Setting up your computer
To make sure your computer is set up, finely-tuned, and optimized to run Microsoft® Expression Blend™, please read through the following items.
System requirements
| Operating system: | Microsoft® Windows® XP Service Pack 2 (SP2) or Windows Vista™ |
| Processor: | 1.0 GHz with MMX or equivalent |
| Memory: | 1 GB RAM |
| Available hard disk space: | 350 MB |
| Display: | Capable of 1024 x 768 monitor resolution with 24-bit color |
| Video Card: | Microsoft DirectX® 9-capable video card with 256 MB or more of memory—for example, ATI Radeon® X300 or NVIDIA® GeForce™ 5600 class equivalent or better. |
Installation notes
To get hardware accelerated performance from .NET Framework 3.0 and Expression Blend, make sure you have a recent graphics driver installed. Check your display adapter for the following settings:- Click Display in Control Panel.
- Click the Settings tab and then under Color quality, make sure Highest (32 bit) is selected.
- Next, click the Advanced button, and then on the Adapter tab, click the Properties button.
- Click the Driver tab and look next to the Driver Date to see if the date is more recent than 11/1/2004. If it is not, then video and hardware acceleration will not work properly on your system unless you upgrade your video drivers.
- Under Appearance and Personalization in Control Panel, click Adjust screen resolution.
- Under Colors, make sure Highest (32 bit) is selected.
- Next, click the Advanced Settings button, and then on the Adapter tab, click the Properties button.
- Click the Driver tab and look next to the Driver Date to see if the date is more recent than 11/1/2004. If it is not, then video and hardware acceleration will not work properly on your system unless you upgrade your video drivers.
In Windows XP
In Windows Vista
Licensing
After installing Expression Blend, you will be presented with a dialog box containing 2 options:
- I have a product key and want to license Microsoft Expression Blend Choose this option if you have a valid product key and want to enable full licensing rights to your copy of Expression Blend.
- Continue using the trial version of the product The trial version doesn't require you to enter a key, but after the 60-day trial period ends, you will be prompted to enter a valid product key to continue using the product.
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You can enter a product key at anytime during your trial period by clicking Enter Product Key on the Help menu. |