How do I Upgrade My Old Windows XP Computer To Windows 7

 If you want to determine if you can upgrade that old windows xp computer here is what you need to do.

• The very first thing I would do is download the windows 7 compatibility checker program. Run the program and it will indicate what hardware and software may be a problem.
• First get the model number and brand of your computer.
• Go to the manufacturers website for your computer and look for the specifications.
• Generally you will be looking for the Microprocessor Speed, total memory it can take and largest hard drive size it can take.
• Look to see if there are software drivers for windows 7 or windows 8 at the manufacturers website. There may be some for 32bit or 64bit.
• If it has 64bit drivers available I would go with a 64bit operating system.
• Now look at your computer for what it has in it currently for hardware.
• You should look to see how much memory you currently have. If you have less than 4gb of system ram memory I would add enough to bring it up to at least 4gb. Some computers may only have two memory slots while others may have 4 slots. Also older motherboards may need the memory installed in certain amounts in different slots.
• The next item I would look at is how big is your hard drive. I would recommend at least a 500gb hard drive. If you for example only have a 250gb hard drive you can install a new larger hard drive and make the smaller hard drive the second for data or programs.
• If you can tackle this job yourself then it is okay for the cost. If you take it to a local computer shop it may be more cost effective to go with a new computer. 
• The advantages of a new computer are faster, larger amount of faster memory, larger hard drive capability and a warranty.
• Other parts of the job may be transferring your old data. This can be done with a free program called unstoppable copier. If you are not capable of doing this yourself, I would have a professional do it or a family member who knows how to do it.
• Some other issues that can arise are old video cards or sound cards with no drivers for windows 7 or windows 8. I would not install windows 8 on a older system, mainly because it was made for touch screen systems and tablets.

                                       
  So as you can see there are quite a few different steps you may encounter trying to upgrade an older computer to windows 7 or windows 8. My advise is if you can afford to go with a new computer, go for it. Some other advise I would give is to make sure you have a good warranty with a new computer. Some local shops may only have a 1 or 2 year parts and labor warranty. Components such as motherboards and hard drives may have at least a 3 year manufacture warranty. If you are going with a laptop it may only have a 1 year warranty. I would see if a extended warranty can be purchased and see if it has accidental warranty coverage.
  Other items that could be replaced are a lcd display, keyboard and mouse. Older lcd monitors may not support newer video cards with higher resolutions. You may only have an old cathode ray tube monitor and this will just not work properly. Another item that may be upgraded is a power supply. Going with 500 watts or better would make a very good upgrade.
  So that covers just about everything I can think of.
 Thank You for reading and stay safe.