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Windows 8 Upgrade Advisor

After you make the decision to upgrade Windows 8, you should strategize how you will implement it. The following upgrade checklist (valid for upgrading from Windows 7) will help you plan and implement a successful upgrade strategy:

• Verify that your computer meets the minimum hardware requirements for Windows 8.

• Be sure that your hardware is on the HCL.

• Check that you have the Windows 8 drivers for the hardware. You can verify this with the hardware manufacturer.

• Run the Windows 8 Upgrade Advisor tool from the Microsoft website, which also includes documentation on using the utility, to audit the current configuration and status of your computer. It will generate a report of any known hardware or software compatibility issues based on your configuration. It is recommended that you resolve any reported issues before you upgrade to Windows 8.

• Check that your BIOS is current. Windows 8 requires that your computer has the most current BIOS. If it does not, the computer may not be able to use advanced power-management features or device-configuration features. In addition, your computer may fail to function during or after the upgrade. Use caution when performing BIOS updates, as installing the incorrect BIOS can cause your computer to fail to boot.

• Take an inventory of your current configuration. This inventory should include documentation of your current network configuration, the applications that are installed, the hardware items and their configuration, the services that are running, and any profile and policy settings.

• Back up your data and configuration files. Highly advised that you back up your data and configuration files before you make any major changes to your computer’s configuration. Then verify that you can successfully restore your backup. Most likely you won’t have any problems if you have a valid backup.

• Delete any unnecessary files or applications, and clean up any program groups or program items you do not use. Theoretically, you want to delete all the junk on your computer before you upgrade.

• Verify that there are no existing problems with your drive prior to the upgrade. Perform a disk scan, a current virus scan, and defragmentation. This step just prepares your drive for the upgrade.

• Perform the upgrade. In this step, you upgrade from the Windows Vista operating system to Windows 8.

• Verify your configuration. After Windows 8 has been installed, use the inventory to compare and test each element that was previously inventoried prior to the upgrade to verify that the upgrade was successful.