Exam 70-680 TS: Windows 7, Configuring - Perform a clean installation - Identifying hardware requirements (PART 1) [70-680]

As part of your effort to take the 70-680 Exam for Windows 7 you’ll need to make sure you have a good, solid understanding of all of the skills measured. This will need to be a combination of academic knowledge of the subject matter and real world experience.

The exam itself is intended for technicians and desktop administrators that have at least one year of experience working with the most recent desktop operating system (Vista). You will also need to have about one year of experience implementing and administering systems in a networked environment.

The first domain is “Perform a clean installation” and the first set of knowledge to have is “Identifying hardware requirements.”

What this means is that you need to understand the base, primary system requirements for Windows 7 which are:

  • 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor

  • 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)

  • 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)

  • DirectX 9 graphics device with WDDM 1.0 or higher driver

Additional requirements may also include:

  • Additional system memory and advanced graphics hardware and additional video memory for high end system needs

  • A graphics card compatible with DirectX 10 or higher for optimal performance may be needed for high end or gaming systems

  • A TV tuner and additional hardware may be required for some Windows Media Center functionality.

  • Windows Touch and Tablet PCs require specific hardware

  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 1.2 is needed to leverage BitLocker

  • Windows XP Mode requires an additional 1 GB of RAM, an additional 15 GB of available hard disk space, and a processor capable of hardware virtualization with Intel VT or AMD-V turned on.

What you need to have installed and what you need for additional functionality are what is provided in both of those bulleted lists.

In order for hardware and software vendors to get the Windows 7 Software Logo which shows they have passed the testing for this designation they have to meet the qualifying criteria (as outlined in the Windows 7 Resource Kit):

  • Comply with Anti-Spyware Coalition Guidelines
  • Do not try to circumvent Windows Resource Protection
  • Ensure ongoing quality
  • Clean, reversible installation
  • Install to the correct folders by default
  • Sign files and drivers digitally
  • Support x64 versions of Windows
  • Do not block installation or application launch based on an operating system version check
  • Follow UAC guidelines
  • Adhere to Restart Manager messages
  • Do not load services and drivers in safe mode
  • Support multiuser sessions

Above I outlined the base system requirements but there are some delineating numbers with respect to the Windows 7 basic experience and the Windows 7 premium experience.

The hardware requirements for the Windows 7 basic experience are:

  • Current processor running at least 800 MHz
  • 512 MB of system memory
  • A graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable

The hardware requirements for the Windows 7 premium experience are:

  • 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor
  • 1 gigabyte (GB) RAM (32-bit) or 2 GB RAM (64-bit)
  • Support for DirectX 9 graphics with a Windows Display Driver Model (WDDM) driver, 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum), Pixel Shader 2.0, and 32 bits per pixel
  • 40 GB of hard drive capacity with 16 GB available hard disk space (32-bit) or 20 GB (64-bit)
  • DVD-ROM drive
  • Audio output capability
  • Internet access capability

In the next segment I will continue with reviewing some of the details of each of the different editions of Windows 7

I’m always looking for input so drop me a note and let me know what you’d like to see.

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