Need a compatabilty check for Win 8.

I have Win7 SP1 64bit installed and hundreds of
programs left over from the ME days and after.

Is there a Microsoft product to check my computer
to see if all its content, especially programs, is
compatible with Windows 8?

Is an upgrade the best way to go?

On 3/22/2013 5:03 PM, Peter Jason wrote:
I have Win7 SP1 64bit installed and hundreds of
programs left over from the ME days and after.

Is there a Microsoft product to check my computer
to see if all its content, especially programs, is
compatible with Windows 8?

Is an upgrade the best way to go?

Store bought box or custom built? I followed the upgrade advisor for my
wife's 4 yr old store bought computer and all was supposedly fine..
However once the upgrade was complete the computer endlessly black
screened (the replacement for blue screen of death). Shows no errors or
message of any kind. Microsoft worked on it for 10hrs over 2 days and
could not fix it. They recommended returning it to win 7 64bit as it was
obviously not compatible without a bios update and graphics update from
the manufacturer (HP). Bottom line is I have a copy of win 8 both 32 and
64bit that are going to be used as either frizbee's or coasters. Not
sure which yet. Buyer beware and research the hell out of it before you
upgrade!

On 3/22/2013 6:00 PM, Drew wrote:
On 3/22/2013 5:03 PM, Peter Jason wrote:
I have Win7 SP1 64bit installed and hundreds of
programs left over from the ME days and after.

Is there a Microsoft product to check my computer
to see if all its content, especially programs, is
compatible with Windows 8?

Is an upgrade the best way to go?

Store bought box or custom built? I followed the upgrade advisor for my
wife's 4 yr old store bought computer and all was supposedly fine..
However once the upgrade was complete the computer endlessly black
screened (the replacement for blue screen of death). Shows no errors or
message of any kind. Microsoft worked on it for 10hrs over 2 days and
could not fix it. They recommended returning it to win 7 64bit as it was
obviously not compatible without a bios update and graphics update from
the manufacturer (HP). Bottom line is I have a copy of win 8 both 32 and
64bit that are going to be used as either frizbee's or coasters. Not
sure which yet. Buyer beware and research the hell out of it before you
upgrade!

Forgot to mention that her computer was specifically designed for touch
and yet it still did not work!

On Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:00:07 -0700, Drew wrote:

On 3/22/2013 5:03 PM, Peter Jason wrote:
I have Win7 SP1 64bit installed and hundreds of
programs left over from the ME days and after.

Is there a Microsoft product to check my computer
to see if all its content, especially programs, is
compatible with Windows 8?

Is an upgrade the best way to go?

Store bought box or custom built? I followed the upgrade advisor for my
wife's 4 yr old store bought computer and all was supposedly fine..
However once the upgrade was complete the computer endlessly black
screened (the replacement for blue screen of death). Shows no errors or
message of any kind. Microsoft worked on it for 10hrs over 2 days and
could not fix it. They recommended returning it to win 7 64bit as it was
obviously not compatible without a bios update and graphics update from
the manufacturer (HP). Bottom line is I have a copy of win 8 both 32 and
64bit that are going to be used as either frizbee's or coasters. Not
sure which yet. Buyer beware and research the hell out of it before you
upgrade!

Since the disks have holes in them, they are not very good as coasters,
so you'll probably be happier using them as frisbees.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

On Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:03:09 -0700, Drew wrote:

On 3/22/2013 6:00 PM, Drew wrote:
On 3/22/2013 5:03 PM, Peter Jason wrote:
I have Win7 SP1 64bit installed and hundreds of
programs left over from the ME days and after.

Is there a Microsoft product to check my computer
to see if all its content, especially programs, is
compatible with Windows 8?

Is an upgrade the best way to go?

Store bought box or custom built? I followed the upgrade advisor for my
wife's 4 yr old store bought computer and all was supposedly fine..
However once the upgrade was complete the computer endlessly black
screened (the replacement for blue screen of death). Shows no errors or
message of any kind. Microsoft worked on it for 10hrs over 2 days and
could not fix it. They recommended returning it to win 7 64bit as it was
obviously not compatible without a bios update and graphics update from
the manufacturer (HP). Bottom line is I have a copy of win 8 both 32 and
64bit that are going to be used as either frizbee's or coasters. Not
sure which yet. Buyer beware and research the hell out of it before you
upgrade!

Forgot to mention that her computer was specifically designed for touch
and yet it still did not work!

That computer's touch interface was designed and built before Windows 8
existed, and so it's probably not compatible with Windows 8.

I wouldn't bet money on my statement above, but it's probably true
anyway.

--
Gene E. Bloch (Stumbling Bloch)

"Peter Jason" wrote in message
...
I have Win7 SP1 64bit installed and hundreds of
programs left over from the ME days and after.

Is there a Microsoft product to check my computer
to see if all its content, especially programs, is
compatible with Windows 8?

Is an upgrade the best way to go?

Go here http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/buy and click on Get
Started. When given the choice, choose Run to start the Upgrade Assistant.
That will give you an idea of what will/will not work if you upgrade. It's
not 100% accurate, but it's a starting point.

You can also check your programs here to see if others have deemed them
compatible or not:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/compatibility/win8/CompatCenter/Home?Language=en-US
Do a search for each program.

Go to your motherboard or PC manufacturer's site and see if they have
Windows 8 drivers for your make and model. That's a pretty good indication
if your hardware is compatible. They may have different drivers; one set for
"Upgrade From Windows 7 to Windows 8" and another set for factory-installed.

16-bit programs will no longer work, so you can forget about them (if you
have any left). I haven't seen any 32-bit programs that won't on my 64-bit
Win8 Pro (yet!!).
--
SC Tom

"Gene E. Bloch" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 22 Mar 2013 18:00:07 -0700, Drew wrote:

On 3/22/2013 5:03 PM, Peter Jason wrote:
I have Win7 SP1 64bit installed and hundreds of
programs left over from the ME days and after.

Is there a Microsoft product to check my computer
to see if all its content, especially programs, is
compatible with Windows 8?

Is an upgrade the best way to go?

Store bought box or custom built? I followed the upgrade advisor for my
wife's 4 yr old store bought computer and all was supposedly fine..
However once the upgrade was complete the computer endlessly black
screened (the replacement for blue screen of death). Shows no errors or
message of any kind. Microsoft worked on it for 10hrs over 2 days and
could not fix it. They recommended returning it to win 7 64bit as it was
obviously not compatible without a bios update and graphics update from
the manufacturer (HP). Bottom line is I have a copy of win 8 both 32 and
64bit that are going to be used as either frizbee's or coasters. Not
sure which yet. Buyer beware and research the hell out of it before you
upgrade!

Since the disks have holes in them, they are not very good as coasters,
so you'll probably be happier using them as frisbees.


Or skeet :-)
--
SC Tom

Go here - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/buy
- click 'Get Started' and save the Win8 Upgrade Assistant exe file and run it locally

or

Use the the direct link to download the Win 8 Upgrade Assistant exe file to run locally
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?linkid=259439


--
....winston
msft mvp consumer apps


"Peter Jason" wrote in message ...

I have Win7 SP1 64bit installed and hundreds of
programs left over from the ME days and after.

Is there a Microsoft product to check my computer
to see if all its content, especially programs, is
compatible with Windows 8?

Is an upgrade the best way to go?

On Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:31:10 -0400, "SC Tom"
wrote:



"Peter Jason" wrote in message
.. .
I have Win7 SP1 64bit installed and hundreds of
programs left over from the ME days and after.

Is there a Microsoft product to check my computer
to see if all its content, especially programs, is
compatible with Windows 8?

Is an upgrade the best way to go?

Go here http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/buy and click on Get
Started. When given the choice, choose Run to start the Upgrade Assistant.
That will give you an idea of what will/will not work if you upgrade. It's
not 100% accurate, but it's a starting point.

You can also check your programs here to see if others have deemed them
compatible or not:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/compatibility/win8/CompatCenter/Home?Language=en-US
Do a search for each program.

Go to your motherboard or PC manufacturer's site and see if they have
Windows 8 drivers for your make and model. That's a pretty good indication
if your hardware is compatible. They may have different drivers; one set for
"Upgrade From Windows 7 to Windows 8" and another set for factory-installed.

16-bit programs will no longer work, so you can forget about them (if you
have any left). I haven't seen any 32-bit programs that won't on my 64-bit
Win8 Pro (yet!!).



Thanks. Would a good test to be to connect a
Win8 Pro 64bit portable machine to the Win7
machine and try to run the Win7 programs? Would
this be definitive?

On Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:31:10 -0400, "SC Tom" wrote:

I haven't seen any 32-bit programs that won't on my 64-bit
Win8 Pro (yet!!).
One program that I run on my 32-bit Win7 PC is a 1998 program,
POP3 Scan Mailbox, which would not install on my 64-bit Win7 PC.
I guess that it would not install on 64-bit Win8 either. Now running
Mailwasher Pro.

"Monty" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:31:10 -0400, "SC Tom" wrote:

I haven't seen any 32-bit programs that won't on my 64-bit
Win8 Pro (yet!!).
One program that I run on my 32-bit Win7 PC is a 1998 program,
POP3 Scan Mailbox, which would not install on my 64-bit Win7 PC.
I guess that it would not install on 64-bit Win8 either. Now running
Mailwasher Pro.

More than likely that's a 16bit program which is why it won't run on a 64bit
OS. Tom is talking about a 32bit program to run on 64bit OS.

On Sat, 23 Mar 2013 00:59:33 -0400, "Seth"
wrote:


More than likely that's a 16bit program which is why it won't run on a 64bit
OS. Tom is talking about a 32bit program to run on 64bit OS.

Much more likely is that the 16bit version of the program was never
installed on any of my PCs.

....winston wrote:
Go here - http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/buy
- click 'Get Started' and save the Win8 Upgrade Assistant exe file and
run it locally

or

Use the the direct link to download the Win 8 Upgrade Assistant exe file
to run locally
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?linkid=259439



The downloadable Assistant gives you a screen like this. With some details.

http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4133/w8assist.gif

As far as I know, the same Assistant lives on the Win8 installer DVD
and will do the same check at installation time.

Paul

"Paul" wrote in message ...

...winston wrote:
Use the the direct link to download the Win 8 Upgrade Assistant exe file to run locally
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?linkid=259439


The downloadable Assistant gives you a screen like this. With some details.
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/4133/w8assist.gif

As far as I know, the same Assistant lives on the Win8 installer DVD
and will do the same check at installation time.

Hi Paul,

The 'Assistant' is the same for all mechanisms (online, dvd, downloaded exe file). Also provides telemetry on its use (not
results) to MSFT and even though updated (file version and size) since
first release also checks for new info.

My intent (as you probably gathered) was to also provide a direct link to just download and independently run the UA exe file
without having to navigate or use media elsewhere.

--
....winston
msft mvp consumer apps

"Peter Jason" wrote in message
...
On Fri, 22 Mar 2013 21:31:10 -0400, "SC Tom"
wrote:



"Peter Jason" wrote in message
. ..
I have Win7 SP1 64bit installed and hundreds of
programs left over from the ME days and after.

Is there a Microsoft product to check my computer
to see if all its content, especially programs, is
compatible with Windows 8?

Is an upgrade the best way to go?

Go here http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/buy and click on Get
Started. When given the choice, choose Run to start the Upgrade Assistant.
That will give you an idea of what will/will not work if you upgrade. It's
not 100% accurate, but it's a starting point.

You can also check your programs here to see if others have deemed them
compatible or not:
http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/compatibility/win8/CompatCenter/Home?Language=en-US
Do a search for each program.

Go to your motherboard or PC manufacturer's site and see if they have
Windows 8 drivers for your make and model. That's a pretty good indication
if your hardware is compatible. They may have different drivers; one set
for
"Upgrade From Windows 7 to Windows 8" and another set for
factory-installed.

16-bit programs will no longer work, so you can forget about them (if you
have any left). I haven't seen any 32-bit programs that won't on my 64-bit
Win8 Pro (yet!!).



Thanks. Would a good test to be to connect a
Win8 Pro 64bit portable machine to the Win7
machine and try to run the Win7 programs? Would
this be definitive?

Odds are that wouldn't work since the program isn't installed on the Win8
machine.
--
SC Tom