14 DAY TRIAL // The last stage of the Windows 7 launch, general availability, is now just three days away. Come October 22nd 2009, Microsoft will reboot the Windows client, and for customers who are looking to upgrade the company is offering a tool designed to assess their Windows 7 readiness. Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor is a name that should sound at least remotely familiar, especially to Windows Vista users. The software giant provided a similar utility around Vista’s launch, also designed to allow customers to easily evaluate their computers and determine whether they were ready to upgrade to the latest version of the Windows client.
“Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor scans your PC to see if it's ready for Windows 7, and tells you about any known compatibility issues,” Microsoft noted. “Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor scans your PC's system, programs and devices to check if it's able to run Windows 7. After a few minutes, the report will let you know if your PC meets the system requirements, if there are any known compatibility issues with your programs and devices, and will also provide guidance on your upgrade options to Windows 7.”
Users will be able to leverage Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor if they are running Windows XP and Windows Vista, the company informed. The tool can additionally assess machines for Windows 7 to Windows 7 transitions via Windows Anytime Upgrades. Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor’s wizard will present users with a series of easy steps to follow, after which the evaluation process is completely automated, and wrapped up by a set of conclusions set up to deliver an insight into whether a certain computer can be upgraded to Windows 7 or not. Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor is in Beta development stage at this point in time.
“The upgrade paths are currently not given for N, K, and KN editions of Windows. Any language packs you have installed on your PC will have to be reinstalled after upgrading to Windows 7. If you're running Upgrade Advisor inside Virtual PC or Remote Desktop, Windows Aero capability may not be detected properly,” Microsoft added.
Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor Beta is available for download here.