How to determine whether there are program-compatibility issues before you install Windows Vista

This article describes how to determine whether there are any program-compatibility issues before you install Windows Vista. The information in this article applies specifically to situations in which a program is already installed on a computer that is being upgraded to Windows Vista.

Visit the Windows Vista Compatibility Center to determine whether a particular application or device is compatible

Most applications and devices will run successfully on a computer that is running Windows Vista. If you have concerns about a particular application or device, visit the Windows Vista Compatibility Center to see specific compatibility information about that product before upgrading.

Run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor

Before you upgrade a computer to Windows Vista, we recommend that you run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor performs the following actions:

• Analyzes the hardware and the programs that are installed on your computer
• Determines whether your computer can run Windows Vista
• Determines whether the currently installed programs are compatible with Windows Vista

The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor also notifies you if there any known issues with the installed hardware and with the installed programs.

To obtain the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, and to view answers to some frequently asked questions about the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, visit the following Microsoft Web site: If the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor discovers any known issues, you are notified in the Upgrade Advisor report. The Upgrade Advisor report also provides a description of the steps that you can take to resolve these issues before you upgrade to Windows Vista. For example, you may receive the following recommendations in the Upgrade Advisor report:

• Remove an incompatible program from your computer before you upgrade to Windows Vista.
• Download and install an update for the incompatible program.
• Obtain a later version of the incompatible program.

Follow the recommendations that are made by the Upgrade Advisor before you upgrade the computer to Windows Vista. This helps make sure that any identified compatibility issues do not cause any problems during Windows Vista Setup or after the setup process is complete.

Contact the software vendor

Generally, the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor can determine whether the programs that are installed on your computer are compatible with Windows Vista. However, we recommend that you contact the software vendor of any programs that you want to use in Windows Vista to verify compatibility with Windows Vista. For additional guidance, contact the software vendor in question. For more information about program compatibility issues in Windows Vista, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: