How about trying this?

[Brian W]

Following on from the posts about being able to do clean installs using
Upgrade media but with no XP installation.
For those who don't have Ultimate edition, try this if you want to do an
image backup of your system:

Boot from DVD.
Create two partitions on HDD
Install your 'proper' Vista version on one partition (say Home Premium or
Basic), entering product key when requested.
Install any programs, drivers etc, and configure Vista how you like it.
You may activate now, if you wish.
Boot from DVD again, this time select the other partition to install to.
Don't enter product key, select Ultimate from version list.
Let it install.
From boot menu, select the installation corresponding to Ultimate.
Use the Complete PC Backup option to create an image of your Vista installs
(the loaded system drive is selected automatically, just select the one with
your 'proper' Vista on as well)

To restore, boot from DVD and use the Repair options. As the product key is
not needed when doing the repair, you should be able to recover your
non-Ultimate edition Vista install!

Simply re-install the Ultimate edition in the 'spare' partition when you
want to do another PC Backup (to get round the 30-day activation time limit)


Note I haven't tested this, but it sounbds feasible.

 

[Jon]

Following on from the posts about being able to do clean installs using
Upgrade media but with no XP installation.
For those who don't have Ultimate edition, try this if you want to do an
image backup of your system:

Boot from DVD.
Create two partitions on HDD
Install your 'proper' Vista version on one partition (say Home Premium or
Basic), entering product key when requested.
Install any programs, drivers etc, and configure Vista how you like it.
You may activate now, if you wish.
Boot from DVD again, this time select the other partition to install to.
Don't enter product key, select Ultimate from version list.
Let it install.
From boot menu, select the installation corresponding to Ultimate.
Use the Complete PC Backup option to create an image of your Vista
installs (the loaded system drive is selected automatically, just select
the one with your 'proper' Vista on as well)

To restore, boot from DVD and use the Repair options. As the product key
is not needed when doing the repair, you should be able to recover your
non-Ultimate edition Vista install!

Simply re-install the Ultimate edition in the 'spare' partition when you
want to do another PC Backup (to get round the 30-day activation time
limit)


Note I haven't tested this, but it sounbds feasible.

Well yes, this is one of the many hitherto unmentioned potential
consequences of that procedure.

Perhaps it's part of a strategy of using 30-day trial versions to encourage
people who have already bought one version of Vista, to eventually upgrade
to the 'Ultimate' version, or a way of competing with free operating
systems. Who knows.
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