If you are thinking of upgrading your computer then it’s possible that you are considering buying a copy of Vista as part of that upgrade. There are quite a few things which you need to consider before doing this.

Can my computer run Vista?

Firstly, you need to make sure that your computer is capable of running Vista comfortably. The last thing you want to be doing is spending money on your computer only to have it run slower than before! You may have checked Windows ‘Minimum Requirements’ to run this new Operating System. The problem with the specifications they list is that they are minimum requirements. As in, if you computer has these specs it will eventually make it to the desktop. As for opening programs however that may be a different story.

As a technician I personally don’t like to build a new computer with less than 2GB of RAM if it is going to be running Windows Vista - 3GB or more is preferred. As far as processors go, basically any Dual Core CPU is going to do the job just fine. Of course the more money you are willing to spend the better it will perform.

If you don’t have a dual core processor then you may still be ok to upgrade. You might want to get a professional opinion on your exact parts before you upgrade however. In any case a second opinion is always a good idea before spending money.

Another common issue people come across when making the switch to Vista is that they cannot find drivers for some of their components. For example you may have purchased a second hand printer a couple of years before Vista was released. Chances are that the manufacturer of this printer simply does not supply Windows Vista drivers for that printer. In simple terms, if you upgrade to Vista and this is the case, you will not be able to print.

These same issues can also apply to other important components such as your Video Card, Sound Card, Network Card, Chipset (Motherboard) etc.

Thankfully Windows is well aware of the poor driver support for older components in particular and have released their Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor to help us out.

What this tool does is check each and every component that it can find on, in or attached to your computer and see whether or not these items are going to work with Vista. Of course given the millions of different parts available it is not uncommon for it to tell you that no data was available for a certain device.

The Upgrade Advisor is just a 6.6MB download from the above link and is very intuitive. You simply download the file, double click the installer and follow the very basic installation wizard. It will then quickly check for updates and a minute or so later the application will begin, all you have to do is click ‘Start Scan’ and wait for the results. Depending on your computer, this scan may take quite some time and may effect your computer’s performance too.

To get the most out of this scan make sure that all of your USB, Firewire and otherwise connected devices are turned on and ready as it will attempt to check these for compatibility as well.

What version suits me?

Assuming that you have checked the above and are happy to go ahead with your Vista upgrade, it is now time to choose your version. Gone are the days of having either Windows XP Home or Professional. You now have to choose between Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, and Ultimate.

Again, Microsoft lends a hand in this department by laying out all the features available for each different version. Just check their version comparison page to decide whats right for you.

Maybe XP is best for me

Although Vista does have quite a few advantages over XP some people may be far better off staying with the tried and tested XP. Even though it is now quite outdated, XP is much more stable than Vista at this point and offers driver support for virtually any component. It also means that a small upgrade and some maintenance might have your computer performing the way you would like rather than the several hundred dollars likely needed to achieve Vista’s power requirements.

Is Vista stable?

When WIndows Vista was first put on the shelves it had a lot of problems. So much so that a vast number of people who went out and bought Vista on the very first day went home and installed it only to resort back to XP hours later.

There were massive issues with driver support and general instability, not to mention the fact that a lot of software would not even install due to incompatibility.

For this reason a lot of people chose to stay with XP and have never really looked at the upgrade since. Often you will still hear of people discussing the issue as though it were the same now as it was on the day it was released.

What people often forget is that every version of Windows that has been released in the past has had similar problems. Granted they were not on the same scale but they were there. As always, Microsoft has since spent a lot of time fixing these issues and I am pleased to report a massive improvement. Especially since their recently released Service Pack.

You will still find some driver support issues on old components and there are some minor issues still being sorted out but as a whole Windows Vista is now quite stable. My personal opinion? If you need the highest level of stability you can get from a Microsoft OS, stay with XP. For the average user however Vista runs well enough for myself and virtually all of the major computer manufacturers to recommend.

The decision is never easy when it comes to upgrade versus update but hopefully this information can make the decision easier. If you have any queries or suggestions feel free to leave your comments or send us an email at info@precision-pc.com.au.

Chris Ashton

Director

Precision PC