How to get to partitioner?

[Tim Scott Mathews]

I bought Vista Home Premium and want to install it BUT on a separate
partition so if I encounter problems I can still use XP. Starting the
installation, after the initial serial number entry etc, I get to the actual
installation dialogue page where the options about where to install it are
and my only options are my hard disk where XP is installed. The prompt on
the lower part of the screen says that to change, add, remove partitions the
system must be booted from the DVD. Trying this begins as normal but after
entering the serial number, I get prompted that this version of Vista cannot
be run or installed from booting the dvd but must be run from the current
operating system.

Thinking, perhaps, that the partitioning software was on the DVD somewhere
and could be run separately, I've tried everything I can think of "my
computer," Windows Explorer, etc to actually look at what's on the dvd and
no matter what I try, the dvd starts to load the installation program.

So, my question--obviously--is, how the heck do I partition my C drive so I
can install Vista? Are all these things I've read which indicate I don't
need a separate partitioning utility wrong?

Much thanks,
Tim

 

[Max]

You have an Upgrade Product ID, not a Full Install.
You cannot install by booting from the DVD and after entering your key.
You could (re)partition your XP drive using any number of 3rd party
partitioning applications (some of them free), and then decide what you want
to do. By purchasing an Upgrade key, you are not supposed to be able to
continue to run the previous version of Windows that qualifies you for using
the Upgrade DVD.

 

[A]

It's there after you install Vista as part of computer management, I guess
not before.

 

[Guest]

Tim,

Refer to this article:
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

It tells how to perform a clean install using upgrade media.