Tech Support: Checking for System Requirements | Distance Learning by Hard Drive

General | Checking System Requirements | Error Messages | Hard Drive Getting Started Guide pdf document

How do I find the system requirements for using the hard drive on my XP, VISTA, or Windows 7 computer?

A) Windows XP Computer

To find the operating system, processor speed, and RAM capacity on an XP computer: 

  1. Go to Start/Control Panel/System/General.
  2. The operating system needs to be Windows XP Service Pack 2 or above.
  3. The processor needs to be a Pentium class at least 1 GHz or the equivalent.
  4. The RAM must be at least 512MB.

To verify presence of USB 2.0 port:

  1. Go to Start/Settings/Control Panel/System/Hardware/Device Manager.
  2. Select the plus (+) button next to Universal Serial Bus controllers.
  3. Look for the presence of “USB2 Enhanced Host Controller”

To check video resolution (recommended 1024 x 768):

  1. Right-click on your desktop and select “Properties.”
  2. Select the “Settings” tab and set “Screen resolution” to 1024 x 768

B) Windows Vista and Windows 7 Computer

To find the operating system, processor speed, and RAM capacity on a Vista or Windows 7 computer: 

  1. Go to Start/Computer/System Properties.
  2. The operating system needs to be Windows 7 or Vista.
  3. The processor needs to be a Pentium class at least 1 GHz or the equivalent.
  4. The RAM must be at least 1GB for Windows Vista or a 32-bit Windows 7 computer and 2GB for Windows 7 64-bit versions.

To verify presence of USB 2.0 port:

  1. Go to Start/Computer/System Properties/Device Manager.
  2. Select the plus button next to Universal Serial Bus controllers.
  3. Look for the presence of “USB2 Enhanced Host Controller.”

To check video resolution (recommended 1024 x 768):

  1. Right-click on your desktop and select “Personalize.”
  2. Select “Display Settings” and set “Screen Resolution” to 1024 x 768.