Assessing Your Current Configuration

Assessing Your Current Configuration

Your deployment plan must include an assessment of your current infrastructure. The answers to the following questions can help you determine what you must do to prepare the computers in your organization for Windows Vista:

  • Are the computers and other devices in your network compatible with Windows Vista?
  • What applications does your organization use? Are they compatible with Windows Vista, or do you need to upgrade to newer versions of the software before upgrading users' computers?
  • Are all of your users connecting locally, or do some of them use remote access to connect to your network?

To determine if your computers and peripheral devices are compatible with Windows Vista, see the Hardware Compatibility article at https://www.microsoft.com/technet/windowsvista/evaluate/hardware/default.mspx. For more information about application compatibility, see the Application Compatibility List link on the Web Resources page. You can determine if your hardware and device drivers throughout your organization are compatible with Windows Vista by signing up for the beta of the Windows Vista Hardware Assessment at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=80739&clcid=0x409.

Before you can upgrade your users to Windows Vista, you must upgrade other software and your hardware as needed. Be sure to upgrade devices, remote access services, and your organization's applications first.