Identify Software Programs & Hardware Devices That Work (or Don’t Work) with Windows Vista

Microsoft has long offered desktop tools to help you check compatibility of existing software programs and hardware devices with Windows Vista.

For instance, you could run the Upgrade Advisor on an XP computer to know if that old machine can afford to run Vista. The problem is that you can check Vista compatibility of only installed software or hardware that’s already attached to the computer.

How do you know if that printer & scanner lying in the basement would work with Vista. Or will that old copy of Photoshop install successfully on your new Windows Vista computer?

Rather than hunting for this information on web forums and manufacturer websites, check the all-new Compatibility Center - a central database of hardware devices & software programs along with their current Vista compatibility status.

You could check compatibility of mobile phones and digital cameras with Windows Vista. Some screenshots.

In case a product is not compatible with Windows Vista (like Photoshop 7), there’s a link to the developer’s website (in this case, Adobe) for getting further information. Overall, a pretty useful tool.