Install my Vista twice on same machine - allowed?

[Peter]

I think I know the answer already - NO!! With a regular license can I
install my Vista again in another partition of the drive. Reason I ask is
the upcoming SP1 for Vista. I would like to test it but preferably not on
my main Vista.
Come to think of it, I beta tested XP SP2 all the way through on my (then)
single XP system without too many problems so maybe I'll just bite the
bullet. It certainly wouldn't be the first time I've formatted and
reinstalled!

 

[Malke]

I think I know the answer already - NO!! With a regular license can I
install my Vista again in another partition of the drive. Reason I ask
is the upcoming SP1 for Vista. I would like to test it but preferably
not on my main Vista.
Come to think of it, I beta tested XP SP2 all the way through on my
(then) single XP system without too many problems so maybe I'll just
bite the bullet. It certainly wouldn't be the first time I've formatted
and reinstalled!

You are correct, the answer is "no". However, I have a better idea for
you than taking chances with your production machine. Purchase an
imaging program (I like Acronis TrueImage) and an external hard drive.
Image your current install and store the image on the external hard
drive. Then you can test all you like and if things get messed up, it's
only a matter of minutes to restore the image and be back in business.

As a nice bonus, TrueImage does incremental backups too.


Malke

 

[Peter]

Is the operative word external there? Why not internal?

 

[John Barnes]

Internal works fine. I am sure he used external for extra safety

 

[Peter]

Thanks Malke & John. I was about to purchase Acronis T.I. 10 anyway
having used 9 for ages!

 

[Visbak]

I think I know the answer already - NO!! With a regular license can I
install my Vista again in another partition of the drive. Reason I ask is
the upcoming SP1 for Vista. I would like to test it but preferably not on
my main Vista.
Come to think of it, I beta tested XP SP2 all the way through on my (then)
single XP system without too many problems so maybe I'll just bite the
bullet. It certainly wouldn't be the first time I've formatted and
reinstalled!

If you want to install Vista on the same machine or on another machine, just
to test the upcoming SP1, you can do that IMHO.
Install Vista, but don't enter the product key. You can now test Vista for
100 days without registering/activate.
I guess this is enough for testing purposes?

 

[Malke]

Thanks Malke & John. I was about to purchase Acronis T.I. 10 anyway
having used 9 for ages!

Yes, of course you can use an internal hard drive. I do recommend owning
an external hard drive because I like having my backups in a different
location than my computers, but it really doesn't matter where the drive
holding the images lives. The important bit is that the images are
stored on a different hard drive, not on the same one as your
installation on a different partition. You can *do* it on a different
partition, but that gives you no protection if the hard drive dies.


Malke

 

[Peter]

That's certainly a thought. I'll probably go the clone route though.
Thanks.

 

[John Barnes]

Sorry, but make sure you are not connected to the internet. The first time
it phones home you will get a warning to activate since it will be on a
different drive. You will only be able to use it so long before you must
have the connection. Technically you are also in license violation.

That's certainly a thought. I'll probably go the clone route though.
Thanks.

 

[Peter]

Acknowledged, thanks.

--
Peter
Toronto, Canada
XP Pro SP2 x 2 + Vista Ultimate

Sorry, but make sure you are not connected to the internet. The first
time it phones home you will get a warning to activate since it will be on
a different drive. You will only be able to use it so long before you
must have the connection. Technically you are also in license violation.

 

[Peter]

I doubt that my external drive will allow a bootable partiton though. It's
a few-years-old Maxtor 1-Touch ll USB. I do have USB booting turned on in
the bios though. The only reason I doubt it is that I've notice the
transfer rate of that drive is quote slow.
I had forgotten that True Image Cloning requires a separate hard drive, not
just another partition. I could always use a spare partition on drive 0 but
then I would be installing a 4th system before the 3rd...probably doesn't
matter as they are both the same system.

 

[John Barnes]

Doesn't matter what order they are on on the hard drive. You could use the
back-up function to create and then restore to the other partition. You
could then use EasyBCD or VistaBootPro to add the second Vista system to
your boot menu pointing to the new copy. I haven't tried that as I used a
second drive when I had the phone home activation problems. Since the HD
serial number is a key element in the formula, that may ameliorate the
activation problem I experienced.
You may experience other problems if there is an enumeration problem when
you boot up and you may have problems with misdirected shortcuts and
processes that won't start.

 

[Peter]

Do you think cloning to a USB external drive would work? I was always
under the impression that operating systems should never be installed on
external drives.
That looks like my best (foolproof) choice. I do have loads of room on that
drive.

 

[John Barnes]

Vista will not boot from a USB drive. Installing a fresh copy is the best
approach, but that doesn't give you the same testing experience.

 

[Peter]

Well I guess cloning is out then as I don't have enough room on my other
internal HD - I think. I have one spare partition left of 22.5gb but the
cloning process require (if I recall) the same size drive as the original,
in this case 132gb.
You say "Installing a fresh copy" you mean go out and buy another, I was
afraid of that. Ebay here I come....again.

 

[Peter]

By the way, I thought Vista would not install on an external drive? I know
it's cloning but it's the same difference surely?

 

[John Barnes]

I meant that you can install it clean on your other partition. You still
have to be disconnected from the internet, and you can take the earlier
advice and just not activate it for 30 days. Will fit on a smaller
partition if you don't install too much, but then what are you testing for?
Usually for me I need everything the same so I can tell if there are any
conflicts.

 

[Peter]

Exactly..... I think I have to do some serious thinking here..! Thanks for
all the help.

 

[John Barnes]

You're welcome and good luck.

Exactly..... I think I have to do some serious thinking here..! Thanks
for all the help.

 

[Peter]

I'll probably say to heck with it and install it on my live Vista anyway.
;-)