) Random Sound Distortions

Comments (4)

1. December 7, 2006 9:06 am
   ADDKiD

   Sweet! You think Windows Vista will run on a AMD 601Mhz Processor? I can overclock it easily to 1Ghz+ I’m getting a few new upgrades (4GB Ram, 2x 7950 NVidia GeForce Gfx Cards, new processor) But that won’t be for awhile. I have 640MB of Ram, and a 30GB HD. Think it’d run on that?

2. July 29, 2007 1:43 pm
   angie

   Is there an advisor that runs in W2K, so that I can know whether the PC’s hardware is Vistable without first installing XP (or Vista) on it ?

3. April 2, 2009 8:22 am
   user

   Ok, how do you “upgrade” your laptop’s video card.

   what a piece of crap of software Vista is.
   why other OS can do the same “fx”, without upgarding hardware.

4. October 30, 2009 4:48 am
   michael

   i and useing windows xp, can i dowload windows7 home premium on my computer???