1. Upgrading to Windows Vista

Want the cool new interface and all the cutting-edge features that Windows Vista offers? Well, before you run out and buy the software for your existing PC, you need to ensure your system will support it!
If you’ve purchased your PC within the last 2 or 3 years, chances are that Vista will work for you; however, you should make sure before putting down the cash. Furthermore, if it has been more than a few years since you purchased your PC, you should definitely evaluate your system. It might require upgrades or enhancements before using Vista, which this chapter helps you accomplish.
This chapter, along with discussing the use of the automated Upgrade Advisor, shows step-by-step how to manually check whether your PC and other hardware and software are supported for use with Windows Vista. This chapter also gives tips when performing common upgrade tasks—many of which you might need to do before installing Vista.
For those planning to purchase a new PC system preloaded with Vista, rather than upgrading an existing system, you should skip ahead to topics #9 through #11.