Upgrade

[John Barnes]

Your scenario my solution, C ends up with the .old operating system (or it
could be made unusable any number of ways) and the boot files, and the fresh
install is on D. No legacy qualifying system that works. Microsoft could
also easily send back the key to the legacy system so it could not be
reactivated. With any scenario except the last, the old operating system
can just be reinstalled anyway. Doesn't solve anything to force
installation on the legacy volume except those that don't have the install
disk or recovery disk. Haven't used a preinstalled system in years, but
when I had a Compaq, I could pull the Windows files from the recovery disk
and burn them to a CD to have a bootable installable Win98 CD. There was
also a file in the installed system that had all the files necessary for a
complete CD.

 

[John Barnes]

Why would he want or need restore points if he has just loaded a working
system from backup. He has lost any work since the update, up to a week in
his case. If he has a backup program that saves the files he updates
regularly he can run that before the restore and then reload those files,
like User.

 

[Guest]

Colin,
Please explain vss files and volsnap.sys. What do they do?
After I restored RC2 from xp using retrospect, I do not see any change in
RC2 function. It works as before. I have not lost anything that I can notice.
May be you can explain what are the drawbacks with Retrospect.
I will watch for the user's feed back re. upgrade edition before I buy vista.

 

[Rock]

I tried to search in Google Groups, but I couldn't find this group listed.
I think that's pretty amazing in itself. Google is my normal source for
searching the groups.

Then I tried to search on my ISP's newsgroup server. No go. Then I tried
to search in GigaNews using the Grabit client. Still no go. Please give
me some guidance on doing the search you've recommended.

Also, what exactly is my copy of Vista not doing that it should be doing,
considering that I boot into XP all the time? It seems to be working
perfectly. What isn't in my Vista partition that should be there?
Something to do with system restore? I use Ghost for my system restores,
but if XP is tampering with Vista somehow, I'd like to understand how that
works. Thanks.

Bill, you are not understanding what happens. System restore points, volume
shadow copies of files and backups created by Vista backup and stored on the
Vista volume are lost when booting into XP. You won't see any effect on
Vista's operational health until you try to use one of these recovery
resources after you have booted into XP, and find there is nothing there to
restore to.

If you use other means to backup the system such as a drive imaging program
that saves images of the Vista drive on external media, and are willing to
have the System Restore points deleted when booting into the XP
installation, then the multi-boot is fine. Just know these limitations
exist.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Win2k does not require activation so there is nothing to void.

I still see it as simpler to force the installation of Vista to the system
drive of the version of Windows that was selected when you boot into that
Windows before running Vista Setup from its desktop. To do it any other way
is to tolerate a reverse casual copying which leaves the "upgraded" system
not upgraded at all but still fully functional.

I don't see any need for rendering the legacy Windows inoperable by software
means when forcing installation of Vista there takes care of it nicely.

(I assume that you are hoping as I am that Darrel will finally notice this
discussion and give us the facts.)

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Sure. But he cannot call that a workaround. After all, if he runs, as he
says, the backup from XP then the VSS files are gone by the time he runs the
backup program. Therefore he is just practicing good backup habits but he
has not found a workaround for the VSS issue. No matter how many times he
backs up that way he still will not have shadow copies (previous versions)
and such. I'm just saying that he has not found a workaround to the VSS
problem.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

The drawback to Retrospect is that you cannot yet run it from Vista. That's
all. It's a fine program but to get to it you have to boot XP and so you
have lost your Vista VSS files by the time you start Retrospect. Therefore,
this cannot be a workaround that can mitigate (other than the fact that
making backups is called a "good thing").

Here is the MSDN overview of VSS. Volsnap.sys is the driver that takes
snapshots. Snapshots are the basic building block of VSS. VSS is a major
and integral set of services in XP and Vista. You only see it when you need
it or are looking for it. It does not reflect in the performance of your
system but figures very importantly in the security of your data and
recoverability of your system.
http://technet2.microsoft.com/Windo...b7d8-42c3-b6c9-59c145b7765f1033.mspx?mfr=true

btw, in the process of looking this up I discovered that Driver Verifier is
another tool that uses volsnap.sys. Just thinking out loud.

 

[John Barnes]

It would be nice to get a definitive answer. Nothing about installing on
the volume of the qualifying OS prevents one from reinstalling except
conscience.

 

[Guest]

Colin,
Thanks for your vss explanation. I am not that much technical savvy like
you. But I want to give my details re. the retrospect restore. Retrospect
creates a snapshot every time it creates a backup, verifies with the original
volume to identify any discrepancies. I choose the snapshot in the ext HD to
initiate the restore. I can say the restored RC2 is functioning properly now.
Before the restore RC2 was crashing frequently(freezing) due to the new
KB/mouse driver conflict. That is why I had to restore. So it looks like this
is a workaround.
Like you feel I hope MS will clarify all the concerns discussed here.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

Perhaps it looks that way because it is allowed when using a full edition
pk, but MS went to activation and now Vista's upgrade edition methodology
because the honor system wasn't working for them. I have to wonder if they
would turn around now and allow conscience to be our guide. That's what
leads me to question whether or not they have left the door open to install
on a non-system volume when using an upgrade edition pk. I know I wouldn't.
The fact that it is allowed when using a full edition pk is just not
relevant.

(C'mon, Darrel, slap me around for this one. At least we'll get the
straight scoop.)

 

[John Barnes]

Unless the qualifying os is reported back to Microsoft, I don't see how
reinstalling it would not result in its being reactivated (especially if
more than 120 days from a previous change) It would probably be an internet
activation especially if on the same HD even if on a different volume ( HD
SN is the same). Have you seen anything about reporting the qualifying OS
back to MS? Maybe I will give it a try as the OS I will use to qualify
hasn't been on my machine in over 2 years (MS Home) That should be fun
since that was an upgrade from Win98 and I will have to present the shiny
disk to install it.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

All I am saying is don't count on being able to install Vista to any other
drive or partition than the one already containing the qualifying OS as
determined by the Vista verifier when using an upgrade edition product key.
You may install Vista there with either the upgrade or custom option but
don't count on using the custom option to select a different target volume
once the upgrade edition product key is entered.