Clean Install Q for Vista OEM Home Premium

[Guest]

I am planning to upgrade to Vista. This is a home built PC with a legal
Retail version of XP Professional. Since I can not do an inline upgrade to
Vista Home Premium over XP Pro, I've decided to go with the clean install
approach of Vista Home Premium OEM version from New Egg.

Here are my questions:

I have two internal hard drives in this PC. I plan to move all my data
files (music, pictures, docs, etc.) to my second drive volume (D) prior to
upgrade and then do a format, clean install of Vista on my primary drive
volume (C) over XP Pro.

Any problems after the clean install in recovering all files moved to (D)?
Should I disconnect the second volume (D) during the upgrade and re-connect
afterwards to preserve my data?

I don't have an external drive large enough to move the data to...

Not sure what extent the new Windows Easy Transfer feature will assist in
this effort? Any URL location that states exactly what files or data Windows
Easy Transfer protects? And will it work for an internal drive volume on
only to external, networked or DVD destination?

Thanks!

 

[Donald McDaniel]

I am planning to upgrade to Vista. This is a home built PC with a legal
Retail version of XP Professional. Since I can not do an inline upgrade
to
Vista Home Premium over XP Pro, I've decided to go with the clean install
approach of Vista Home Premium OEM version from New Egg.

Here are my questions:

I have two internal hard drives in this PC. I plan to move all my data
files (music, pictures, docs, etc.) to my second drive volume (D) prior to
upgrade and then do a format, clean install of Vista on my primary drive
volume (C) over XP Pro.

Any problems after the clean install in recovering all files moved to (D)?
Should I disconnect the second volume (D) during the upgrade and
re-connect
afterwards to preserve my data?

I don't have an external drive large enough to move the data to...

Not sure what extent the new Windows Easy Transfer feature will assist in
this effort? Any URL location that states exactly what files or data
Windows
Easy Transfer protects? And will it work for an internal drive volume on
only to external, networked or DVD destination?

Thanks!

Unless XP itself is installed on your drive "D:", the two partitions will be
completely separate to Windows. Make sure, however, that you DON'T use the
"Express Installation" option. Instead, use the "Custom Install" option.

I also advise you to do the formatting from within the Vista Installer
itself. When you choose the "Custom Install", the Vista Partition manager
will be available to you. Vista's version of NTFS is a LITTLE changed (but
not much). It's better to use Vista's tools for low-level disk operations
rather than XP's.

I also advise you to delete your XP partition (C first, recreate it, then
format it. Formatting under Vista is MUCH faster than under XP, by the way.
Formerly, it took almost 45 minutes for a full format of a larger HD. Vista
gives no such option, and simply formats the disk within 3 minutes or so.
Maybe even sooner, since I did not time it when I installed mine.


You should have no problems with moving your data back to Vista from your
second drive. Just make sure you tell the Vista Installer to install the OS
on C: rather than D:, or you will be in a world of hurt. (hehe).

Windows Easy Transfer is designed for just such a situation as yours, so it
should go easily for you once Vista is installed.

You might have to do a little fiddling, since the Vista folder structure is
a smidgen different than XP's.
For instance, "My Computer" is now "Computer". Likewise, "My Pictures" is
now simply "Pictures", and "My Documents" is now just "Documents". I guess
you can figure out for yourself what "My Music" and "My Movies" will be.

There are other differences. But WET is designed with that in mind.