Installing Vista Home Premium and Format

[JamesJ]

I'm considering formatting my hard drive and then installing Vista.
But during a test run I booted to the installation disk. After entering
the Product Key I was told I needed to install form the operating
system. So, I restarted and ran setup from my existing Vista install.
I got to the 'Where do you want to install Windows' there was
no selection at the bottom of the screen for Drive options to allow me
to format.
All that was there was saying 'If you need to make changes to
this partition reboot to the installation disk'
I don't get it. Am I missing something???

James

 

[Seth]

I'm considering formatting my hard drive and then installing Vista.
But during a test run I booted to the installation disk. After entering
the Product Key I was told I needed to install form the operating
system. So, I restarted and ran setup from my existing Vista install.
I got to the 'Where do you want to install Windows' there was
no selection at the bottom of the screen for Drive options to allow me
to format.
All that was there was saying 'If you need to make changes to
this partition reboot to the installation disk'
I don't get it. Am I missing something???

Correct, there will be no format option during an in place upgrade. Rather,
your old users folder (Documents and Settings on pre-Longhorn systems),
Program Files and Windows will all be moved under a new top-level folder
called "Windows.old". Other existing folder trees off the root directory
will be left intact.

When complete, you can get information from under the Windows.old structure
if need be, and then use CleanUp to eliminate the Windows.old.

 

[JamesJ]

My question then is. is there a way to format my hardrive???

James

 

[Seth]

My question then is. is there a way to format my hardrive???

On an "upgrade", technically no.

What may be close enough for your liking however, even though it takes
longer is...
http://blogs.chron.com/techblog/archives/2007/01/workin_the_vista_cleaninstallupgrade_blues_1.html

The trick is to NOT enter a product key on your first pass, installing Vista
as if a retail/fresh build. You can format the drive on that pass. Once
installed, do another installation from within Vista, this time upgrading
the current instalaltion using your upgrade key.


So which way you go (the MS normal way of upgrading from within XP) or the
method above I guess depends on what the goal of "formatting" the drive is.
Is it to simply start clean (in which case doing the upgrade from within XP
and then removing the Windows.old structure), or to completely wipe the
drive because you think there are errors with the current filesystem.

 

[JamesJ]

Ok, I did a trial run. I assumed Vista needed the Activation Code to
continue.
Haven't decided to go this route, yet, but I know now it's an option.

Thanks,
James

 

[John Barnes]

The current method of installing Vista results in a clean environment.
Vista does not use your old system and root thru it and replace files. It
lays out an image file. You could install to another partition which you
formatted, then, if you install on a different drive, you can clean up the
start-up process. If on the same drive you can use a third party product to
merge the partitions, then run the start-up repair.

 

[JamesJ]

Hmm. I'll keep it in mind.

The current method of installing Vista results in a clean environment.
Vista does not use your old system and root thru it and replace files. It
lays out an image file. You could install to another partition which you
formatted, then, if you install on a different drive, you can clean up the
start-up process. If on the same drive you can use a third party product
to merge the partitions, then run the start-up repair.