Windows 7 and can I run it

John Matrix

I'm currently running XP on a laptop that about a year to year and a half old. How do I find out if I can run windows 7 comfortably? There's some tool on the windows website but that requires an installation of yet another program.

I can get 7 at the student rate, I'm just wondering if it's worth me upgrading when I'm so comfortable with XP and whether my laptop can run it both well and comfortably. What info you you people need and how do I go about giving it to you?

Cauld

Why do you want windows 7? I'd stick with XP if you're comfortable with how it's working on your laptop. I use XP at work and have a windows 7 laptop and I haven't noticed anything huge differences between the two. It mainly comes down to appearances.

Sarksus

Are you sure you're using the same Windows 7 as I am, Cauld? Besides the under-the-hood differences and (more importantly) the security differences there are so many differences in how you interact with the OS and vice versa that barring money problems or an edge case where a particular program has compatibility issues and requires XP I can't think of any reason why you would want to refrain from moving to 7.

Anyway, John, my gut instinct is that your laptop, if it's only a year and a half old, should be able to run 7 very easily. A regular laptop made after an operating system was released ought to be able to run it. My four year old PC can. It's not really a resource hog. When the operating system first came out it was reported that the requirements were similar to XP's, actually.

If you want to be sure though you could list the specifications of your laptop. The easiest way to do that might be to get out whatever paperwork came with the laptop, or the box, as that might list the specs. Another option is to right click on Computer and check the properties, that should at least give us the processor and RAM. You could also type in and run 'dxdiag' in the search box in the Start Menu. That provides a more complete picture of your specs.

Blake T

My netbook is either that age or older.

It runs W7 well.

Zxerol

I can almost guarantee that your laptop will be able to run it well, unless it has something like 256mb of RAM or something (which, considering its age, isn't likely).

And considering that XP is 1) ten years old and 2) has ended support since '09, there's absolutely no compelling reason to stay on the platform if you can help it. The difference between XP and 7 is more than just cosmetic differences.

Kyanilis

My advice is upgrade to W7 if you can, hands down. W7 has all sorts of better security AND may be even smoother for you. A year, year and a half? Your chances are extremely good it will work, but as you mentioned there is that program that will check to make sure. The system requirements are way better than what Vista had, and generally most machines that can run XP can run W7. Also, W7 was released over a year and a half ago, I'm surprised your laptop doesn't have it already.

Also as Blake T mentioned, netbooks can run W7, you should be fine.