Datasheet

Part I: Windows 7 Stuff Everybody Thinks You Already Know

✓ Memory: Windows 7 loves memory. For best results, your PC should

have 1GB of memory or more. Memory’s easy to install and relatively

cheap, so don’t skimp here.

✓ DVD drive: Unlike Windows XP, which comes on a CD, Windows 7 (like

Windows Vista) comes on a DVD. That means your PC needs a working

DVD drive to install it. That probably won’t rule out many PCs these

days, but it may rule out some older laptops and netbooks.

Windows 7 can run nearly any program that runs on Windows Vista, and it

can run a great number of Windows XP programs. Some older programs, how-

ever, won’t work, including most security-based programs, such as antivirus,

firewall, and security programs. You’ll need to contact the program’s manu-

facturer to see whether it’ll give you a free upgrade.

Shopping for a new PC to run Windows 7? To see how well a particular show-

room PC will handle Windows 7, click the PC’s Start button, choose Control

Panel, and open the System and Security category. In the System area, choose

Check the Windows Experience Index. Windows tests the PC and gives it a

grade ranging from 1 (terrible) to 7.9 (extraordinary).

Not sure what version of Windows your PC has? Right-click Computer from

the Start menu and choose Properties. The screen that appears states your

Windows version.

Speeding up Windows 7 on a laptop or an old PC

Both Windows Vista and Windows 7 love slick

graphics, but all those smooth edges and

fancy colors can bog down a laptop or an old

PC. Follow these steps to strip away the eye-

candy and make Windows 7 run as quickly as

possible:

1. Click the Start button, right-click the

Computer icon, and choose Properties.

The Computer icon lives on the Start menu’s

right side.

2. Click Advanced System Settings, found in

the window’s left pane.

You may need to type in a password from an

Administrator account to enter this mysteri-

ous settings area.

3. In the Performance area, click the

Settings button, click the Adjust For Best

Performance button, and click OK.

These steps revert your system to the look of

previous Windows versions that didn’t rely on

fancy graphics. To return to Windows 7’s normal

look, repeat the steps, but in Step 3, click the

button called Let Windows Choose What’s Best

For My Computer.

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