Days before Windows 7 is set to hit general availability, Microsoft has officially announced the release of two Windows 7 compatibility tools over at Microsoft.com/Windows/Compatibility: the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor and the Windows 7 Compatibility Center.
We've been watching the former ever since it hit beta in May 2009 and the latter since a placeholder page went up in June 2009. Now they're both final, and they're here to let you know whether you're Windows 7 compatible or not. Microsoft is also offering compatibility help from experts via the Microsoft Answers Forums and the Windows Help & How-to team. Microsoft says both tools will be regularly updated with more products over time.
Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor
The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor is now available for download on the Microsoft Download Center (8.3MB). This tool is meant for those who are upgrading Windows on their current rig. It will examine your PC's processor, memory, storage, graphics capabilities, and lets you know if you can run the 64-bit version. The tool tells you your upgrade options and informs you about any known compatibility issues with the most commonly installed software programs and devices connected to your PC. If an issue can be resolved, it suggests next steps for you to take before installing Windows 7. The tool checks against the following Windows 7 system requirements:
- 1 GHz or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
- 1GB RAM (32-bit) / 2GB RAM (64-bit)
- 16GB available disk space (32-bit) / 20GB (64-bit)
- DirectX� 9 graphics processor with WDDM (Windows Display Driver Model) 1.0 or higher driver
Windows 7 Compatibility Center
The Windows 7 Compatibility Center helps the user easily check the compatibility of thousands of devices and software programs for 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows 7. Microsoft determines a product's compatibility status for the Compatibility Center by looking at whether it has earned the "Compatible with Windows 7" or "Certified for Windows Server 2008" logo and whether the software publisher or device manufacturer states that they currently (or plan to) offer product support for Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008 R2.
Most of the time, the user won't need to do anything to ensure compatibility but in case they do, the website won't just tell you what will or won't work; it will also provide links to drivers and software updates to help fix the issue. If you don't see a product listed on the site, Microsoft is letting users submit a suggestion.
Microsoft's determination to get these tools out before the launch of Windows 7 is admirable and also a sharp contrast to the launch of Windows Vista. Both equivalent tools for Vista arrived long after the operating system hit general availability.
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