How can I find out if my computer is compatible with the Windows® 7 operating system?

To determine if your computer meets the minimum Windows 7 operating system requirements, or if you just want to see if there will be any issues with the Windows 7 operating system and the software or devices you currently have installed, download and install the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor.

The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, once installed and used, will let you know if your computer meets the system requirements, if there are any known compatibility issues with the programs and devices installed on your computer, and provide guidance on the supported and available Windows 7 operating system upgrade options.

IMPORTANT: In order to install and use the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, your current computer must have either the Windows Vista or Windows XP (with Service Pack 2) operating system installed and the.NET 2.0 Framework or higher.

NOTES:

• If you are running the Windows XP operating system and do not have.NET Framework 2.0 (or later) installed, the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor will not install and will prompt you that the.NET Framework 2.0 (or later) must be downloaded and installed in order to continue. Once the.NET Framework 2.0 (or later) software is installed, you will then be able to restart the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor installation.
• Any language packs installed on the computer will have to be reinstalled after upgrading to the Windows 7 operating system.
• Attempting to run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor inside Virtual PC or Remote Desktop may cause the computer's Windows Aero capabilities to not be detected properly.

If for some reason you are unable to use the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor, you can check the marketing specifications of your computer to see if it meets the following minimum Windows 7 operating system requirements:

• Processor speed: 1 GigaHertz (GHz) or faster (32-bit [x86] or 64-bit [x64])
• Random Access Memory (RAM):
  • 32-bit processor: 1 GigaByte (GB) RAM
  • 64-bit processor: 2 GigaByte (GB) RAM
• Available Hard Drive Space:
  • 32-bit processor: 16 GB
  • 64-bit processor: 20 GB
• DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

NOTE: To find out if specific software, peripherals or hardware devices will work with either the 32-bit or 64-bit version of the Windows 7 operating system, visit the Windows 7 Compatibility Center Web site at https://www.microsoft.com/windows/compatibility/windows-7