Installing UPGRADE disc without previous versions of Windows

[Guest]

There is a small flaw in the Upgrade installation programming of Windows
Vista...

In the past, you could upgrade a blank (formatted) hard drive, with only a
single upgrade disc and a full version of any previous version Windows. You
would start with the upgrade disc, and eventually it would prompt you to
insert the full version disc from a previous version of Windows.
Now, I’ve only installed Vistas twice so far, but the same technique doesn’t
seem to work with Windows Vista; however, there is a way to install a full
version of Vista from an upgrade disc... without any previous version of
Windows. You need to install Vista (with only the upgrade disc you
purchased) without entering a product key. Once the install is complete and
you are staring a the desktop, start the install from within Windows and
reinstall it as an upgrade. This time use the product key you legally
obtained, and reinstall the same version. You have a full, activated version
of Vista... from only the upgrade disc.

 

[Rock]

There is a small flaw in the Upgrade installation programming of Windows
Vista...

In the past, you could upgrade a blank (formatted) hard drive, with only a
single upgrade disc and a full version of any previous version Windows.
You
would start with the upgrade disc, and eventually it would prompt you to
insert the full version disc from a previous version of Windows.
Now, I’ve only installed Vistas twice so far, but the same technique doesn’t
seem to work with Windows Vista; however, there is a way to install a full
version of Vista from an upgrade disc... without any previous version of
Windows. You need to install Vista (with only the upgrade disc you
purchased) without entering a product key. Once the install is complete
and
you are staring a the desktop, start the install from within Windows and
reinstall it as an upgrade. This time use the product key you legally
obtained, and reinstall the same version. You have a full, activated
version
of Vista... from only the upgrade disc.

Ok so this is old news, long known and reported. It's not a flaw about the
upgrade process not accepting the shiny media as in XP. The process was
changed. So what is your question or issue?

 

[Rock]

There is a small flaw in the Upgrade installation programming of Windows
Vista...

In the past, you could upgrade a blank (formatted) hard drive, with only a
single upgrade disc and a full version of any previous version Windows.
You
would start with the upgrade disc, and eventually it would prompt you to
insert the full version disc from a previous version of Windows.
Now, I’ve only installed Vistas twice so far, but the same technique doesn’t
seem to work with Windows Vista; however, there is a way to install a full
version of Vista from an upgrade disc... without any previous version of
Windows. You need to install Vista (with only the upgrade disc you
purchased) without entering a product key. Once the install is complete
and
you are staring a the desktop, start the install from within Windows and
reinstall it as an upgrade. This time use the product key you legally
obtained, and reinstall the same version. You have a full, activated
version
of Vista... from only the upgrade disc.

See for example:
http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5932

 

[Art Wakefield]

Ok so this is old news, long known and reported. It's not a flaw about
the upgrade process not accepting the shiny media as in XP. The process
was changed. So what is your question or issue?

--

A better question might be what is your issue? All he is doing is passing
along some information he's discovered. I believe that's in scope for this
group, whether it's been reported or not.

Art

 

[Rock]

A better question might be what is your issue? All he is doing is passing
along some information he's discovered. I believe that's in scope for
this group, whether it's been reported or not.

He starts out by saying there is a flaw in the upgrade process. I'm trying
to clarify what it is he is posting about. Is he wanting to report a bug or
pass or info or ask a question? It's not clear. Hence my asking what is
the question or issue.

 

[Art Wakefield]

He starts out by saying there is a flaw in the upgrade process. I'm
trying to clarify what it is he is posting about. Is he wanting to report
a bug or pass or info or ask a question? It's not clear. Hence my asking
what is the question or issue.

--

Weak, very weak. He didn't ask a question or seek help. This line might be
an indicator:

"however, there is a way to install a full version of Vista from an upgrade
disc... without any previous version of Windows. "

Don't pretend you were trying to be helpful. He was very clear.

Joshua, thanks for the post. I was unaware of this process.

Art

 

[Rock]

Weak, very weak. He didn't ask a question or seek help. This line might
be an indicator:

"however, there is a way to install a full version of Vista from an
upgrade disc... without any previous version of Windows. "

Don't pretend you were trying to be helpful. He was very clear.

Joshua, thanks for the post. I was unaware of this process.

That's your opinion. It wasn't clear and that's why I ended with a
question.

 

[Art Wakefield]

That's your opinion. It wasn't clear and that's why I ended with a
question.

I've lurked for quite a while and know you've been helpful to many, many
other folks. It's just one of those things that struck me as odd. I guess
all the trolls have been getting to me. Sometimes this ng seems more about
fighting trolls than Vista. My bad.

Thanks for the good work that you do Rock.

Art

 

[Rock]

I've lurked for quite a while and know you've been helpful to many, many
other folks. It's just one of those things that struck me as odd. I
guess all the trolls have been getting to me. Sometimes this ng seems
more about fighting trolls than Vista. My bad.

Thanks for the good work that you do Rock.

Thanks Art. Yeah the trolls are bad. They hurt a lot of folks here,
especially the unsuspecting new people who just come here for help.

 

[Guest]

Sorry for the confusion, I was only trying to help. Still seems a little odd
to have two different install medias (at different prices) if you can
accomplish the same task with both.
What is a "troll"?

 

[Rock]

Sorry for the confusion, I was only trying to help. Still seems a little
odd
to have two different install medias (at different prices) if you can
accomplish the same task with both.
What is a "troll"?

That's ok, I just didn't know if you were asking a question, wanting to
report or bug or just posting some information. Yes it is surprising that
MS left open this double install method to allow a clean install with an
upgrade version without verifying proof of ownership of a qualifying OS.
It's unknown why, and MS hasn't yet explained it. Still the license
agreement requires one to own a qualifying OS to use an upgrade version, so
even if there is no verification needed that's still a requirement.

Here's one explanation of troll.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll

The trolls come out whenever a new OS is released. When XP was released it
was similar. As an example for a while the Mac trolls were here but they
have since petered out. Every post someone made with a problem their
response was get a Mac.

 

[David Morgan \(MAMS\)]

Every post someone made with a problem their
response was get a Mac.

Can you say, Li-Knocks?

;-)

Apparently the Linux trolls are still here.

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

Yes it is surprising that
MS left open this double install method to allow a clean install with an
upgrade version without verifying proof of ownership of a qualifying OS.
It's unknown why, and MS hasn't yet explained it. Still the license
agreement requires one to own a qualifying OS to use an upgrade version, so
even if there is no verification needed that's still a requirement.

It is fairly clear to me that Microsoft intended that workaround for
someone whose XP installation went belly-up, and he didn't get
a restore CD from the PC vendor.

 

[Rock]

It is fairly clear to me that Microsoft intended that workaround for
someone whose XP installation went belly-up, and he didn't get
a restore CD from the PC vendor.

That could be but then why aren't they talking about the why of it? Why the
mystery?

 

[Gary VanderMolen]

That could be but then why aren't they talking about the why of it? Why the
mystery?

My guess is that they wanted to keep this information in-house,
to be used only by Microsoft's tech support personnel.
If they publicly admit to it, that would legitimize the practice of
using an upgrade disc instead of the more costly full install disc.
As it is, this feature hasn't been publicized all that much outside
of the PC enthusiast circles. The average user doesn't know about
it, which suits Microsoft's bottom-line just fine.

 

[John Fuchs-Chesney]

I used the procedure described below to enable activation on my Motion LE
1600.

-- Problem is that after the upgrade re-installation I no longer have
working sound (it was working fine after the initial 'clean' install).

Any ideas what may be wrong, and how to fix it/

Thanks! ~ jfc.