The "Upgrade" option is unavailable when you try to upgrade to Windows Vista, and you may receive a hardware-specific error message

This article is intended for a beginning to intermediate computer user.You may find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first. When you try to upgrade to Windows Vista, the Upgrade option is unavailable. You may also receive an error message that is specific to the hardware that is installed on the computer.

To resolve this problem and to successfully upgrade to Windows Vista, make sure that the hardware that is connected to the computer is compatible with Windows Vista. To do this, follow these steps.

Step 1: Cancel the currently running Windows Vista installation process

If the Windows Vista installation process is currently running, cancel this process.

Step 2: Download the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, and then install it

To download the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note Before you run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, connect to the computer all devices that you typically use. These devices include printers, scanners, and external hard disks. The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor will examine all connected devices for compatibility with Windows Vista.

Step 3: Run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor

The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor scans the computer, and then it creates a report of all known compatibility issues. If there are any compatibility issues, the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor recommends ways to resolve them. To run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, follow these steps.

Note To run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, you must have the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 or later and MSXML 4.0 or later.

1. Click Start
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   , point to All Programs, and then click Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor.
2. In the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor 1.0 window, click Start Scan.
3. To view the results of the scan, click See Details in the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor 1.0 window.
4. Review any issues that are identified by the scan, and then resolve any issues that will prevent you from installing Windows Vista.

Step 4: Replace any incompatible hardware

Replace any incompatible hardware, as directed by the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor.

Step 5: Disconnect all optional devices

Disconnect all optional devices. After Windows Vista is installed, reconnect these devices one at a time to determine whether each device functions successfully.

Step 6: Start the Windows Vista installation process

For more information about hardware compatibility in Windows Vista, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: