Another option is Microsoft’s Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor which can evaluate hardware and software on computer systems running either XP or Vista. That on the other hand does not help users who plan to buy or build a computer system.

That’s where the Windows 7 Compatibility Center comes to the rescue. The online service can check hardware and software for compatibility with Microsoft’s Windows 7 operating system. This can be checked using a simple web form on the main Windows 7 Compatibility Center website.

The user needs to select hardware or software from the pulldown menu and enter the name of the device or software in the form. The online service will display information about the compatibility of the hardware or software on the next page if the item is listed in the database.

A set of filters is available in the sidebar. Here it is for example possible to check 32-bit or 64-bit compatibility or select a specific compatibility level like items that are compatible and have the Windows 7 logo or only items that are not compatible. A quick series of tests revealed that not all software programs are available in the database. Popular third party software like Firefox, Opera or Putty are either listed as “information coming soon” or not at all.

Users can also browse the Windows 7 Compatibility Center by software or hardware category. Microsoft should consider adding popular software programs faster to the compatibility database for better evaluation.

The program needs to be installed before it can be used to audit the system. A scan takes less than a minute to complete.

The results of the system audit are displayed in two tabs for 32-bit and 64-bit Windows 7 systems with the 32-bit report displayed by default.

Each report is divided into the three sections System, Devices and Programs. System analyses general issues the user might run into, for example if Windows Aero is supported or if a custom installation is required (for Windows XP systems). The hardware of the system is analysed under Devices again with information if hardware is compatible with Windows 7. Programs finally takes a look at some of the installed programs and displays if they have issues running under Windows 7.

The Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor can be helpful for users who are already running a computer system with another Microsoft operating system. It on the other hand does not help users who plan to build a PC on their own or purchase a system. A false positive was listed in the report on a Windows XP SP3 test system. Missing Windows Aero support was one of the issues that were found by the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor which seems highly unlikely considering that an Ati Radeon HD 4870 video card was installed in the system. The software can be downloaded at the Microsoft website.