Free download available for Windows 7 test

The final test version of Microsoft's Windows 7, the replacement for problem-ridden Windows Vista, is being unveiled this week for a tryout. Some believe the new operating system will be available in stores and on new computers by fall.

For those who want to try it out, a free Windows 7 download is available at www.microsoft.com/ windows/windows-7/default.aspx. Because it's free, the test version will quit working on June 1, 2010. For a list of new features in Windows 7, see www.microsoft.com/ windows/windows-7/whats-new.aspx.

Why would Microsoft give away the Windows 7 test version? After all the bad press Windows Vista has gotten, letting people test-drive the new model is good public relations. Vista's problems included frequent crashes, software incompatibilities, slow operations and a needlessly confusing menu system. Experts who have seen Windows 7 say it resembles Windows XP, which would be good because XP now is a dependable operating system. But Vista will continue to be sold, Microsoft says.

If you have a relatively new PC with Windows Vista, should you upgrade to Windows 7? Yes, because Vista's not stable. Your Vista PC should run Windows 7 because the requirements are similar.

If you have an older PC with Windows XP, should you upgrade to Windows 7? Wait and see. But to upgrade, your PC needs to be powerful enough (a similar issue existed with upgrading from XP to Vista). To run Windows 7, your older PC must have at least a 1-gigahertz processor and 1 gigabyte of random-access memory (RAM).

Q I recently purchased a 64-bit laptop. [The number of bits refers to the amount of RAM memory the PC can use; anything over 4 gigabytes of RAM requires a 64-bit PC rather than a 32-bit computer.] Why is there no Adobe Flash Player program available for 64-bit computers? Every time I need Flash, I have to switch from the Internet Explorer to the Firefox browser, which is a pain.

JAN THOMPSON, RICHFIELD

But that may not be your problem. Adobe says many conflicts between its Flash Player and the Internet Explorer browser are related to the Windows registry, which stores settings for Windows. Check out "Troubleshooting Flash Player crash or freeze" at kb2.adobe.com/cps/408/kb408620.html. The "End User's General Troubleshooting" is near the bottom of the page.