Windows Vista Upgrade Editions - The Full Story

By grunger106
in Microsoft (Windows)

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grunger106

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For a while now people have been speculating vover what exactly happens if you buy an upgrade edition of Vista.

Well I've got Vista Business Upgrade and this is the story

The DVD IS fully bootable infact its a normal vista DVD - all editions are there and the key determines the edition you get, and you can not enter a key - normal Vista DVD.

However, When you attempt to boot from the dvd and try the key provided it informs you that the key can only be used to upgrade from within Windows. Damn

Don't bother trying to install without a key and then entering the upgrade key when you have vista up and running either, the Licensing service gives an error which informs you that the key cannot be used for clean installs.

Damn

So with an upgrade edition you HAVE to start the install from the previous edition of windows.

The only way i can see to get a clean install, is to have 2 hard disks (Or partitions), stick XP on the second, start the Vista setup, and install it to the 1st hard disk, then you have a clean vista install. When its in and happy format the XP disk and there you go. (this is what i'm doing ATM)

We'll see how it goes!

Veteran

Phemo

Posted
Posted
so you cant say stick in an xp cd during setup to prove you had xp, you have to install over it! :no:

No, you can't insert a previous Windows version disc. You have to have an existing Windows installed. However, when you run setup from within Windows you can choose the option to clean install. Another installation just has to be present on the hard drive which will get renamed after installation so you can delete.

It's not that bad, just means that you have to install two OSes really. Since I have Vista Upgrade licenses, what I'll end up doing is making a version of XP that's had every single component removed with nLite. That way it'll install fast :)

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HeartsOfWar

Posted
Posted

I use to be a big fan of buying the "upgrades" and performing a clean install with them, but I thought Microsoft did away with that. Of course, several neowinians disagreed, but I knew Microsoft had taken some preventative measures with the "upgrades".

great clarification, but sucks...

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M118LR

Posted
Posted

This has already been said, but I'll add it to this thread.

Your XP has to be both activated and Genuine or Vista Update won't load.

If 3 years down the road you format your Hard Drive or your Hard Drive crashes, you better hope you still have your XP CD and key still or have your whole HDD backed up. You will have to first load XP, then reactivate it and have it show as Genuine. Then reload Vista.

If you loose your XP CD and or key, then you will not be able to use your Vista Upgrade.

Spend the extra money and get the Full Install if you can.

Grand Master

theyarecomingforyou

Posted
Posted

Again this is Microsoft assuming that everyone is a pirate/thief. I'm all for Microsoft ensuring that you have a genuine copy of Windows before allowing a Vista upgrade to be used but it should be possible to do that without installing the original version first. This just means you now have to install XP, activate it and then do a clean install of Vista, completely negating the improvements they've made to install speed. It's a big slap in the face to anybody that buys it rather than pirating it. Microsoft really needs to sort its act out as this situation is unacceptable to genuine paying customers.

Grand Master

Denis W. Veteran

Posted
  • Veteran
Posted
This has already been said, but I'll add it to this thread.

Your XP has to be both activated and Genuine or Vista Update won't load.

If 3 years down the road you format your Hard Drive or your Hard Drive crashes, you better hope you still have your XP CD and key still or have your whole HDD backed up. You will have to first load XP, then reactivate it and have it show as Genuine. Then reload Vista.

If you loose your XP CD and or key, then you will not be able to use your Vista Upgrade.

Spend the extra money and get the Full Install if you can.

5 years from now it'll be a wonder if MS will still allow new XP installs to be activated, let alone be verified as genuine. XP won't be like an OS such as Windows 95 where it'll still install and run happily on an old PC 11 years after its release.

(This is assuming you don't use certain OEM installs that come pre-activated, like the case with my older VAIO.)

Rising Star

Morpheus Phreak

Posted
Posted

I think that if everyone looks around on these forums they will find that this thread isn't really "news"

I announced how the upgrade discs would work months ago and everyone jumped on my ass saying I was wrong.

Now it looks like I was 100% exactly, dead on as for how it would work.

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grunger106

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I think that if everyone looks around on these forums they will find that this thread isn't really "news"

I announced how the upgrade discs would work months ago and everyone jumped on my ass saying I was wrong.

Now it looks like I was 100% exactly, dead on as for how it would work.

I know its not new news, just confirming how it worked!!

By the way windows XP does NOT have to be activated to do the upgrade. I installed XP, didn't activate it (didn't even install the LAN card drivers) and then did a clean install on the same partition, no problems at all. Would still prefer to boot from the vista disk, but oh well.

Grand Master

Xerxes

Posted
Posted
Why is it a major issue to install from the current OS? What is SO bad about it?

I don't think that is the issue, perhaps I'm wrong but here is my take on it: the upgrade editions of Vista required a previous Windows OS installed and activated and while right now there is no real issue. But there will come a time when you will not be able to activate your copy of Windows XP, as it will no longer be supported, what happens then? If you had no choice but to reformat your computer, how do you reinstall Vista? the simple answer is you cannot and will be required to purchase a full install of Vista, there is where the issue lies I think?

I know its not new news, just confirming how it worked!!

By the way windows XP does NOT have to be activated to do the upgrade. I installed XP, didn't activate it (didn't even install the LAN card drivers) and then did a clean install on the same partition, no problems at all. Would still prefer to boot from the vista disk, but oh well.

You sure? MS said it has to be activated for it to be upgraded to Vista. If your correct and you don't need to, that will certainly take the pain out of reinstalling an upgrade edition of Vista.

Proficient

grunger106

Posted
  • Author
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You sure? MS said it has to be activated for it to be upgraded to Vista. If your correct and you don't need to, that will certainly take the pain out of reinstalling an upgrade edition of Vista.

100% sure I just installed XP and then did my vista install without activating XP.

Grand Master

kiddingguy

Posted
Posted

Why isn't MS making/showing an additional box when doing a clean install.

Like... do you own a previous copy of Windows XP? Yes, oh well... here you can key in your license number.

And another box in which you can type in your Vista key.

So, you do have a "clean" install of Vista without the remains of Windows XP (and activitating it, since all the valid keys are stored onto MS's servers).

Problem solved :yes:

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