Description of the Windows XP Upgrade Advisor

This article provides a description of the Windows XP Upgrade Advisor tool.

Note Windows XP Setup automatically runs the Upgrade Advisor tool when you upgrade from a previous Windows operating system to Windows XP. You can also run the Upgrade Advisor tool manually by clicking Check System Compatibility on the Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP page that appears after you insert your Windows XP CD-ROM into your CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive. You can also download the Upgrade Advisor tool from the Microsoft Web site that is listed in the "More Information" section of this article.

The Windows XP Upgrade Advisor provides information about potential problems your computer may experience if you upgrade to Windows XP. The Windows XP Upgrade Advisor checks the system peripherals and programs and generates a list of items that may not function correctly with Windows XP.

The Windows XP Upgrade Advisor report lists compatibility issues that were found in the following two major categories:

Blocking Issues

Blocking issues prevent (or block) a Windows XP upgrade.

Warnings

Warnings inform you of hardware and software that may not function properly after the Windows XP upgrade. However, unlike blocking issues, you should still be able to successfully upgrade to Windows XP.

The Windows XP Upgrade Advisor is a dynamic tool. If you are online, Windows XP Upgrade Advisor checks the Microsoft Windows Update Web site for new drivers for the components, peripherals, or programs for your computer. The Windows XP Upgrade Advisor also provides information as a file that you can save and store on the hard disk.

The Windows XP Upgrade Advisor is available at the following Microsoft Web sites: For additional information about compatibility with Windows XP, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: