Windows 7 – Are You Ready?

Microsoft will be releasing the next version of the Windows operating system this year, perhaps as early as this fall.  It certainly looks like a release before Christmas  is a high probability.

Should you upgrade?  If you are running any version of Windows Vista, the answer is YES!  Windows 7 ( the new version) will run on any Vista compatible machine, using existing Vista device drivers, so if your computer runs Vista – it will run Win7.  There have been reported performance gains by everyone I have I have talked to or read about who has installed the current Release Candidate.  This means your Vista machine will actually run faster and with way less of the annoying “Vortex of Death” events.  You know, the little circle spins while the application window displays a “Not Responding” message.  Plus there are five levels of User Account Control now, not just On or Off, so you can lower the number of times the system asks your permission to make a simple change.

The installation package is smaller than Windows Vista, which will recover space on your hard drive.  Plus you will be able to install from the much less expense ‘upgrade” version of the Operating System.

For those of you still on XP, the news is not quite as good.  If your machine is 4 years old or more, you are probably looking at a new machine.  If you are already looking at buying a new computer, you might just wait a bit.  Or buy it with an upgrade bundle that provides you with right to an upgrade to Windows 7.

If you have a newer machine, you need to run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor to see if your machine will run Windows 7.  The link above will take you to the free download at Microsoft.  You will need to purchase the more expensive full version, and perform a clean install from scratch.  This means backing up your files and user settings using the Easy Transfer Wizard from Windows 7, making a disk image in case you decide to go back to XP, and then performing a full install including a disk format, reinstalling all your applications, and then completing the Easy transfer Wizard.

If you need assistance with this process, you can of course drop me a quick email for further help. 

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About the Author:

I am a cybersecurity and IT instructor, cybersecurity analyst, pen-tester, trainer, and speaker. I am an owner of the WyzCo Group Inc. In addition to consulting on security products and services, I also conduct security audits, compliance audits, vulnerability assessments and penetration tests. I also teach Cybersecurity Awareness Training classes. I work as an information technology and cybersecurity instructor for several training and certification organizations. I have worked in corporate, military, government, and workforce development training environments I am a frequent speaker at professional conferences such as the Minnesota Bloggers Conference, Secure360 Security Conference in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, the (ISC)2 World Congress 2016, and the ISSA International Conference 2017, and many local community organizations, including Chambers of Commerce, SCORE, and several school districts. I have been blogging on cybersecurity since 2006 at http://wyzguyscybersecurity.com

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