Windows Vista Compatibility Center

The Compatibility Center lists thousands of devices and software titles to help you easily identify what will or won't work with the Windows Vista operating system. You can use the site to upgrade with more confidence. And you'll find the downloads you need to get a new PC up and running quickly.

It's all about finding out the compatibility status for thousands of products you use every day, downloading the software upgrades or device drivers you need, and leaving feedback on your experiences. There are three ways to use the site:

• Determine product compatibility with Windows Vista

• Download the device drivers and software upgrades you need

• Share feedback

1.   Determine product compatibility with Windows Vista

   When you search or browse the Compatibility Center, you'll see four different compatibility icons:

   A green check mark indicates the product is compatible with Windows Vista

   A yellow caution icon indicates that the software publisher offers a free or fee-based upgrade or solution for compatibility with Windows Vista

   A red cross shows the product is not supported on Windows Vista

   A black question mark indicates we do not have information for this product yet

   The default view is 32-bit Windows Vista compatibility status. To view 64-bit Windows Vista compatibility status, click the 64-bit filter on the results page or the 64-bit tab on the product details page.

   For more information on the compatibility icons, read What do the different compatibility icons mean?

   To help you locate products you're interested in, here are some tips for using browse, search, or advanced search.

   Using browse

   The default home page shows icons to browse for hardware. You can switch between hardware and software by clicking the tabs above the icons.

   

   Move your mouse over an icon to see a list of subcategories. Click any subcategory to see a broad list of products. For tips on narrowing your list results, see Filtering and Sorting Results later in this section.

   Using search

   The Search bar is located near the top and center of every page in the Compatibility Center.

   

   Select Hardware or Software from the drop-down menu, type the name of the product you're looking for, and then click Go. If you cannot find your product or you get too many results, try the following search tips:

   • Type shorter variations of a product name or model

   • Include the manufacturer name with the product name

   • Put your search terms between quotation marks " " to search for an exact phrase

   • Use Advanced Search

   Your search results will be displayed on two tabs – one with Hardware results and the other with Software results.

   

   Using Advanced search

   If you want to perform refined searches, you can click the Advanced search link for more search options.

   

   With the Advanced Search form you can search within specific parameters:

   • Brand/Publisher name

   • Category

   • Subcategory

   • Compatibility status

   • System type (32-bit or 64-bit)

   Filtering and sorting search results

   Using browse will give you a broad list of results in a product subcategory. You can narrow the list by sorting or filtering.

   

   With the results filter, you can refine your results by Category, Common Brands or Publishers, Compatibility, and System Type (32-bit or 64-bit). You can use the Sort list box to reorder the list and the Show list box to choose how many results are shown on the page at one time.

2.   Download the device drivers and software upgrades you need

   On a results page, click anywhere on the product listing to bring up a product details page.

   

   Links under the compatibility status will take you directly to a download page for the device driver or software upgrade you need. Additional links on the left side of the page go to the manufacturer's or publisher's homepage, support site, and contact page. For compatibility information on 64-bit versions of Windows Vista, click the 64-bit tab at the top of the page.

3.   Share feedback

   Every product details page enables you to send feedback about that product. You can select Yes or No next to "Is this page accurate?" If you select No, please send us detailed feedback by filling in the Suggest a correction or Report a compatibility issue form.

   

   In addition, you can Send general site feedback or Suggest an additional product by clicking the Feedback link at the top of any page.

   

   We want to hear from you because your feedback is extremely helpful. Although our team cannot respond directly to submissions, we research all of them to continually address compatibility concerns and improve our information.

You'll find information on thousands of devices and software programs for both home users and businesses.

Along with products that are primarily sold in the U.S. market, we list some products that are sold globally (for example, Microsoft Office software). We do not yet include products that are primarily sold in foreign markets.

We frequently add products to the Compatibility Center, so check back if you don't see a product listed. Even better, near the top of all site pages, you can click Feedback and fill out a quick form to suggest that we add a product. Although we cannot respond directly to suggestions, we review all of them to continually update our information.

We use four different icons to make it easy for you to quickly identify a product's compatibility status. The icons appear on the right of all search results pages and below "Compatibility status" on each product's detail page.

The "Compatible" green check mark indicates that the manufacturer or publisher has stated that the product is supported for use on computers running Windows Vista. Usually, you won't need to do anything to ensure compatibility, and you'll see "No action required" below "Compatible" on the product's detail page. However, if a manufacturer or publisher offers or requires additional software or a newer version, you'll find a link to what you need and see more details to the right of the link.

For products that pass Microsoft specified compatibility tests, we provide a logo status on the detail page, which indicates Microsoft approved compatibility:

A "Certified for Windows Vista" logo means the product has undergone Microsoft tests for reliability, security, and compatibility on PCs running 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows Vista.

A "Works with Windows Vista" logo means the product has been tested for baseline compatibility on PCs running the Windows Vista operating system.

A "Games for Windows" logo means that the game has met certain requirements, such as the ability to work with 64-bit versions of Windows Vista and to support the Windows Vista Games Explorer function.

The "Action Recommended " yellow caution icon indicates that you may need a solution from the software publisher to ensure that a product will work properly with Windows Vista. Often a free upgrade is available, but some publishers may require a fee-based upgrade to the newest version. In either case, below "Action Recommended" you'll find a link to what you need and see more details to the right of the link.

The "Not Compatible " red cross icon is confirmation by the manufacturer or publisher that a product is not supported on computers running Windows Vista.

The "Status Unknown" black question mark icon indicates that we have not been able to find information about whether the product is supported on Windows Vista. Our team is continually updating information, so leave feedback and check back often.

Even if a company hasn't specifically stated that a product works with Windows Vista, it may work fine. Go ahead and try it. If you run into compatibility problems, try one of these tips:

• Use the Program Compatibility Wizard.

• Right-click the installation file, and then click Run as administrator.

First, try these search tips to see if you can find your product:

• Type shorter variations of a product name or model

• Include the manufacturer name with the product name

• Put your search terms between quotation marks " " to search for an exact phrase

• Use Advanced Search

If the product you're looking for isn't listed in the Compatibility Center, please suggest an additional product for us to consider adding:

1. Near the top of any site page, click Feedback.

2. Click Suggest an additional product, fill out the form, and then click Send suggestion.

Although we cannot respond directly to you, we review all suggestions to continually update our information and add new products. Check back often.

To help us correct erroneous product information:

1. On a product's detail page, next to "Is this page accurate?" select No, and then click Suggest a correction.

2. Fill out the form as completely as you can, and then send your correction.

Your feedback is extremely helpful. Although our team cannot respond directly to your suggestion, we review all of them to continually update our information. If you are a hardware or software partner, please visit the How to Participate page.

If you're a hardware or software partner and want to request that a product be added to the Compatibility Center, please visit the How to Participate page.

The term "compatibility" refers to whether a software publisher supports their software program or a hardware manufacturer supports their device on Windows Vista. With advances in security and reliability in Windows Vista, thousands of products have been updated for compatibility with Windows Vista to provide a superior PC experience.

Only Certified for Windows Vista products have undergone Microsoft tests for reliability, security, and compatibility on PCs running 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows Vista. Certified for Windows Vista products help make activities like enjoying photos and music, setting up wireless networks, connecting with friends, and completing business tasks faster, easier, and more secure.

Learn more.

Works with Windows Vista software and devices have been tested for baseline compatibility on PCs running the Windows Vista operating system.

Learn more.

To determine product compatibility status for the Compatibility Center, we looked at whether:

• The product has earned the Certified for Windows Vista, Works with Windows Vista, or Games for Windows logo—any of which indicate that it has met Microsoft testing requirements for compatibility.

• The device manufacturer or software publisher states Windows Vista support for the product.

Important changes in Windows Vista—particularly those related to security—have caused problems with some older devices and programs. Some products will not install properly, and some products will not function as they should. Since launching Windows Vista in January 2007, we have worked closely with hardware manufacturers and software publishers to address these problems.

In many cases, there is a free upgrade available that will fix compatibility problems with existing devices and programs. In other cases, the manufacturer or publisher has created a new version of a product and you will need to purchase an upgrade directly from them. Many product detail pages in the Compatibility Center contain links to these upgrades and newer versions.

Released in February 2008, Windows Vista Service Pack 1 (SP1) includes the complete set of Windows Vista updates we've issued over the past year. Available at no charge, Windows Vista SP1 doesn't add features or require you to learn anything new—it simply makes your PC even more enjoyable to use and helps it run more reliably and smoothly.

In addition, our hardware and software partners have worked extensively with us to help improve the Windows Vista experience. They've updated more applications to be compatible with Windows Vista, delivered new device drivers, and ensured that most new devices and software programs are compatible with Windows Vista.

64-bit versions of Windows Vista are for computer users who have high-performance needs and are typically running a computer with 4 GB or more of Random Access Memory (RAM). The terms "32-bit" and "64-bit" refer to the way a computer's processor handles information. The 32-bit versions of the Windows operating system can only use up to 3 GB of memory.

The 64-bit versions of Windows can use more memory and help reduce time swapping processes in and out of memory by storing more of those processes in RAM rather than on the hard disk. This, in turn, can increase overall system and application performance, especially with applications optimized for 64-bit. For more details about 32-bit and 64-bit, see the Windows Help and How-to FAQ

To find out what version of Windows Vista is installed on your computer:

1. Click Start , click Control Panel, click System and Maintenance, and then click System.

2. Under System, view the System type.

If you're running Windows XP:

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click System.

2. On the General tab, view the System type.

A driver is software that allows your computer to communicate with hardware or devices. Without drivers, the hardware you connect to your computer—for example, a video card or a webcam—will not work properly. Learn more about drivers.

To see if you can benefit from updating your laptop or desktop component drivers for functions like video and networking, you will need to visit your PC manufacturer's website. Here is a list of popular PC manufacturers' support sites to get you started:

• Acer

• Asus

• Dell

• Fujitsu

• Gateway

• HP

• Lenovo

• Panasonic

• Sony

• Toshiba

Sometimes your hardware devices will need to have updated drivers. There may also come a time when you have to reinstall a driver. Learn more about how to update or repair a device driver.

If you encounter problems with your computer or device after upgrading the driver, you might want to restore the driver for a device to a previous version. Learn how.

To find out which version of a software program is installed on your computer:

1. Click Start , click Control Panel, click Programs, click Programs and Features, and then click the name of the program.

2. In the Details Pane at the bottom of the window, view the product version.

Note: If the Details Pane is hidden, click Organize, click Layout, and then select Details Pane.

How you add a new program depends on the location of the program's installation files. Typically, programs are installed from a CD or DVD, from the Internet, or from a network. View specific steps for installing a program from each of those locations.

Software publishers, including Microsoft, frequently release upgrades for their programs.

To check the Compatibility Center for an available upgrade:

1. Use the site search box or browse for a product.

2. On the product listing, click anywhere to go to the product details page.

3. Under the compatibility status, if you see a link for a newer version or an upgrade, click it to check the product website directly.

4. If you don't see a link, click the Homepage link under the product name on the left side of the page to visit the manufacturer's or publisher's website and learn more.

Note: Different software programs may use different methods to install upgrades. Be sure to carefully read the instructions on the publisher's website before installing any upgrades.

To uninstall a program that you no longer use or want:

1. Click Start , click Control Panel, click Programs, and then click Programs and Features.

2. Click the name of the program and then click Uninstall.

Get more details.

If you're running Windows XP:

1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add or Remove Programs.

2. Click the name of the program and then click Remove.

Program compatibility is a mode in Windows that lets you run programs written for earlier versions of Windows. Many programs written for Windows XP will also work in Windows Vista, but some older programs might run poorly or not at all. If an older program doesn't run correctly, you can use the Program Compatibility Wizard to simulate earlier versions of Windows, which may address the issue.

To run the Program Compatibility Wizard:

1. Click Start , click Programs, and then click Use an older program with this version of Windows.

2. Follow the instructions in the wizard.

Get more details.

You can download the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor to help you determine if your Windows XP–based PC can run Windows Vista. You can also use the Upgrade Advisor to determine if your Windows Vista–based PC is ready for an upgrade to a more powerful edition of Windows Vista.

There are a few installation choices available to you for upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista. To learn about your options, read this article.

If you want more features than you have in your current edition of Windows Vista, you can either buy an upgrade disc at a retail store or use Windows Anytime Upgrade to buy the upgrade online.

Learn more.

In Windows Vista, to find out what version you're running:

• Click Start , and in the Start Search box, type winver, and then click the result.

In previous versions of Windows, to find out what version you're running:

• Click Start, click Run, type winver, and then click OK.

If you want to upgrade your current PC, you can download Windows Vista from the Microsoft Store. To experience a new wave of PCs running Windows Vista, see special offers.