Does Vista let me format hard drive?

[Guest]

I currently have Vista Ultimate installed on my notebook, I bought the
upgrade DVD.
My notebook has 2GB of RAM and has been running abit slow only at startup.

I have scanned the whole notebook, but it seems that it's all clear.

So I decided that I want to format the hard drive, and install a Fresh Copy
of Windows Vista Ultimate.

I do not know how to do this with the Upgrade DVD. Will it give me an option
to format the drive, prior to installing Vista, or this feature only come in
the Full Edition of Vista (hopefully not, as that would mean I would have to
buy a new Vista DVD).

I also saw a OEM copy of Vista Ultimate at newegg.com, will the OEM copy
allow me to format the hard drive.

As I do not want any remains of my program files, or Windows.old in my
directory. (plus, I already deleted windows.old from the hard drive ....)

To sum it up, does Windows Vista upgrade edition let me format my hard
drive, if so how do I do it. ( Inside the current Vista OS, or before Windows
loads etc.)

If it doesn't then should I buy the OEM edition, and will it give me the
option, or is my only resort the Full Edition.

Thank you for your time, and hopefully you will provide a clear step by step
explanation.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

The upgrade version of Windows Vista does not
allow one to completely reformat the hard drive
for an absolute clean install. You would need
a "full version" of Windows Vista (all OEM
Vista versions are full versions) to perform
an absolute clean install.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

----------------------------------------------------------------------

:

I currently have Vista Ultimate installed on my notebook, I bought the
upgrade DVD.
My notebook has 2GB of RAM and has been running abit slow only at startup.

I have scanned the whole notebook, but it seems that it's all clear.

So I decided that I want to format the hard drive, and install a Fresh Copy
of Windows Vista Ultimate.

I do not know how to do this with the Upgrade DVD. Will it give me an option
to format the drive, prior to installing Vista, or this feature only come in
the Full Edition of Vista (hopefully not, as that would mean I would have to
buy a new Vista DVD).

I also saw a OEM copy of Vista Ultimate at newegg.com, will the OEM copy
allow me to format the hard drive.

As I do not want any remains of my program files, or Windows.old in my
directory. (plus, I already deleted windows.old from the hard drive ....)

To sum it up, does Windows Vista upgrade edition let me format my hard
drive, if so how do I do it. ( Inside the current Vista OS, or before Windows
loads etc.)

If it doesn't then should I buy the OEM edition, and will it give me the
option, or is my only resort the Full Edition.

Thank you for your time, and hopefully you will provide a clear step by step
explanation.

 

[JerryM]

You should see a choice of installing to a clean drive or upgrading over the
operating system.
If you choose to install to a clean drive, it will delete all partitions and
format automatically.

Jerry

 

[John Barnes]

You can do a custom install on another partition, but you are being anal as
the method of installing Vista involves laying down a clean IMAGE of Vista
and a custom install does nothing to that image. The files left behind,
from whatever what was on the partition, can be deleted and you have a
virgin copy of Vista. No longer do they do the file copying method of past
versions.

 

[Paul Randall]

Hi, John
Maybe I'm misunderstanding what you are saying.
I can see that on a clean install, 'laying down a clean IMAGE' might
correctly describe the process. I suppose the beginning of an upgrade might
also work that way, but then it must integrate all your existing
applications, which has the potential for all kinds of junk being carried to
the new system.

Am I wrong here?

-Paul Randall

 

[John Barnes]

You are right for an upgrade (and I think the upgrade process for Vista is
less reliable than prior approaches). We are talking about a 'custom'
install which does NOT integrate anything from another source except the
Vista install disk.

 

[Guest]

well well well
SUPRISE! My 'upgrade' disc has ALL the versions on it as upgrades OR CLEAN
INSTALLS!
kc

 

[Guest]

hmmm
I bought the 'upgrade disc' from DELL and it had ALL the versions on it and
allowed me to clean install (fromMedia edition 2005) or a clean install of
ANY flavor of VISTA. OF course I only have legit keys fopr Home Premium
which runs fine for me. I think MAYBE bitlocker is the alleged only thing it
does NOT have vs the ULTIMATE version at a MUCH more expensive rate.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Well, someday in the not to distance future,
your systems will be flagged as "non-genuine"
and you'll end up having to purchase a
"full license" anyhow.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

----------------------------------------------------------------------

:

well well well
SUPRISE! My 'upgrade' disc has ALL the versions on it as upgrades OR CLEAN
INSTALLS!
kc

 

[Donald McDaniel]

I currently have Vista Ultimate installed on my notebook, I bought the
upgrade DVD.
My notebook has 2GB of RAM and has been running abit slow only at startup.

I have scanned the whole notebook, but it seems that it's all clear.

So I decided that I want to format the hard drive, and install a Fresh
Copy
of Windows Vista Ultimate.

I do not know how to do this with the Upgrade DVD. Will it give me an
option
to format the drive, prior to installing Vista, or this feature only come
in
the Full Edition of Vista (hopefully not, as that would mean I would have
to
buy a new Vista DVD).

I also saw a OEM copy of Vista Ultimate at newegg.com, will the OEM copy
allow me to format the hard drive.

As I do not want any remains of my program files, or Windows.old in my
directory. (plus, I already deleted windows.old from the hard drive
....)

To sum it up, does Windows Vista upgrade edition let me format my hard
drive, if so how do I do it. ( Inside the current Vista OS, or before
Windows
loads etc.)

It is NOT posible to format the System Partition/Boot drive from within any
release of Windows. Try it. You will not be allowed.

To format your System partition, you must boot using the Installation Media.
You will NOT be able to do an Upgrade. It will be greyed-out, leaving you
only one solution: Install your OS "clean".

The Upgrade Edition will allow you to either upgrade (from within Windows)
or reformat and install "clean".

This is also true for "Generic FULL OEM" installation Media. This may or
may not also be the case with third-party OEM installation media, such as
"Restore" media provided by the manufacturer.

If it doesn't then should I buy the OEM edition, and will it give me the
option, or is my only resort the Full Edition.

Why anyone ever purchases the "full retail" editions of Windows I will never
be able to understand. ANY "full" distro of Windows will either install
"clean" OR as an upgrade. This includes both "Full OEM" media and "Full
Retail Upgrade" media, as well as "Full Retail for Computers without an OS"
media.

ALL "full" editions of Windows Installation media allow one to do EITHER.
READ the Installer text FULLY and CAREFULLY for directions.

Thank you for your time, and hopefully you will provide a clear step by
step
explanation.

NOTE the order in which Windows is installed:
1) Delete/create necessary partitions. Vista needs an installation
partition which is a minimum of 20GB. Once it is installed, Microsoft
claims it only needs 12GB. I don't agree. I suggest an installation
partition of at least 80GB
2) FORMAT these raw partitions.
3) LAST of all, install Windows.

Donald McDaniel

 

[Donald McDaniel]

You should see a choice of installing to a clean drive or upgrading over
the operating system.
If you choose to install to a clean drive, it will delete all partitions
and format automatically.

Jerry

I've never seen this, and I've installed Windows so many times, I can
practically do it in my sleep. I've used every form of Installation media
that exists. I've always been able to do EITHER a "clean" install OR an
"upgrade" using ANY type of Retail media. And I've NEVER seen the installer
"delete all partitions and format them automatically". I've ALWAYS had to
do any partitioning and formatting manually, by making choices from within
the Installer.

It IS possible to install Windows "automatically", but you must use a
Microsoft "response" file to do it. This is NOT the way most home users
install their OS OOB.

Donald McDaniel

 

[Donald McDaniel]

hmmm
I bought the 'upgrade disc' from DELL and it had ALL the versions on it
and
allowed me to clean install (fromMedia edition 2005) or a clean install of
ANY flavor of VISTA. OF course I only have legit keys fopr Home Premium
which runs fine for me. I think MAYBE bitlocker is the alleged only thing
it
does NOT have vs the ULTIMATE version at a MUCH more expensive rate.

Some people just don't mean the same thing when they say "clean install".
Nor do they mean the same thing when they say "upgrade".

I don't inderstand why Carey continues to spout the same old Party line
about "requiring" full installation media to perform a "clean" installation.
This is just not so, as probably millions of Windows users have found out.
I myself have used "Retail Upgrade" media on more than one occasion to
install Windows "clean". And the Vista System Builder kits ("Full OEM")
will install either as an upgrade(from within a previous version of XP) or
cleanly (when booting from the Install disk). As long as one has legal
licenses, and uses them according to their EULA, Microsoft doesn't care how
one installs his OS. NOTHING in the XP or Vista EULAs says that one MUST
use "FULL" installation Media to do a reformat of the HD before installing.

Whether one does a clean or upgrade intallation are technical
considerations, not legal considerations. There is NOTHING technically
keeping one from formatting the HD using "Retail Upgrade" media before
installing the OS. And I really don't believe Microsoft could enforce such
a clause in the EULA. Such clauses are generally illegal in the first
place. Which is exactly why Microsoft has not added it to the EULA. Such
an EULA would be struck down by the courts almost immediately as
unenforceable as well as having no legal merit.

Yet Microsoft's toadies continue trying to scare us into purchasing
higher-priced retail software, even while Microsoft makes no such condition
a part of our License agreements.

Donald McDaniel