Hello,

First of all I'd like to thank you for taking time to answer my question.

I switched from XP to Windows 7 last year but switched back to XP because I was having a lot of problems like CPU spikes, audio driver problems et cetera. I use a HP laptop with very good configuration like 2 GB RAM and core 2 duo. All these problems were due to some kind of bugs in Windows 7 as I have read in many technical forums.


My question is quite general, if I buy a new version of Window 7 this year am I likely to get a better version? I am aware that the new version will get all the security fixes. But this I can get also in my older version when I update through Windows update.

But apart from this, will Microsoft do any other updates in the more recent version of Windows 7? In short, shall I got a better OS if I buy a new and more recent DVD that might have resolved the previous problems  I was having last year?

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Richard Replies:

This is really hard to say. Personally, I almost never upgrade my operating systems beyond the machines that they came with. If the machine was built and tested and certified when Windows XP was "the" OS to use, then that's what will run best on it. To run Windows 7, I strongly recommend a NEW computer that takes full advantage of everything W7 has to offer.

BUT... with that being said, YES, there have been some fixes to W7 that might improve its performance on your older hardware. You should also check the hardware compatibility list and make sure that EVERY component in your machine is fully compatible with W7.

Personally, though, I've always been of the "if it ain't broke, don't fix it" mindset. If Windows XP runs fine for you, and does everything you need, there's no reason to upgrade. I'm running Windows 7 on my laptop and one of my desktops, but my other 3 desktop PCs and my business critical server all run Windows 2000. Why? Because it's the best, most stable OS that Microsoft ever made and it just WORKS well.