Prepare for Windows 8 Upgrade: How to Smooth the OS Transition

Windows 8 officially hit the market on Oct. 26. I haven’t wavered in my recommendation that you use caution when considering upgrading to such a drastically different operating system but, if you’re eager to join the ranks of early adopters, here are some tips to smooth your transition to the next generation of Windows.

First, make sure your computer is compatible with and able to support Windows 8. It actually doesn’t require many resources to run (one of its benefits – its streamlined nature helps it to boot up and run fast), so if your system was built in the last six years or so you’re probably good to go. The minimum requirements are: 1 GHz or faster processor, 1 GB of RAM, 16 GB of hard disk space and a graphics card with Microsoft DirectX 9 and WDDM driver.

To check your computer’s specifications, right-click on the “My Computer” icon and select ‘properties’ or, if you’re running Windows 7, select ‘start,’ right-click ‘computer’ and select ‘properties.’ For information about additional requirements to support certain features, see Microsoft’s Windows 8 system requirement page.

Next, head over to Microsoft’s Compatibility Center to confirm that your peripheral devices (such as printers, monitor, mouse, cellphone, camera, etc.) are compatible. Most devices that work with Windows 7 will work with Windows 8, but its best to make sure before you upgrade.
Once you’ve determined that your system is ready for Windows 8, watch a few online walk-through videos to see the software in action. I don’t mean the glossy commercial-style videos produced by Windows and designed to sell you on the “coolness” of the product. I mean videos like those posted on CNN’s technology page or even those on YouTube (search “Windows 8 walkthrough”) – just prepare to weed through some truly atrocious amateur contributions.

This is the best way to get an idea of how drastically different Windows 8 will be. Keep in mind, it’s designed to be used with a touch screen device, so if you’re planning to install it on a standard PC with a mouse and keyboard, make sure you peruse some video coverage of how it runs without touch capability.

Now it’s time to hunt for and gather all the installation disks, codes and/or drivers for your software and peripheral devices. Without a way to reinstall the software that supports your system’s hardware and peripherals, you could be left without a working display or way to input commands should Windows 8 fail to recognize the drivers for your monitor or keyboard. Be prepared to reconfigure your modem and/or router to get back online.

If you don’t have a handy keepsake box full of installation CDs (doesn’t everyone?), look up your devices online and download a backup copy of the drivers before you upgrade lest you be left without Internet access after installing Windows 8.

Are you still on board? Now do a complete backup of your data. While upgrading to Windows 8 shouldn’t affect the programs and data stored on your system, performing such a major change always warrants backing up first. Backup your important files to another computer, an external hard disk or cloud-based storage account.

Finally, prepare for the worst and make sure you’re prepared to do a re-format of your hard disk in order to reinstall Windows 7. This will require a valid product ID (it can be found on the ‘system’ page where you found your system specifications) or Windows activation key (for Windows XP it’s often located on a sticker on the system itself.
Good luck on your new Windows adventure.

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Andrea Eldridge