If you choose to purchase an upgrade version of Windows Vista to upgrade XP, you will no longer be able to use that version of XP. Either on another system, or as a dual-boot option. The key will be invalidated, preventing activation.
From Vista’s EULA found here (PDF) :
13. UPGRADES. To use upgrade software, you must first be licensed for the software that is eligiblefor the upgrade. Upon upgrade, this agreement takes the place of the agreement for the software you upgraded from. After you upgrade, you may no longer use the software you upgraded from.
View: Forum Discussion @ Neowin
News source: TomCoyote.org
From Vista’s EULA found here (PDF) :
13. UPGRADES. To use upgrade software, you must first be licensed for the software that is eligiblefor the upgrade. Upon upgrade, this agreement takes the place of the agreement for the software you upgraded from. After you upgrade, you may no longer use the software you upgraded from.
View: Forum Discussion @ Neowin News source: TomCoyote.org
It already has.
For this simple reason: If you need to format and reinstall your Vista upgrade at ANY time, you'll have to REINSTALL & ACTIVATE XP TO REINSTALL VISTA.
From earlier this week it was stated that Vista Upgrade will require an install of XP, not just the CD.
For this simple reason: If you need to format and reinstall your Vista upgrade at ANY time, you'll have to REINSTALL & ACTIVATE XP TO REINSTALL VISTA.
From earlier this week it was stated that Vista Upgrade will require an install of XP, not just the CD.
Correct; the EULA says it's illegal, but there is no system to deactivate your XP key
If this is actually true, then you'll only be able to do a single install with an upgrade, as installation does require an activated XP to install, and you won't be able to activate XP anymore after you activated Vista.
This would make te upgrade much more restricted than the Oem version
That bs. Oem versions are no upgrades, you can only do a clean install with them.
There are obviously also no Oem versions of upgrades, as Oems are intended to be installed on bare-bone machines without anything on them.
Thus, it makes Oems look only still more favourable over upgrades
If this is actually true, then you'll only be able to do a single install with an upgrade, as installation does require an activated XP to install, and you won't be able to activate XP anymore after you activated Vista.
This would make te upgrade much more restricted than the Oem version
That bs. Oem versions are no upgrades, you can only do a clean install with them.
There are obviously also no Oem versions of upgrades, as Oems are intended to be installed on bare-bone machines without anything on them.
Thus, it makes Oems look only still more favourable over upgrades
A couple comments:
1. Take UPGRADE for what it's worth. You're upgrading your legal right to install Vista over XP... therefor your XP license is no longer valid
2. OEM versions of the OS come with ALL the restrictions of an OEM purchased machine. This means the license is NOT transferable; you cannot install the OS on one machine, than transfer it to another/upgraded machine.
d4v1d05
In other news;
You're all talking as if you need to have them installed both at the same time. Why should you need a key for two operating systems? The average user who would be interested in upgrading would only need the one operating system.
If you're dual booting, then why not install Windows on the second partition before you upgrade your first partition to Vista? Oh wait, that's logical thinking.
It always has been in the EULA anyway - upgrade means updating the operating system to the latest version and you can't use the original O/S on another computer.
Really? Because even as far back as Windows 95, the same was true, difference is it's being enforced now. An upgrade version does not entitle you to an extra licence, it UPGRADES your current licence to the new version.
Previously I could just install Windows 2000 Professional on an older computer, and then use Windows 2000 install disk to validate the XP Upgrade disk on a clean install, inadvertently violating the license agreement whoops!
It seems like the upgrade choice has become much harder, install xp > then upgrade to vista every time. (not that I reinstall much anyway). Glad I have a full retail copy.
I dunno, XP has run it's course -customers should be able to upgrade and be allowed to keep the license for another computer IMO. Call it a loyalty system.
So, your XP key, which remember, is now invalid, can be used again if you downgrade? Neat trick... I'd like to see proof of your claims. How do you activate your copy of XP again with an invalid key?
So, your XP key, which remember, is now invalid, can be used again if you downgrade? Neat trick... I'd like to see proof of your claims. How do you activate your copy of XP again with an invalid key?
You're interpreting the EULA a bit incorrectly. Your XP key becomes invalid once you agree to the terms of the new Vista EULA (i.e. install Vista). If you don't install Vista (i.e. remove it and never use it's key again) then your XP key is no longer invalid. There is no electronic method to disable or invalidate your XP key to prevent it from activation.
Think about it, it's very normal, and nowhere in the eula it says you can't use your key anymore. Another FUD article, neowin, get your act together please.
you look at it incorrectly. Upgrade does not mean "reduced priced version for old customers", it means: reduced price version for older, yet within our limitations, operating system license'.
I'm sure you can call a nice support centre somewhere that will be happy so don't get me wrong they probably will try and help, but you shouldn't have to call support just to reinstall xp again.
If using a Vista upgrade completely invalidates your XP key (i.e. it will no longer activate) then what do you do if you need to do a re-install at some point in the future? Your XP key (may) no longer works, so you can't install and activate XP, so you now can't re-install Vista.
Therefore I (temporarily at least) call BS to this. I understand and accept that upgrading from XP ties the XP and Vista licenses together and thus it's not legally ok to try and use the XP license on another machine/partition.
Anyway, no problem to me, I have several Vista Ultimate full licenses.
If you want to keep running both then buy a license for both.
What if you have purchased XP Pro with a system, and then decided to upgrade to Vista Business?
Does anyone know if there is a seperate EULA for Windows XP Pro?
EDIT: For the record http://download.microsoft.com/documents/us...93ed16d138a.pdf
Last edited by aclarke_31 on 30 Jan 2007 - 11:26
What's a merc?
What the hell are you talking about? Do you have any concept of what upgrading means? You upgrade a single OS license, not gain an additional one.
Upgrading means you you upgrade a single OS license, not gain an additional one.
If you were still able to use your old copy, it wouldn't be an upgrade, it would be buying a new copy at a discount because you had an old copy.
noone is complaining that they are not getting a second os license... the biggest complaint here is this:
user has xp pro... buys vista upgrade... installs upgrade and MS deactivates xp pro key
3 months down the road... formatting the hard drive would be nice... BUT what do you do ??
Ms has already changed the upgrading process ( you can't just stick in an xp cd to prove you own a legit copy and do a fully installation of Vista)
you would have to reinstall xp activate.. and upgrade to vista again ... anyone see a problem ?? YOU CAN'T FRICKEN activate xp anymore .. because the first time you did it .. ms deactivated the xp key.
unless we are all reading the eula wrong ... the average " i just want a good computer from best buy even though i know nothing about pcs" is going to get screwed..
noone is complaining that they are not getting a second os license... the biggest complaint here is this:
user has xp pro... buys vista upgrade... installs upgrade and MS deactivates xp pro key
3 months down the road... formatting the hard drive would be nice... BUT what do you do ??
Ms has already changed the upgrading process ( you can't just stick in an xp cd to prove you own a legit copy and do a fully installation of Vista)
you would have to reinstall xp activate.. and upgrade to vista again ... anyone see a problem ?? YOU CAN'T FRICKEN activate xp anymore .. because the first time you did it .. ms deactivated the xp key.
unless we are all reading the eula wrong ... the average " i just want a good computer from best buy even though i know nothing about pcs" is going to get screwed..
you are reading the eula wrong because i don't see anything about not being able to validate your xp. Please show me the part of the eula that says that? Please ...
The upgrade license of windows vista must work with the cd by booting (clean install i mean) otherwise i dont see why one should opt for this method.. unless for the big discount of course.
But just that amount of work by install the previous xp and then upgrade to vista... have someone tryed if this is the only method?
edit: by this sentence i understand that one will never touch windows xp cd and license anymore, not even for the clean install - "After you upgrade, you may no longer use the software you upgraded from."
If you are currently using Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional x64, you are eligible for an upgrade copy to a corresponding or better edition of Windows Vista, but a clean install is required.
Upgrade copies are not available for versions of Windows earlier than Windows 2000. These earlier versions of Windows require you to install a full copy of Windows Vista.
If the edition of Windows Vista that you choose to install will result in a loss of functionality over your current edition of Windows, you will need to do a clean install, or install Windows Vista to a new partition on your PC.
Another advantage is it would do a clean install from Win 2000.
I remember reading that on here somewhere a while back. That Vista wouldn't do an upgrade install from any Pre-XP OS.
I'm not saying it's true, just saying I remember a thread on here that was talking about that.
EDIT: Looks like you edited your post while I was making my post
If I ever do get Vista it would be a full version anyway. Not some upgrade version. My upgrade version of XP Home was completely different from my newer full version. When you did an upgrade install of XP you didn't actually get all the features that you would in a full, clean install. Plus a clean install just runs a lot smoother anyway.
Will it deactivate everyone using that key ?
You're upgrading from XP to Vista so why should your XP still be active? By upgrading, you've pretty much said that you've moved on. In the event that you don't like Vista, you uninstall it, and go back to XP.
It's so that you can't have regular XP and an upgraded XP->Vista on two separate computers.
The biggest problem here is the misunderstanding of how the upgrade works. It does not matter if your XP key has been "deactivated". This is because, in order to install an upgrade version of windows: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO INSTALL THE PREVIOUS VERSION FIRST!!! Yes I am yelling at you!!! A VISTA UPGRADE CAN BE INSTALLED ON A CLEAN DRIVE FROM THE VISTA DISK. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE A KEY TO XP, YOU DO NOT NEED TO HAVE XP INSTALLED!!!
Hope that clears up the confusion. You may continue now.
bsj2312
Commenting has either been disabled on this article or you are not logged in. Click here to login or register, its free!
Note: Anonymous commenting is disabled in order to keep the quality of responses to a high standard.