I am currently useing Windows XP Pro. and am thinking of switching to Vista, advice please .?

Don't. Even IF your computer can run Vista, why spend a couple of hundred dollars for Vista and additional memory to make your computer run much slower? Save your money; XP will be supported for two or three more years; after 2-3 years buy a new laptop, by then your computer will be 6 or 7 years old.

The D400 series is about 4 years old. I believe it has a 1.3 or 1.7 GHz processor.

For Vista you should have the following:

1-2GB RAM

Dual core processor or very fast single core (2.5+ GHz).

Support for DirectX 9 graphics with:

WDDM Driver

128 MB of graphics memory (minimum)

Pixel Shader 2.0 in hardware

32 bits per pixel

Run Vista upgrade Advisor.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsv...

http://www.pcpitstop.com/vistaready/default.asp

Check to make sure Vista drivers are available for your printer, scanner, video card, sound card, etc.

Compare features of Vista versions

http://www.microsoft.com/canada/windows/products/w...

Upgrade Paths from Previous Versions

http://www.microsoft.com/canada/windows/products/w...

XP Pro will not upgrade to Vista Home Premium

How to Install a Vista Upgrade on a Blank Hard Drive

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/pcs/how-to-install-a-vi...

How to Clean Install Windows Vista with Upgrade Media

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgr...

Upgrade, Vista Home Premium, Students Version: $69

https://usm.channelonline.com/rtech/storesite/Prod...

http://www.campustech.com/c/campust/MSCD23142WIAE....

Before moving to Vista think about the pro's and con's. Do you need to upgrade? Is the software you are using (applications) still going to be compatible with Vista? Are you ready to learn a new operating system layout? Are you ready to upgrade your Microsoft Office products (if running older than Office 2007), and ready to hear others complain they cannot open documents you send?

Working with medical and professional offices we have informed all of our clients to not upgrade to Vista. There are many programs that do no work, and it's a different layout and has different compatibility than XP does. XP files and such will work all the way back to Windows 95, but Vista does not work any farther back than itself, unless you save them a special way. Some programs have no backwards compatibility at all, like Quickbooks, and will not work under Vista.

Regarding you system specs from what I can see you need more memory (1 GB at least), and should definitely look into a larger (40GB+) hard drive for Vista. What does your video card have in memory? At least 128mb is needed for Vista to run smooth.

According to Dell you do not have WDDM support under Vista, and can only provide Basic Vista functionality with your system. Dell has no plans to update BIOS on you laptop to support full Vista functionality.

Probably not hard to tell exactly.

There is a software program supplied by Microsoft which will check your computer’s hardware and software compatibility for you, this is provided free from Microsoft’s website it is called:

Vista upgrade adviser RCI build 1.0.0000.309

An upgrade can only be installed over Windows XP you will need to run a new install if your upgrading from any other operating system.

If you do decide to upgrade to Windows Vista I would recommend you get someone who is qualified to do the install.

If you would like to run the installation yourself and have Windows XP installed on your computer.

Backup all of your files to removable storage, if your computer fails for any reason you will lose everything.

Switch your computer on and start Windows XP place the Vista system disc into your CD/DVD drive the installation will start automatically.

Select the upgrade choice, the installation program will automatically scan your computer’s hardware and software and tell you what is and isn’t compatible.

You can now decide if you wish to continue with the installation.

If you still wish to install simply select install, this will start the installation over the top of Windows XP you will need your product ID

Depending on your computer’s configuration it may take some time to install.

It is possible to install multiple operating systems on a single computer by dividing your hard drive into partitions installing a separate operating system on each partition.

This gives you the opportunity to select which operating system you would like to use just before the boot screen appears.

The advantage in doing this allows the computer user the option of having your familiar operating system alongside your new unfamiliar system.

in case you adore your workstation, stay with Xp, Vista and 7 are very distinctive to xp and in case you have been working xp for as long as I even have you ever'll understand how each and all of the device folders and document structures are arranged. This all transformations in vista and 7. additionally Win xp makes use of up much less disk area and computing power than the two Vista and 7. wish this allows!

Don't because microsoft advises at least 1gb of ram to suffiently handle all the different aspects of vista. Also there is no reason to switch right now because there really aren't any benefits to switching to vista yet as most programs and hardware are made to xp still

Honestly, this is not good enough.

Here's the Windows upgrade program: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsv...

Run it and see what all is wrong.

Ususally for laptops, you'll need a new laptop designed to meet Vista's needs. The program above will inform you on what's needed.

You need at least 100gb drive (7200rpm or fast is better)

You need at least 1gb ram (2 better)

Your video card needs to be able to handle the Vista requirements. Without full Aero Glas support, you will hate Vista!

I would reccomend sticking with XP until you get a new computer. I don't think there are any significant advantages to switching to vista at the moment. In the future when they stop making updates for XP then it might be worthwhile.

The only advantage I can see is that you can show off to your friends by telling them you have vista.

For compatibility, you can run Microsoft's Vista compatibility check at their website.

However, I would advise you not to upgrade to Vista at this time. Vista is pretty new, with lots and lots of hardware not really supporting the OS. Simultaneously, a lot of software is not really compatible with the new paranoid security features.

I would recommend to wait for at least the first Service Pack.

I theory it will install. I think that with only 512 ram and 30Gb hard drive you will find the performance less than optimal it will crawl. Each new version of Windows actually performs worse than the previous version on a comparable PC it is only that the new PC's are that much faster that M$ can get away with their better performance claims.

First u work in Vista Operating system then u upgrade UR OS

As my Knowledge Vista Has Got 50/100f markes.