Minimum System Requirements To Upgrade to Windows Vista

Are you thinking of upgrading your Windows XP computer to Windows Vista? Upgrading to Vista will be a smart choice as it definitely improves your system performance, given you have the right system requirements to run the operating system.

The following list describes the recommended minimum hardware requirements for the basic functionality of the different editions of Windows Vista. Actual hardware requirements will vary, depending on the system configuration and on the programs and the features that you install. If you install Windows Vista over a network, additional hard disk space may be required. For your computer to run Windows Vista operating system, it should have a modern processor (at least 800MHz), 512 MB of system RAM and a graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable.

These Windows Vista Help guidelines will help you determine the minimum system requirements for your computer.

Instructions

• Go to the Start menu located on your Windows taskbar and locate the option My Computer. Right-click on My Computer and choose the option Properties from the popup menu. This will bring up the System Properties window. 
• By default, the General tab will be active, where you will be able to find your current Microsoft Windows version, system processor, memory (RAM) details etc. The amount of memory will be expressed in terms of megabytes or gigabytes. Though the minimum amount of RAM required to run Vista is 512MB, it is best to have at least 1GB of memory installed before you upgrade to Windows Vista.
• Here, you can also find the type of processor in your computer. Microsoft suggests having a processor with a speed of at least 800MHz. If you have a faster processor, more efficient will be your computer.
• Now close the System Properties window. Once again go to the Start menu and click on My Computer to open the My Computer window. Right-click on the C: drive and choose the option Properties.
• Here, you will be able to check how much space you have on your hard disk. To install Windows Vista, you need to have a drive with a capacity of at least 2GB. Also, you will need at least 15GB of free space on the drive.

If you face any trouble upgrading to Windows Vista, you can always get Windows Vista Help from the Microsoft Support Center and get the issues resolved quickly.