how install ultimate on a clean hdd recovering an upgrade product

[GL]

Hi,
I own a product key for vista premium and I later upgraded to ultimate online.
I do not own an ultimate product key and I want to reinstall vista on a
clean hdd.
What can I do to install ultimate? (I have a confimration number of my
"ultimate upgrade" order but it's not shown even on digiital locker")
How can I install ultimate on a clean hdd if I own a premium product key but
I bought an upgrade to ultimate?Thank you!

 

[Nonny]

I own a product key for vista premium and I later upgraded to ultimate online.
I do not own an ultimate product key and I want to reinstall vista on a
clean hdd.
What can I do to install ultimate? (I have a confimration number of my
"ultimate upgrade" order but it's not shown even on digiital locker")
How can I install ultimate on a clean hdd if I own a premium product key but
I bought an upgrade to ultimate?

Nope. The reason for the lesser price on an upgrade is because it is
paired with the previous version. You cannot use the version you
upgraded from anywhere else.

Period (meaning that it's not open for discussion).

 

[Nonny]

Use norton ghost or acronis true image to clone the old hard drive onto
the new hard drive.

Yer outta yer mind.

 

[Adam Albright]

Yer outta yer mind.

Congratulations, you beat Frank's record for the most spelling errors
in one sentence. You scored a 75% error rate. Pat yourself on the back
fool.

 

[GL]

thank you for your answer. LEt me know if I understood properly.
I've deleted my OS. NOw I've installed premium vista and entered my product
key angain. Now I cannot upgrade to Ultimate anymore?

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

If you wish to install Windows Vista Ultimate on a
clean hard drive, you would need to purchase a
"Full Version" Windows Vista Ultimate license.

 

[GL]

thank you. However I'd like to be sure of what you said.
I had to re-install vista on my pc cause it didn't work properly. So I
installed my premium vista back and now I'm trying to install the upgrade
version I bought some months ago on the same machine.
Now I've two questions:
1) is that not possible even on the same machine?
2) if I upgrade again buying a new licence, what I have to do if i need to
re-install vista and I own just the premium product key but I bought an
upgrade to vista?

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

thank you. However I'd like to be sure of what you said.
I had to re-install vista on my pc cause it didn't work properly. So I
installed my premium vista back and now I'm trying to install the upgrade
version I bought some months ago on the same machine.
Now I've two questions:
1) is that not possible even on the same machine?
2) if I upgrade again buying a new licence, what I have to do if i need to
re-install vista and I own just the premium product key but I bought an
upgrade to vista?

I don't quite understand: You say above "I later upgraded to Ultimate
online..", then you say "I do not own an ultimate product key..".

HOW did you "upgrade to Ultimate online.."?
HOW did you install the "upgrade" without a CD key?
HOW did you ACTIVATE the "upgrade" without a CD key?

NEXT, there is no such thing as "Vista Premium" -- only "Vista Home
Premium", or "Vista Ultimate" (these are the two "premium" editions of
Vista).

IF you "Upgraded to Ultimate online" using the Windows Catalogue, they
would have provided a product key when they received the money.

IF you ordered a BOXED UPGRADE to Ultimate, on the other hand, and are
expecting it to be delivered, you will get your key once it is
delivered, and are simply out of luck until it arrives.

Now, on to licensing issues:

IF you used the copy of Vista Home Premium as the product to be
upgraded, the new license will replace your old license for Vista Home
Premium, making it unusable until the upgrade license is removed.

Now, let's address your use of the word "upgrade".
Do you mean that you simply purchased online a FULL Retail copy of
Vista? Or do you mean what it soundls like you are saying, that you
purchased online downloadable Upgrade media for Vista Ultimate?

1) UPgrades must be installed on a computer having an approved upgrade
path, such as from Vista Home Premium to Vista Ultimate. If Vista
Home Premium is the version on your drive, and you purchased an
"upgrade version of Vista Ultimate, you will be able to install
Ultimate without formatting your Windows partition, and without losing
any of your own files and data.

In either case, it really doesn't matter, in either case.

IF the edition you purchased was a Retail Upgrade version, you will be
still be able to do either a clean installation, or an in-place
upgrade as long as there is already a version of Vista, XP, or 2k on
the HD.

Don't be in such a hurry, friend. Have patience until you get the
Vista Ultimate Product Key.


Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the original newsgroup and thread.
========================================================

 

[GL]

my answers are below...in capital letters

I don't quite understand: You say above "I later upgraded to Ultimate
online..", then you say "I do not own an ultimate product key..".

HOW did you "upgrade to Ultimate online.."?

I FOLLOWED A LINK THAT JUST ALLOWED ME TO INSERT MY WINDOWS UPDGRADE CD (NO
PRODUCT KEY ON IT)

HOW did you install the "upgrade" without a CD key?

I THINK IT WAS THE LINK THAT ALLOWED ME TO DO THAT

HOW did you ACTIVATE the "upgrade" without a CD key? IT JUST WORKED

NEXT, there is no such thing as "Vista Premium" -- only "Vista Home
Premium", or "Vista Ultimate" (these are the two "premium" editions of
Vista). OK. THAT'S MY FAULT

IF you "Upgraded to Ultimate online" using the Windows Catalogue, they
would have provided a product key when they received the money. NO, IT DIDN'T WORK THIS WAY
IF you ordered a BOXED UPGRADE to Ultimate, on the other hand, and are
expecting it to be delivered, you will get your key once it is
delivered, and are simply out of luck until it arrives.

NO, I UPGRADED TO ULTIMATE ONLINE

Now, on to licensing issues:

IF you used the copy of Vista Home Premium as the product to be
upgraded, the new license will replace your old license for Vista Home
Premium, making it unusable until the upgrade license is removed.

Now, let's address your use of the word "upgrade".
Do you mean that you simply purchased online a FULL Retail copy of
Vista? Or do you mean what it soundls like you are saying, that you
purchased online downloadable Upgrade media for Vista Ultimate?
I PURCHASED ONLINE A DOWNLODABLE UPGRADE....
1) UPgrades must be installed on a computer having an approved upgrade
path, such as from Vista Home Premium to Vista Ultimate. If Vista
Home Premium is the version on your drive, and you purchased an
"upgrade version of Vista Ultimate, you will be able to install
Ultimate without formatting your Windows partition, and without losing
any of your own files and data.

MY VISTA STOPPED WORKING SO I HAD (I PREFERRED) TO INSTALL VISTA HOME
PREMIUM ON A CLEAN HD

In either case, it really doesn't matter, in either case.

IF the edition you purchased was a Retail Upgrade version, you will be
still be able to do either a clean installation, or an in-place
upgrade as long as there is already a version of Vista, XP, or 2k on
the HD.

Don't be in such a hurry, friend. Have patience until you get the
Vista Ultimate Product Key.


Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the original newsgroup and thread.
========================================================

SO I SOLVED MY PROBLEM, AND I'LL TRY TO EXPLAIN HOW.
I INSTALLED HOME PREMIUM ON A CLEAN HD WITH MY CD AND ITS PRODUCT KEY. (EASY)
THEN I WENT TO DIGITAL LOCKER TO RETRIEVE MY LICENSE TO UPGRADE TO ULTIMATE
VISTA. (HERE IT'S THE PROBLEM)
SINCE I DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING ON A FIRST LOOK I GOT WORRIED, BUT NOW I'VE
UNDERSTOOD THAT I HAD TO LOG IN WITH MY "WINDOWS LIVE ID" ACCOUNT AND THEN
REGISTER WITH THE EMAIL I USED TO PURCHASE MY ONLINE UPGRADE (AND IT'S
DIFFERENT FROM MY "WINDOWS LIVE ID" EMAIL).
IN THAT WAY I WAS ABLE TO FIND MY LICENSE (THAT IT'S A DOWNLODABLE FILE AND
NOT A 25 CODE PRODUCT KEY) THAT ALLOWED ME TO USE THE WINDOWS ANYTIME UPGRADE
CD FROM MY HOME PREMIUM VISTA.
I HOPE THAT COULD HELP SOME ONE ELSE AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND
SUGGESTIONS.
(I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE DOWNLODABLE LICENSE FILE CAN NOT BE MOVED TO
ANTOHER INSTALLATION AND YOU HAVE TO DOWNLOAD EVERYTIME FROM DIGITAL LOCKER
TO WORK PROPERLY!)

 

[Donald L McDaniel]

my answers are below...in capital letters


I FOLLOWED A LINK THAT JUST ALLOWED ME TO INSERT MY WINDOWS UPDGRADE CD (NO
PRODUCT KEY ON IT)

So your copy of Vista Home Premium was an "Anytime Upgrade" CD you
received with your computer. That's new information since your last
post. Thanks for adding this information.

I THINK IT WAS THE LINK THAT ALLOWED ME TO DO THAT
IT JUST WORKED

So, once you installed the Upgrade, you did not need to use the
Activation Wizard? Or was there a special file (not very large) you
had to run after installation?

NO, I UPGRADED TO ULTIMATE ONLINE
MY VISTA STOPPED WORKING SO I HAD (I PREFERRED) TO INSTALL VISTA HOME
PREMIUM ON A CLEAN HD
SO I SOLVED MY PROBLEM, AND I'LL TRY TO EXPLAIN HOW.
I INSTALLED HOME PREMIUM ON A CLEAN HD WITH MY CD AND ITS PRODUCT KEY. (EASY)
THEN I WENT TO DIGITAL LOCKER TO RETRIEVE MY LICENSE TO UPGRADE TO ULTIMATE
VISTA. (HERE IT'S THE PROBLEM)
SINCE I DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING ON A FIRST LOOK I GOT WORRIED, BUT NOW I'VE
UNDERSTOOD THAT I HAD TO LOG IN WITH MY "WINDOWS LIVE ID" ACCOUNT AND THEN
REGISTER WITH THE EMAIL I USED TO PURCHASE MY ONLINE UPGRADE (AND IT'S
DIFFERENT FROM MY "WINDOWS LIVE ID" EMAIL).
IN THAT WAY I WAS ABLE TO FIND MY LICENSE (THAT IT'S A DOWNLODABLE FILE AND
NOT A 25 CODE PRODUCT KEY) THAT ALLOWED ME TO USE THE WINDOWS ANYTIME UPGRADE
CD FROM MY HOME PREMIUM VISTA.
I HOPE THAT COULD HELP SOME ONE ELSE AND I THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND
SUGGESTIONS.
(I ALSO NOTICED THAT THE DOWNLODABLE LICENSE FILE CAN NOT BE MOVED TO
ANTOHER INSTALLATION AND YOU HAVE TO DOWNLOAD EVERYTIME FROM DIGITAL LOCKER
TO WORK PROPERLY!)

So, from this information, I gather that:
1) the "Anytime Upgrade" does not need to be Activated by the owner
using the Activation Wizard.
2) The "Anytime Upgrade" is not a normal "Retail Upgrade" package
(i.e., it is an OEM copy).

Anyway, thanks for your expanded information. Makes more sense now.

By the way, some folks think that "all-caps" is rude or an expression
of anger. I disagree. Sometimes, "all-caps" is necessary rather than
rude.

I do know that it is harder to read than normal alphanumeric
typefaces, and your reply was harder than normal for me to read.


Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the original newsgroup and thread.
========================================================