Which computer can run Windows Vista?

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Which computer can run Windows Vista?

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After covering this article, you will be able to determine Windows Vista client hardware requirements, determine the feature set available with each edition of Windows Vista, and use the Upgrade Advisor.

Hardware Requirements

In order to run Windows Vista on a computer, the computer must fulfill some basic requirements. The four basic components that are to be taken into account are as follows:

• Processor: Windows Vista requires a processor with a minimum speed of 800 MHz. However, the recommended processor speed is greater than 1GHz.


• RAM: Windows Vista requires minimum recommended RAM of 512MB and recommended RAM of 1GB.


• Hard disk drive: Windows Vista takes around 7GB of hard disk drive space for keeping its files. The recommended minimum amount of hard disk drive space is 20GB and the recommended amount is 40GB.


• Graphics adapter: Windows Vista has two graphic interfaces; the basic and Windows Aero. The minimum requirement to run the basic interface is a graphics adapter that supports DirectX 9. To run Windows Aero, an adapter requires the following:
  • DirectX 9
  
  
  • A WDDM driver
  
  
  • Hardware Pixel Shader 2.0
  
  
  • 32 bits per pixel
  
  
  • 128MB graphics memory

Hardware Components	Minimum Required	Recommended
Processor	800MHz	1GHz
RAM	512MB	1GB
Hard Disk Drive	20GB	40GB
Graphic Card	For basic interface DirectX 9 capable	For Windows Aero DirectX 9 capable WDDM driver Hardware Pixel Shader 2.0 32 bits per pixel 128MB graphics memory

Windows Vista Editions

Basically, Windows Vista comes in following six editions:

• Starter


• Home Basic


• Home Premium


• Business


• Enterprise


• Ultimate

Apart from these basic editions, European edition for Home Basic and Business editions are also available with the name of HOMEBASICN and BUSINESSN respectively.

Windows Vista Starter

It is the most basic and inexpensive version and supports only a single 32-bit processor. Only three applications can run simultaneously in this edition of Vista.

Windows Vista Home Basic

This edition comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit editions. This edition allows users to open more than three applications at a time.

Windows Vista Home Premium

This edition of Windows Vista can be run on a Tablet PC and it supports Media Center functionality. It cannot be used in a domain. More than three applications can be opened at a time in this edition of Vista.

Windows Vista Business

The Windows Vista Business edition can be a part of a domain. It does not support Media Center functionality and full hard disk drive encryption.

Windows Vista Enterprise

The Enterprise edition of Vista supports full hard disk drive encryption. It does not support Media Center functionality. This edition is available only to organizations that have their computers covered by Microsoft Software Assurance or a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement.

Windows Vista Ultimate

The Windows Vista Ultimate supports all features of Vista. It can be a part of an Active Directory domain and fully support Media Center functionality.

Features/Vista Editions	Starter	Home Basic	Home Premium	Business	Enterprise	Ultimate
Active Directory Domain	No	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
Aero	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Media Center	No	No	Yes	No	No	Yes
Full HDD Encryption	No	No	Yes	No	Yes	Yes
Tablet PC Capacity	No	No	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Parental Control	No	Yes	Yes	No	No	Yes

Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor

Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor is a Microsoft proprietary tool that helps users determine if their XP-based computers can run Windows Vista. This tool can also be used to determine if a computer running Windows Vista is ready for an upgrade to a more powerful edition of Windows Vista. This tool scans a computer and creates a report of all known system, device, and program compatibility issues, and recommends ways to resolve them. The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor works only with 32-bit versions of Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Requirements for running Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor

Before installing Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, you are required to install the following components:

• Microsoft Core XML Services (MSXML) 6.0 or later: This provides client and server-safe components for XML over HTTP.


• .Net Framework 2.0 or later: This manages the execution of applications written specifically for the framework.

The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor also provides a report that tells which edition of Windows will best suit your needs according to the configuration of the computer on which you run Upgrade Advisor.

Note: Connect all peripheral devices to your computer before you run Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor.

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