Windows 8, the new operating system from Microsoft is now available for upgrade and purchase. Users of Windows XP, Vista and Windows 7 can upgrade to Windows 8 online by paying a special promotional price (about $39.99). The operating system can also be bought from an authorized retailer. Want to upgrade or install Windows 8? But are you sure if your system configuration or peripheral devices are ready from Windows 8? Read on and find what you need to know before upgrading/installing Windows 8.
System Requirements:
Before install/upgrade, you need to know about system requirements for Windows 8. If you are already running Windows 7, chances are more that Windows 8 will also run smoothly on your PC. But, if your PC is running XP or Vista, you’ll need to reinstall your application after you upgrade. Anyway, in order to use the new operating system, your PC must have following:
- A processor with 1GHz or faster speed & support for PAE, NX and SSE2.
- At least 1GB (32-bit) or 2GB (64-bit) RAM.
- Minimum 16GB (32-bit) or 20GB (64-bit) free hard disk space.
- DirectX 9 graphics processor including WDDM driver.
In order to use several Windows 8 features, your system must meet some additional requirements. For example:
- To snap apps, you need a display resolution of at least 1366 × 768 pixels.
- For the touch function, you need a monitor or tablet computer with multitouch support.
- To download and run apps from Windows Store, you need an active Internet connection.
- In order to watch DVDs you need a separate playback software.
- For Windows Media Center, you need to buy a separate license.
- For secure boot, you need firmware supporting UEFI v2.3.1 Errata B and with Microsoft Windows Certification Authority in the UEFI signature database.
Using Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant:
So, before you buy or online upgrade Windows 8, make sure that your system is ready for the new operating system. You can get a good outline of general system requirements above. But still you may not be sure about some of your peripheral devices. To help you, Microsoft is offering Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant. The Upgrade Assistant scans your computer to check if it meets standard Windows 8 requirements. It also checks compatibility of your devices. So, don’t forget to connect all your peripherals such as printers & monitors, before you run Upgrade Assistant on your computer.
After running, the Upgrade Assistant will provide a compatibility report about the products what will or won’t work in Windows 8 environment. If your computer is ready or compatible, it will also offer optional steps to help you in buying, downloading, and installing Windows 8 operating system.
So, use the Upgrade Assistant is an essential tool for Windows 8 upgrade. Run it today and determine whether or not your computer is ready for the new operating system.
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