10 second Windows Vista Upgrade Guide
Here are the questions I am asked most often regarding Microsft Vista:
Q.) Do I need to buy a new computer to run Windows Vista?
A.) It depends. A rule of thumb that many follow is that any desktop computer over 3 years old should be replaced rather than upgraded. If you have Windows XP currently, you can run the Vista Upgrade Advisor which will report on whether or not you will need to put your PC out to pasture.
Q.) Can I upgrade or do I need to reinstall from scratch?
A.) Microsoft supports both options. Most techies recommend a clean install. But that option also requires that you reinstall (and re-patch / update) all software that you run and transfer your data files.
The File Settings and Transfer Wizard was upgraded and renamed to the Windows Easy Transfer tool in Vista. Enterprise users get a new User State Migration Tool (USMT). more ...
Q.) Do I need to move to Windows Vista just to run Office 2007?
A.) No, Microsoft's system requirements for Office 2007 programs (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc) include Windows XP (although XP SP2 must be installed).
Office 2007 system servers (Project Server, Sharepoint Services v3, Groove Server 2007) have different requirements.
