Compaq/HP Notebook not supported for upgrade to Windows 7?

[High_Tech_Prof]

I have an older Compaq notebook (DA533AV), which due to the recent announcement by Microsoft, appears to meet the minimum specifications for running Windows 7. It has an AMD 1.7Ghz processor (3400+), 1GB of memory, and a DirectX 9.0-capable video card (NVIDIA 440 GO with 64MB of memory). However, it appears as though NVIDIA's stance on it is that the video component of the laptop is being considered a 'legacy' product, and therefore not worth their attention for creating Windows 7 drivers for it.

Is HP/Compaq committed to supporting their products as long as those products meet the minimum standards for next-generation operating systems? This notebook was an expensive purchase, and it is otherwise quite capable, but I fear that it is going to be left behind, and will only be able to run Windows XP until it finally dies (or applications I want to run are no longer supported on windows XP).

A recent posting of updated Windows 7 drivers for NVIDIA products does NOT include the NVIDIA video card imbedded in my laptop. Without a Windows 7 DirectX 9.0-style driver, my laptop is only capable of bringing up Windows 7 in VESA mode, which is quite limited, and doesn't support the native screen size of the LCD panel of the laptop. 

The only way NVIDIA will deliver Windows 7 drivers for my laptop is if HP requests them. How can I convince HP that my laptop is worthy of such attention?

Frustrated,

Paul (High_Tech_Prof)

[melanchete]

I doubt that HP will develop drivers, but maybe NVidia will.  It looks like your system might be older than 3 years, which it has come to the ended it's tech life.  A 64mb video card is very small and has very limited capabilities.

[CherylG]

Windows 7 may have the drivers you need. For instance this post on a much newer laptop:

http://h30434.www3.hp.com/psg/board/message?board.id=OS&thread.id=8729

[High_Tech_Prof]

CherylG: Thanks for your reply, but I don't think you read in my original posting that I have tried Windows 7 (beta, not RC1), and at that time, there were no drivers available for my hardware. Also, HP has stated that my laptop is NOT Vista capable, so I suspect they won't make it Windows 7 capable either, even though the minimum requirements for Windows 7 are slightly relaxed over those for Vista. I have no intention of running Windows 7 on the laptop for playing games, but would like to have it work to its fullest capabilities.

It looks like Windows XP will be the end of the line for that laptop. Oh well.

Paul (High_Tech_Prof)

[CherylG]

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High_Tech_Prof wrote:

I have no intention of running Windows 7 on the laptop for playing games, but would like to have it work to its fullest capabilities.

It looks like Windows XP will be the end of the line for that laptop. Oh well.

Paul (High_Tech_Prof)

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The 'experts' at laptopvideo2go ( whom many laptop owners depend on) have this on it:

 http://www.laptopvideo2go.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=22753

[Vaika]

I wouldn't hold out much hope for the system running Windows 7, even less so it running it smoothly.  Generally if the system came with Windows Vista you should be a-ok to install Windows 7, but if it came with XP?  The system itself is older than the announcement of the Windows 7 specs and it was not sold with any expectation whatsoever of being able to run Windows 7.

I'd say purchase a new notebook for Windows 7.  Any Vista one should do.