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How to: is your PC ready for Windows 7?

January 12, 2009

The first beta of Windows 7 is available for download. However, after the Vista-ready debacle, regular Windows watchers will be leery of downloading a new Microsoft OS without making absolutely sure that their PC hardware can stand the pace. PC Advisor has a free software tool that can do exactly that. Here's how to use PC Performance Monitor's Windows 7 Compatibility tool.

First, register as a user at PCAdvisor.co.uk. Go to PCAdvisor.co.uk/account/register (all the required links will open in a new window or tab so you can stay on this page), and complete the simple, three-stage process. Be sure to tick the box that enables you to use PC Performance Monitor. If you are already a registered user, you should log in and go to PCAdvisor.co.uk/account/update to update your profile and enable PC Performance Monitor.

PC Advisor registration

Now head to PCAdvisor.co.uk/pc-performance-monitor, and hit the Monitor My PC tab. Your unique CustomerID should be displayed. Click the link and follow the instructions to download and install the PC Performance Monitor application: this is a small piece of software that collects performance data from your system.

Now you should see five performance monitors for your chosen PC - the one we're interested in is the Windows 7 Compatibility Testing widget.

PC Performance Monitor widgets

See also: Windows 7 review

Before you can use it, however, there's a couple of bits of housekeeping I should cover.

Once PC Performance Monitor is installed, it takes the application roughly an hour to start sending back information about your system's performance, so all the boxes will remain blank for now.
You can install PC Performance Monitor on up to three PCs, but your data remains secret - neither the software makers, nor PC Advisor can access it.

See also: My weekend with Windows 7

The Windows 7 Compatibility Testing widget assesses the suitability of an x86 or x64-based PC for running Windows 7. You can use the Windows 7 widget to identify systems that will be incapable of running the next version of desktop Windows due to inadequate hardware, current stress levels or workload composition.

System information is extracted and analysed to determine Windows 7 compatibility. The tests look at three categories: Hardware Configuration, Current Stress Levels and Workload Composition. PC Performance Monitor collects counter data once every second and averages the collected values once every 60 seconds. The data points analysed by the Windows 7 widget represent a daily summary (average) of these one-minute averaged samples.

Windows 7 Compatiblity Widget

Once the PC's Machine Name appears in the System list, simply click the Results tab to see how it fared. The Windows 7 widget posts results in a simple Pass/Fail format. If the system meets the requirements for a given category, a green PASS appears. If your PC fails a category, explanatory text appear in the Notes box at the bottom of the Results pane.

if the requirements for Windows 7 change, we'll update our the tool, so it's worth checking back from time to time.

Visit PC Advisor's Windows 7 spotlight for the latest news on Microsoft's upcoming OS

Posted by: Matt Egan

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Comments

Posted by Huffster on January 12, 2009 :

Great tool - thanks!

Posted by Powerless on January 12, 2009 :

The first beta?

I thought this was the only beta, next up is RC...

Posted by Then again on January 12, 2009 :

to save anyone from having to register with any corporate, then your Windows 7 PC should have the following minimum spec -

1 GHz 32-bit or 64-bit processor

1 GB of system memory

16 GB of available disk space

Support for DirectX 9 graphics with 128 MB memory (in order to enable Aero theme)

A DVD-R/W Drive

Internet access (to download the Beta and get updates) .

Now, if one cannot personally decide whether their test machine if up to the tack then they shouldn't be allowed anywhere near a pc in furure.

Posted by Matt Egan on January 12, 2009 :

Of course you're right, Powerless. Then again, perhaps after the Vista release it was a Freudian slip on my part!

Posted by Matt Egan on January 12, 2009 :

Then again - Those are the published sys reqs, sure. But you know, and I know, that there's a great deal more to whether your PC can properly run a new Windows OS than matching the sys reqs. Can I say: 'Vista ready'. And as for 'registering with a corporate', we require only an email address. I think most people can stretch to that.

Posted by Oh Yea on January 12, 2009 :

For a man who doesn't want the cops raiding his computer from afar, I will be interested to know Matt if you are going to allow this widget to monitor your personal computers.

Users should be made very aware of what will really be going on -

"Performance data is uploaded to the exo.performance.network, where your most recent one week of data is stored for viewing and analysis. Performance data will be shared in aggregate only and never identified as linked to your individual account."

Personally I'd rather take my chances will the Old Bill rather than the W7 Widget.

Will PCA be washing their hands of any mis-handling of the users' data?

Posted by Matt Egan on January 12, 2009 :

1. Yup, I use the PC Performance Monitor on all my PCs, personal and professional

2. It's actually not possible for us to glean any information about individual PCs with this tool. And even if it was, I'm not sure how bothered I'd be about a website knowing my PC's spec. Ultimately, we're a consumer website offering a free service. If you're not comfortable with that, such is life. But we are absolutely beholden to our readers' goodwill and will do nothing to threaten that.

Posted by Caatalin Bocanu on January 15, 2009 :

This article shows you how to install Windows 7 directly from a previous version of Windows, without burn a DVD. The applications installed in the previous Windows version does not need to be reinstalled: they also work in Windows 7 , just create shortcuts. You will do not loose any data and you will be able to boot both Windows versions, the previous one and Windows 7.
www.downloadtube.com/blog/2009/01/13/dual-boot-windows-7-and-xp-easily-windows-7-installation-directly-from-xp-without-a-livedvd/

Posted by Matt Egan on January 19, 2009 :

Caatalin Bocanu - thanks, nice post.

Posted by Leena on January 23, 2009 :

Keeping it running sufficiently.
When I first got my computer I didn’t realize how important having antispyware was to keeping it running sufficiently. However, it didn’t take very long for it to become perfectly clear. If you don’t have a good scan you will have many problems that could be avoided so easily. Search-and-destroy Antispyware is a great option when it comes to scanning for bugs that will help you keep your computer running at its peak efficiency. The antispyware solution from Search-and-destroy which you will find at Search-and-destroy will help give your PC the protection it needs to keep it in good working condition.

Posted by paul james on February 3, 2009 :

Can you tell me what is an x86 ?
My computer is an ex time computer and is a 32 bit and about 6yrs old . Will this test find out if my machine which is on windows sp2 work ?

Posted by paul james on February 3, 2009 :

Another question about windows 7 If I was to download this test to see if my old computer could take windows 7, could I down load it onto my external dvd connected to a laptop or external drive ?. Only my computer is a usb one.

Posted by Matt Egan on February 5, 2009 :

You'd need to be online to access the results on the PC Performance Monitor page, I'm afraid. Once downloaded the tool can be installed on any Windows machine, however.

Posted by katz49 on February 6, 2009 :

I know you need a starting point but minimum specs are only a starting point, I believe most people were unhappy with Vista because they used the minimum setup.
Do not go the same way with 7, make sure you are well past the minimum, and you'll appreciate the value of the system,

Why clutter up your system with monitor applications, any one worth his salt knows whether his system is up to scratch.

Posted by Matt Egan on February 11, 2009 :

katz49 - 'any one [sic] worth his salt knows whether his system is up to scratch'. Really? I would have thought that if the Vista launch taught us anything, it's that we all need as much info as possible before making software upgrade decisions.

Posted by Huffster on February 11, 2009 :

Why criticise PCA for trying to help it's users and doing so for free might I add?? If youre so cleverm good for you.

PC Advisor staff
Blogger Daily news, views and thoughts from the PC Advisor staff as they put together the magazine. Collectively the PC Advisor team has over 100 years of computing experience, so as you'll imagine they're never short of an opinion or two.
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