While building Windows 7, Microsoft is attempting to resolve scenarios that managed to successfully handicap Windows Vista in terms of compatibility. In this context, in order not to break devices that currently work with its precursor, Windows 7 will come to the table, from the get-go, with support for all Vista-certified drivers.
Compatibility with devices designed for Vista ensures that users will have a seamless upgrade/migration experience. Grant George, the VP of Test for the Windows Experience, revealed that Microsoft had full compatibility with Vista-certified drivers for Windows 7 as a primary goal.
The Windows 7 Ballet with Drivers and Compatibility - Win 7 will support all Vista-certified drivers - Softpedia
One of the things you may discover is that not all of your older programs/games/drivers will work under 7, and their 7 compliant versions may not be availabe. In this case, you can try install and run them in Vista (or XP) compatible mode. To run a file in compatibility mode:
1. Right click on the executable file and click the "Properties" option
2. Select the "Compatibility tab"
3. From the drop-down menu, choose the operating system to run your file compatible with
4. Click OK
5. Run it "Compatibility" tab explained by Microsoft
If compatibility mode does not help, you can try force windows to use the standard device drivers:
1. In Device Manager, right-click your device (e.g. video adapter), and then click "Uninstall" to remove the device.
2. Restart your computer. After you log on, you receive a "New Hardware Found" dialog box with the device listed as the description and the "Found New Hardware Wizard" starts
3. Click "Next" to start the wizard
4. Click "search for suitable driver", and then click "Next"
5. Click to clear all of the search option check boxes, and then click "Next"
This way windows can install a standard driver for hardware like VGA, fax modem, printer, etc.How to force Windows to use a standard VGA compatible driver
I purchased a Dell laptop last May with 64-bit Vista. A number of web design and graphics apps I use were not fully functional on that OS, so I downgraded to the 32-bit Vista.
I now plan to upgrade that laptop to Windows 7.
Does anyone have any idea if the compatibility mode selections in Windows 7 64-bit will allow me to run more 32-bit applications than on Vista? I would like to take advantage of the extra RAM on my system, but not at the expense of applications not having full functionality.
I welcome any insights anyone can offer before I do the OS installation.
Has Microsoft made significant changes in Windows 7 with respect to MP4 video compatibility, specifically in Power-point? I have been able to easily insert and play MP4 video files in ppt 2007 on my 7 OS, but the same files will not work on my other PC running XP with ppt 2007.
I am curious about accessing an 'XP machine' with a 'Windows 7 machine.'
I'm planning on buying a storage drive, probably a 1.5TB drive. The new ones, mostly WD for now, have a new partitioning system and require a WD utility or Windows 7. I don't have it yet but might upgrade my Quad Core machine to Windows 7. I have an older laptop that has XP. It's not really powerful enough to bother installing 7 on it so it will remain an XP machine.
I will write to the new HDD from both computers. I guess I would format the new storage drive to NTFS format from Windows 7. (Or I could use the WD utility from XP?). There won't be any issues, right? Windows 7 NTFS is similar enough to XP NTFS?
If I got Windows 7, I think I wouldn't go any higher than Home Premium. I think there are utilities out there to obtain the XP Mode if I needed it. I just need to confirm that both operating systems can write to a NTFS-formatted storage drive with no issues. It will store video files, music files, documents, .exe files or program files but nothing installed; it's just for storage.
I am going to reinstall Windows 7 on my computer as soon as the RTM will leak and this time I am going with 64 bit actually the first time i use 64 bit. I am using safari 4 right now in 32 bit and i thinks it´s working pretty good. But when i re install i want a browser that´s 64 bit compatible.
Is Safari 4 64-bit compatible? Or should I use another browser?
where the CV list i stored, not the one that is downloaded from MS but the one containing "my" websites that i've added through the "Compatibility View Settings" under the "Tools"-meny in IE9.
As we all know, game compatibility frequently changed from build to build - some games that worked in older builds stopped working, and some games that did not work in older builds work in newer builds. Some of the latter can be attributed to patches put out but the game companies, and some can be attributed to the inclusion in Windows 7 missing components necessary to fulfill the total gaming experience of certain games.
That being said, there are now 2 lists to work with - the other list has been changed to a Pre-release list (and un-stickied), and this is now the official repository of games that work with the RTM. Read more at the forum...
will HP vista drivers work with windows 7 professional?
also, at my computer it currently shows 2 drives the normal 'C' drive (220gb), and a HP recovery drive (10gb). when I install win 7 will the recovery drive be deleted?
I have two computers that are running Win XP Home and one that is running Win Xp Media Center Edition. Will I have any problems upgrading the Win Xp Media Center Edition?
Currently I'm trying to upgrade the system with Win Xp Home. It has a Gigabyte AMD AM2 Socket (GA-M57 SLI-S4) motherboard, AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 6000+, 4 GB of ram and a Creative SB Audigy 2 ZS soundcard.
I ran the windows 7 upgrade adviser on the computer and then someone suggest I also run the vista upgrade adviser as well. On both it is telling me that there is a problem with "Windows Aero Support". I've seen lots of posts stating it will run on their video card but I have not seen anything on mine and need to know if I can upgrade to Win 7 Home Premium without a problem. My video card is a NVidia Geforce 7900 GTX. Does anyone know if that card will work with Win 7?
Then also it is telling me that my D-Link DWA-130 Wireless USB adapter is a problem. I went to their website and they have Vista drivers but not Win 7. Someone suggested not downloading the D-Link drivers but downloading the vista drivers and that it would work. I have little knowledge regarding Win 7 and therefore didn't know if this was good advice or bad advice on downloading the vista drivers. Is anyone here using this wireless adapter successfully with Win 7?
Last it mentions that it is not compatible with the Creative Game Port. I don't know if this is something that is downloaded with my Gigaabyte motherboard recovery disc. I don't think it was something I installed but not sure. AS far as I know it is not something I'm using so it doesn't matter if it isn't compatible (at least I think it's not). I didn't know if anyone knew about this.
I'm hoping anyone that has experience with any of this hardware will let me know if it is compatible with Win 7 before I upgrade it only to find it is compatible to upgrade.
Question: When Windows 7 says "This program has known compatibility issues", is it basing it on an analysis of what the program is doing, or is it consulting a list of programs?
So far, I have encountered this with DaemonTools (even though their site claims it's Windows 7 compatible), ZoneAlarm, and Adobe Reader (version 7 - I don't know why that's the latest one I can download fresh from their site, because I know version 9 is out). I've gone ahead and used Adobe Reader because I needed it and it seemed to work okay, but I didn't want to chance it with something like ZoneAlarm that is going to attach itself deep into the OS.
I am trying to install my comcast high speed Internet (through Ethernet using a cable modem) on a computer I just bought from someone who has windows 7 installed and the comcast message is telling me that the my operating system (windows nt 6.1) isn't meeting the minimum requirements to install and list every other prior operating system as those that meet the requirements. Is there a way I can install without having to wipe windows seven and install xp?
Is there not a Win 7 compatible version of Avira? I downloaded and installed from CNET as per my usual choice and it does appear to install but is then not visible anywhere within the drive and gave some compatibility message at the end of install that it might not work. I'm in my office now so i can't test to report the specific message.
A friend asked me to setup her new Windows 7 Home Premium machine and her old Dell Dimension 4700 with windows xp. She bought a Belkin FLIP USB with audio to accomplish this somewhat, however the windows 7 pc seems to be causing issues as far as i can tell. At random times the keyboard will not switch during a flip but you can flip again and it corrects.
It also would sometimes get the KB/mouse on one computer and the monitor on the other, which was not fixable by her. The only solution being to fully unplug the KVM and let it power down for a few seconds and then rehook it up to the running PCs. She's not really prepared to do that for a KVM that should be simple.
Belkin's website does not claim compatibility with Windows 7 or 64bit, so can anyone recommend a KVM that has "fully" compatible drivers for Windows 7 64bit? The belkin flip will generally work with a little troubleshooting despite it not being supported on win7 64, but she doesn't want to do "any troubleshooting" and just wants it to work all the time.
I have dell 490 precision version A00. I installed new graphic card - ASUS AMD Radeon HD 6670, thr card works fine except MKV movies at 720p or 1080p. it moves fast then slow down.
I wonder Im not satisfied w/ the performance of my LCDTV SONY BRAVIA-KLV19T 400W on my pc. the color seems to be very pale & there are horizontal lines going up. when adjusting the resolution on the menu of the lcd tv, error message is increase pc output?
I was trying find information about compatibility drivers canon BJC 250 with windows 7 64 bits. I know that one printer is compatible with windows vista. Go to link:
WillI be able to install windows 7 32 bit on HP DV4 and DV3 laptops? For instance HP DV4 1411TU or HP DV4 1415TU? The dealer says the vista that comes on these machines can't be changed.
My mom just got a new computer with Windows 7 - 64 bit operating system. She can't download Copmuserve Dialer software. Some Capatability issue with the 7.0 version on CD
I am having problem with my D-link router and new notebook which installed windows7.I am using the windows7 64bit. When i connect my notebook to my router in both wire and wireless way, my router will automatically restart itself!my router is a D-link router model DI-624.....I have checked on the Windows7 Compatibility Center.....yea...unfortunately.... it said my router is not compatible with........but i just wonder how can my client PC OS will affect my router working?I have asked in many other computing forum, those guys told so, OS won't affect router, and won't uncompatible......
I am using window 7 ultimate on my dell notebook. I just purchased broadband data card of Huawei from tata indicom. The system get hanged after using it for 5 to 15 minutes and respond only on doing system switch off.Do we have any solution as the firm's technical person just waisted my time thrice for no result?
I am setting up my new windows 7 computer. I have Kodak Easy Share software for my camera and have used it for years. It will not work on this computer. It says that the Microsoft XML parser is missing.
I'm currently using Windows XP and making a lot of use of MS Works Version 8.0 (2004)for various databases and also printing labels from these databases. Is this MS Works program compatible with Windows 7 (and 8)if and when I decide to buy a new machine? Same question for MS Money Version 14.0 120 1105 (2004). I also have a brilliant but ancient (1988 vintage, updated for Windows) MS-DOS "Masterfile" database by Campbell Systems (later taken over by Tower) which still works on XP - what about Windows 7 and 8?
I have Windows 7 (64bit) and IE 9 brower installed. I'm looking to acquire iPhone 4G S. Apple wants to install Safari as browser. Does this replace my IE, or can I have both co-exist? Must I do this to have full range of services on iPhone? What are the gotchas with this?
