You have decided to upgrade to Vista. Before putting the DVD in and starting the upgrade, why not take a bit of time to plan the upgrade so it goes as smoothly as possible. This starts with determining if your current operating system supports an upgrade to Vista and if your system meets the hardware requirements.

If your system is currently running Windows, you might be able to upgrade directly to Vista. Vista supports the following upgrade paths:

• XP Home to any version of Vista
• XP Professional to Vista Business or Ultimate editions
• XP Media Center to Vista Home Premium or Ultimate editions
• XP Tablet PC to Vista Business or Ultimate editions

Note: If you are running Windows 2000, you must perform a clean install of Vista. There is no supported upgrade path.

The easiest way to find out if your computer can run Vista is to run the Vista Upgrade Advisor. After scanning your computer, the tool presents a report that identifies any issues and how to resolve them before upgrading. It also helps you choose which version of Vista to install.

Microsoft also publishes the Vista Hardware Compatibility List (HCL), which is a list of products that work with Vista. If your hardware is not present on the list it does not necessarily mean you cannot proceed with the installation but you should verify with the hardware manufacturer that the component is Vista ready.

[tags]Vista, Windows upgrade, Microsoft[/tags]