Issue 38.10
I am often asked if people should upgrade their systems to this new operating system. The answer may be different for different people, but most people will want to at least think about it. Many people dislike Vista. Microsoft has ceased making XP and the only way to get it on a computer is buying a used computer (Dell will cease to allow even dealers like me to order XP as an option on new systems October 1st).
The first thing to consider is whether or not your computer will support Windows 7. The bare minimum requirements are a 1 Gigahertz processor and 1 Gigabyte of RAM (Random Access Memory). At this level, Windows 7 will run, but it will run somewhat slowly (but faster than Vista) and not all of the features will be accessible. It is recommended that the user have at least a 2 Gigahertz processor (Dual, Quad or other multi-cores are a big plus) and 2 to 4 Gigabytes of RAM. You can check this information by clicking your start button, clicking the right button on “Computer” or “My Computer” and then clicking on “Properties”. A window will pop up showing your Memory, Processor and Operating System along with a number of other types of information.
If you have (or can upgrade to) the right components, the next thing you should do is check to see what will not work anymore if you do upgrade. For example, Microsoft has discontinued Outlook Express email and Movie Maker in Windows 7 and if you use these, they will no longer work so you will have to find replacements. Many people use Mozilla Thunderbird (available at www.mozilla.com) for their email. You can download a diagnostic tool that will show you what will no longer work after the upgrade. It is available from Microsoft. Just type “Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor” into your search program and it should allow you to click right to it.
It will tell you any programs that will no longer work, as well as peripherals such as printers, scanners, cameras, etc. that are not compatible and may need to be replaced. If everything is acceptable, you can buy the Windows 7 Upgrade versions ($120-$250) online, through a dealer or tech or at Office Max, Costco, Staples, etc.
If you are upgrading from Vista, you simply put in the CD and follow the on-screen instructions. The process is quite a bit more complicated with XP. You first need to download a program called Easy Transfer. It is available at http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/products/features/windows-easy-transfer. You can then run the program, using it to back up your files and settings to an External Hard Drive, Flash Drive or CDs/DVDs. After you run the upgrade, you can then restore those files to your computer. Or you can avoid the problems by having a good tech do it for you.
You will need to re-install most of the programs you have been using, so be sure you have the original installation disks for the programs that matter to you. Additionally, I strongly encourage you to make a separate, complete backup of all your important files before attempting this. If anything goes wrong during the installation (power outage, corrupt file crash, etc.) you will be glad you have the backup – and it’s good to do anyway so you will already have a backup of anything important.