Although Windows Vista officially launched for businesses back in November, Microsoft waited until today to release the final version of its Application Compatibility Toolkit for the new operating system. The software is designed to diagnose any potential problems that may arise from upgrading.

ACT version 5.0 can be deployed on current Windows 2000 and XP machines to take an inventory of applications and see whether or not they are compatible with Windows Vista. A built-in Standard User Analyzer checks to see if the new security settings in Vista will affect applications, namely those running as an administrator.

An Internet Explorer 7 Test Tool checks to see if applications that utilize the IE engine will have any problems with the new browser, which ships in Vista.

If any issues do surface during tests, ACT 5.0 lets IT professionals download specific compatibility fixes for Vista, and apply them one-by-one or as a pre-defined group. Microsoft has a database of applications and what is needed to make them work with Vista - many times users can simply upgrade to a new release.

"Overall, this toolkit is going to be a huge timesaver for the IT Pro community and a great resource for developers to analyze and test their apps," remarked Peg McNicol, product manager for Vista application compatibility. "Even if you are just starting to think about planning or deploying Windows Vista, you should download ACT 5.0 and start taking an inventory of your current environment so can scope your workload and be ready to go when the time is right for your company."