YOUR VISTA QUESTIONS ANSWERED

YOUR VISTA QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Which edition of Vista do I need?
There are four main versions of Microsoft’s newest operating system – Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate. Basic is for people who only use their PC for web browsing and the internet. If you use yours for entertainment purposes, or have a laptop, you’ll want the Premium edition. The Business version introduces advanced backup and networking features, while the Ultimate edition is the full Vista experience. See www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/editions for full details.
[pic - vista editions]

Is my computer Vista-compatible?
If it’s a reasonably powerful PC, bought within the last two years, you shouldn’t have any problems, but download the XP-only Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor tool from http://tinyurl.com/yesh8w just to check. This scans your computer to make sure it’s compatible and lists problem areas and suggestions for resolving them. To install and run the core functionality of Windows Vista, you need: an 800 MHz processor, 512 MB of RAM, and a 20 GB hard drive with 15 GB of free space.

What if I'm buying a new PC?
From January 30, 2007, Vista will come pre-installed on all new PCs. Machines sold before this date should carry a Windows Vista Capable or Premium Ready PC logo, allowing you to upgrade from Windows XP manually.

How much does an upgrade cost?
The prices for the full versions and upgrades (from Windows XP) for the different Vista packages are as follows:
Home Basic: £179.99 for the full version, £99.99 to upgrade.
Home Premium: £219.99 for the full version, £149.99 to upgrade.
Business: £289.99 for the full version, £189.99 to upgrade.
Ultimate: £369.99 for the full version, £249.99 to upgrade.
You can buy full version and upgrade CDs from high-street stores such as PC World and Currys, or order online from www.amazon.co.uk and most electrical e-tailers.

Will I lose my existing files and programs when I upgrade?
If you upgrade to Vista all your files, settings and programs will be automatically transferred from Windows XP, though it's worth backing them up to be on the safe side. However, if you run a fresh installation of a full version of Vista, you do risk losing content currently stored on your hard drive, so ensure you back up your documents, music, photos, emails and other files to CD or DVD first.

Will my Windows XP software work in Vista?
Microsoft has made big efforts to make Vista backwards compatible with most XP programs and games. You can find a full list of compatible software at www.iexbeta.com/wiki/index.php/Windows_Vista_Software_Compatibility_List. Many software manufacturers are rushing out Vista-friendly editions of their applications to ensure compatibility, or making patches available through their websites. Vista's Help and Support Centre includes a tool called the Program Compatibility Wizard that lets you run specific software as if you were using an older version of Windows. Hardware such as mice, keyboards and modems should work without any problems.