Windows Vista Upgrade Requirements
by Arthur Barnhouse, Demand MediaWindows Vista was released worldwide on January 7, 2007, officially replacing Microsoft's Windows XP operating system. Vista offered several new features, including a new user interface and visual layout as well as an instant, content-based search function. Vista also came bundled with a DVD maker, new media player, updated browser and speech recognition software. To upgrade to the various versions of Windows Vista, your computer must meet some basic requirements.
Windows Vista Home Basic Version
As its name states, Windows Vista Home Basic is the basic version of Vista and is suitable for most home computers designated for personal use. Before installing Vista, check your computer's system information to make certain it meets the following criteria. First, computers must have at least a 1 GHz 32 bit or 64 bit processor and 512 MB of system memory. Computers must also be equipped with a 20 GB hard drive, with at least 15 GB of free space. Computers must also possess support for DirectX 9 graphics as well as 32 MB of graphics memory. Along with these minimum requirements, a computer must be Internet capable, have a DVD-ROM drive and audio output.
Windows Vista Home Premium, Business and Ultimate Versions
Vista Home Premium, Business and Ultimate have higher system requirements than Home Basic simply because they offer more features. These versions of Vista also require at least a 1 GHz 32 or 64 bit processor. They also require at least 1 GB of system memory instead of just 512 MB. Computers must be equipped with a 40 GB hard drive. 15 GB of the hard drive must be available for use. Computers must support DirectX 9 graphics in addition to a WDDM driver, 32 bits per pixel, Pixel Shader 2.0 and a minimum of 128 MB of graphics memory. Audio output, Internet capability and a DVD-ROM are also necessary.
Hardware Requirements for Vista Home Premium, Business and Ultimate
Upgrading to Home Premium, Business and/or Ultimate versions of Vista requires additional hardware to use various features. For example, to access the TV Tuning feature of Premium and Ultimate, you must have a TV tuner card and remote control. At least 1 GB of system memory allows the Media Center to operate at optimum performance. To use the BitLocker Drive Encryption feature that comes with Vista Ultimate and Enterprise, you must have an integrated Trust Platform Module 1.2 chip or a USB 2.0 key. Finally, to use the Tablet PC feature, which comes with all versions of Vista except Home Basic, you need a Tablet PC or touch screen and electromagnetic digitizer pen.
