Vista advice moving to new computer

[Non-entity]

I'm running Vista Ultimate on a Sony Vaio VGC-RA820G that is about 2 1/2
years old. I've added a gig of ram (so now 2 gigs) and replaced the ATI
X300 with a slightly better Nvidia 7600GS (well, actually PNY)

The Vaio has NOT run the Media Center 2005 for some time; I bought the full
version of XP Home when I got tired of Sony support only being able to say
"restore to factory" when there was trouble, and preferred having the
install CD. I've managed to wade through the driver problems and junk
programs and understand what is required there.

The plan, if you can call it that, is to nuke Vista Ultimate from the Vaio
and install XP Home (which again is the full edition, shouldn't be any
problem).

My worries are with data - running low on disc space and having no DVD's to
write an image to (got some now, too late) I was not able to save XP, my
Vaio is "all Vista." Reinstalling XP Home will be a major PITA I know with
all the updates required (even though the XP is SP-2).

To get my data to the new machine, I "guess" I can use that new Vista
transfer utility; the major question is - I bought Vista Home Premium full
version - and updated via anytime upgrade to Ultimate. So... do I install
Vista on the new machine using my old Home Premium key first, activate it,
then access the Anytime Upgrade stuff online and run that as a second step?

I keep reading about the process of the automated upgrade, but am not sure
about the steps to move to a new machine when I have upgraded from home
premium full to Ultimate online (the EULA of which seems to say that this
will be the one and only move I will ever be able to make, hopefully all
will go well). The EULA of the Anytime Upgraded Vista seems as restrictive
as Vista itself was said to be a few months ago... I'm sorry I did that, as
I don't want to be locked into xyz computer by Microsoft.

Thanks - Bill Halvorsen

 

[Rock]

I'm running Vista Ultimate on a Sony Vaio VGC-RA820G that is about 2 1/2
years old. I've added a gig of ram (so now 2 gigs) and replaced the ATI
X300 with a slightly better Nvidia 7600GS (well, actually PNY)

The Vaio has NOT run the Media Center 2005 for some time; I bought the
full version of XP Home when I got tired of Sony support only being able
to say "restore to factory" when there was trouble, and preferred having
the install CD. I've managed to wade through the driver problems and junk
programs and understand what is required there.

The plan, if you can call it that, is to nuke Vista Ultimate from the Vaio
and install XP Home (which again is the full edition, shouldn't be any
problem).

My worries are with data - running low on disc space and having no DVD's
to write an image to (got some now, too late) I was not able to save XP,
my Vaio is "all Vista." Reinstalling XP Home will be a major PITA I know
with all the updates required (even though the XP is SP-2).

To get my data to the new machine, I "guess" I can use that new Vista
transfer utility; the major question is - I bought Vista Home Premium full
version - and updated via anytime upgrade to Ultimate. So... do I install
Vista on the new machine using my old Home Premium key first, activate it,
then access the Anytime Upgrade stuff online and run that as a second
step?

I keep reading about the process of the automated upgrade, but am not sure
about the steps to move to a new machine when I have upgraded from home
premium full to Ultimate online (the EULA of which seems to say that this
will be the one and only move I will ever be able to make, hopefully all
will go well). The EULA of the Anytime Upgraded Vista seems as
restrictive as Vista itself was said to be a few months ago... I'm sorry I
did that, as I don't want to be locked into xyz computer by Microsoft.

Yes the Anytime Upgrade license has that unusual restriction of one move.
There hasn't been any explanation why that is so. During Beta the MS folks
made it clear that it really was better, if you knew what version you wanted
to end up with, to get that version rather than the AU, but they never
explained there would be a license limitation. It was from the cost side
that recommendation was made. I do believe the VHP license is still good
after that one move, so that has unlimited moves.

I think what you do is install VHP, then use the AU to upgrade to Ultimate.
Unfortunately there hasn't been many that have done this and posted in here
so I haven't seen confirmation on how this is done. You might want to call
MS to be sure.

I don't know if you can image the Vista installation and restore that to the
new computer. In XP that usually required a repair installation. There is
no such beast in Vista, though there is the startup repair run from the
Windows Recovery Environment, reached by booting the Vista DVD. Whether
that will work in making the migration to a new computer I don't know, and
in your case it's even murkier, since the copy on the current drive is an
upgrade through AU. I don't know if the Windows RE will run from the AU
DVD. I don't see any harm in trying it, and if that doesn't work, then go
back to installing VHP, then doing the AU.

Make sure you run WET on the Vista installation so you have the data and
settings backed up in case the imaging doesn't work out.

 

[Non-entity]

Yes the Anytime Upgrade license has that unusual restriction of one move.
There hasn't been any explanation why that is so. During Beta the MS
folks made it clear that it really was better, if you knew what version
you wanted to end up with, to get that version rather than the AU, but
they never explained there would be a license limitation. It was from the
cost side that recommendation was made. I do believe the VHP license is
still good after that one move, so that has unlimited moves.

I think what you do is install VHP, then use the AU to upgrade to
Ultimate. Unfortunately there hasn't been many that have done this and
posted in here so I haven't seen confirmation on how this is done. You
might want to call MS to be sure.

I don't know if you can image the Vista installation and restore that to
the new computer. In XP that usually required a repair installation.
There is no such beast in Vista, though there is the startup repair run
from the Windows Recovery Environment, reached by booting the Vista DVD.
Whether that will work in making the migration to a new computer I don't
know, and in your case it's even murkier, since the copy on the current
drive is an upgrade through AU. I don't know if the Windows RE will run
from the AU DVD. I don't see any harm in trying it, and if that doesn't
work, then go back to installing VHP, then doing the AU.

Make sure you run WET on the Vista installation so you have the data and
settings backed up in case the imaging doesn't work out.

THanks for your reply. I'm on the phone with Microsoft (wherever/whatever
that means) for "crystal clarity" before this happens. I'm really burned up
about the restrictive EULA on the anytime upgrade and might see if there is
any remedy there.

There seems to be no experience with what I'm hoping to do. I've been on
hold for some time and answers are not forthcoming. The representative said
the Home Premium full version that I had - couldn't even be used to move to
the second computer. Huh? I thought that the revised EULA said the OS
could be moved to a new machine - the restrictive part was the anytime
upgrade. The representative has tole me to expect long hold times.

I'm not anxious to lose data and don't know how to do this but perhaps this
a call to get refunds on everything and return everything Vista. I'm tired
of "phone support" and "activation."

 

[Non-entity]

THanks for your reply. I'm on the phone with Microsoft (wherever/whatever
that means) for "crystal clarity" before this happens. I'm really burned
up about the restrictive EULA on the anytime upgrade and might see if
there is any remedy there.

There seems to be no experience with what I'm hoping to do. I've been on
hold for some time and answers are not forthcoming. The representative
said the Home Premium full version that I had - couldn't even be used to
move to the second computer. Huh? I thought that the revised EULA said
the OS could be moved to a new machine - the restrictive part was the
anytime upgrade. The representative has tole me to expect long hold
times.

I'm not anxious to lose data and don't know how to do this but perhaps
this a call to get refunds on everything and return everything Vista. I'm
tired of "phone support" and "activation."

I'm responding to my own response in case anyone runs into similar
upgrade/installation problems. The answer is that I really didn't get an
answer. I was told that I MUST DO THIS IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER:

1. Format old PC (no problemo)
2. Install Vista Home Premium but do not activate
3. Must call validation team prior to validating Home Premium, then after
successful activation...
4. Access digital locker to upgrade to Ultimate.

It was emphasized that I must call activation PRIOR to trying to activate,
and not to use the old key, it won't work. Well, er, my Vista Home Premium
is a full version, why shouldn't it work? I am allowed to transfer it to
another computer, no? If it flunked out because it was "bound" to my old PC
I should just be prompted to activate by phone? I was told NO, call the
activation line FIRST.

Answers were not forthcoming about the restrictive licensing of the anytime
upgrade. I don't like restrictions for all that money spent. With XP I had
over the years 3 different computers and a boatload of reinstalls on the
same machine over time because of various (cough-cough) user errors in
attempts to remedy things that made things worse, or installs of unfortunate
software (like an antivirus that really, truly cannot be uninstalled even
with all the uninstall remedys). Bottom line, I can change PC's one time.
This is the same nonsense that had caused a lot of controversy as it was
said to be "one PC change only" on Vista itself; same language rests on the
Anytime Upgrade to Ultimate. I hope this will change.

Right now my attitude towards this whole thing couldn't be any worse. Why?
Because I expect to pick up the phone and get some frigging answers. I was
asked very politely to be patient, and that this was all new, and was told
"things will get better." I have to ask: after all this time, Microsoft,
how the hell did you not figure out all licensing scenarios? Anytime
Upgrade. Beware the restrictions. Better yet don't use it.

 

[Rock]

THanks for your reply. I'm on the phone with Microsoft (wherever/whatever
that means) for "crystal clarity" before this happens. I'm really burned
up about the restrictive EULA on the anytime upgrade and might see if
there is any remedy there.

There seems to be no experience with what I'm hoping to do. I've been on
hold for some time and answers are not forthcoming. The representative
said the Home Premium full version that I had - couldn't even be used to
move to the second computer. Huh? I thought that the revised EULA said
the OS could be moved to a new machine - the restrictive part was the
anytime upgrade. The representative has tole me to expect long hold
times.

I'm not anxious to lose data and don't know how to do this but perhaps
this a call to get refunds on everything and return everything Vista. I'm
tired of "phone support" and "activation."

Not sure why the rep said what they said but, a retail Vista Home Premium,
either upgrade or full, can be reinstalled as many times as wanted, and can
be moved to a new computer.

Here is a link to the MS refund policy for North America. I don't know how
it applies to the AU.
http://www.microsoft.com/mscorp/productrefund/refund.asp