Buy Crucial 2GB DDR2-800 SODIMM Presario CQ40-312TU for CT1357918 Presario CQ40-312TU. FREE US delivery, 100% Compatibility Guaranteed. Upgrading the BIOS allows you to accommodate newer processors, overclocking options and new features that the old BIOS may not be able to perform. Under normal circumstances, it is not a good idea to enter the BIOS unless you are proficient in computer technologies.
I have a Presario CQ56-115DX notebook, purchased October 2010 (5.5 years old), and currently running Windows 7. I am considering the free upgrade to Windows 10, but am concerned about the graphics card (ATI Mobility Radeon HD4250). I cannot find a consistent and straightforward answer as to whether this will work with Windows 10.
Some sources say a flat No, while others say No Problem, and still others say it can be done but I will have to jump through many hoops, manually installing upgrades/downgrades of device drivers before, during, and after the OS upgrade. Maybe a BIOS upgrade, too. Free windows 7 bootable usb. Ios emulator for mac.
So, can anyone give me the straight story? When all is said and done, will I at least be no worse off than I am today on Windows 7, for graphics and video capabilities? I don't do more than very light animated board and card games -- no heavy duty action or VR stuff.
This laptop doesn't have the horsepower to do that stuff anyway. If there are clear instructions somewhere for any manual steps that need to be done before pulling the trigger on the Win10 upgrade, I can follow them. I just don't want to risk being bricked during the upgrade! Supposedly, for 30 days after the upgrade I can revert to Windows 7, but that's no good if I can't get on the machine in the first place. I realize that this machine is getting pretty long of tooth, so a hardware upgrade (if that's even possible) is out of the question. If I have to stay on Windows 7, I'll run that until support is gone, and then switch over to Linux or something (maybe dual boot) until the hardware finally croaks.
Are there any other known kinks in a Windows 10 upgrade, besides the graphics? I've seen complaints about wireless, optical drives, touchpads, and other stuff not working correctly after the upgrade. My advice, having done such uprades and seen them fail miserably on the older PCs (like yours) is NOT to do the upgrade. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but the problem you're up against is that Microsoft only supplies drivers with the most basic functionality, and what you really need for FULL functionality in laptops is the specialized drivers written for the specific hardware found in laptops -- and unfortunately, there are no HP Win10 drivers for your laptop. HP only guarantees Win10 compatibility for machines made after August, 2013.
![Specs Specs](http://www.insidemylaptop.com/images/HP-G42-Presario-CQ42-body/HP-G42-Presario-CQ42-disassembly-04.jpg)
HP does not have any schedule indicating when, or IF, they will be producing drivers for the older machines. This means that your PC is most likely NEVER going to be fully functional under Win10 because the drivers is needs for full functionality simply do not exist!
Also, there are no BIOS upgrades for your PC since it was not built with Win10 in mind. While Microsoft tells you that there is no risk in the Win10 Upgrade, because they let you believe that you can always revert back to your original OS and setup within 30 days, the ugly faction of the matter is that the Win10 GoBack function has proven to be unreliable -- and when it fails, it can leave machines in a corrupted state -- which doesn't always happen, but it does happen often enough to be a problem and you won't get any warning in advance that it is going to trash your PC! So, folks that tell you that you'll be no worse off if you Upgrade are ignoring the reality of the situation -- you'll be no better off, and will definitely be worse off, just how much, no one knows. However, if you are willing to do some work and are determined to try out the Upgrade, then read on. You need to think about how much work you want to commit to just to run Win10. Older Win7 machine tend to come in two flavors when it comes to the Win10 upgrade -- really easy, and really hard.
The really hard to upgrade PCs fall into two categories: (1) those that are upgradeable to Win10 and will work OK, (2) those that are not. HP laptops, especially the older Win7 machines, often came with two different graphics chips -- and Intel and then, either an AMD or Nvidia. This was known as Switchable Graphics or Hybrid Graphics.
You ran using the Intel chip most of the time, but when you needed extra graphics power, like in Gaming, the PC automatically switched over to using the AMD or Nvidia graphics chip. Problem is, this requires special graphics drivers to work, and while those came preinstalled on the Win7 laptops, those drivers simply do not exist for Win10. Those drivers are not available from Intel, AMD, or Nvidia. A way to tell if your PC has two different graphics chips is to look in Device Manager under Display Adapters.