Vista RC1 to upgrade XP Pro?

[Noozer]

I'm runing 32bit Windows on an AMD Opteron 165 dual core processor. I really
want to give Vista RC1 a try, but I abhor the idea of starting from a fresh
desktop after tweaking my current XP desktop to perfection over the course
of a year.

If I image my XP Pro to a new hard drive, and then install Vista RC1 onto
that drive, will I be given the option to upgrade instead of installing
clean? How reliable is the upgrade?

Thx!

 

[Noozer]

I'm runing 32bit Windows on an AMD Opteron 165 dual core processor. I
really want to give Vista RC1 a try, but I abhor the idea of starting from
a fresh desktop after tweaking my current XP desktop to perfection over
the course of a year.

If I image my XP Pro to a new hard drive, and then install Vista RC1 onto
that drive, will I be given the option to upgrade instead of installing
clean? How reliable is the upgrade?

I should have also noted that my current XP installation is sitting at about
30gig on a 120gig drive. How much bigger can I expect Vista to grow my XP
installation?

 

[AJR]

Noozer - all installations of Vista are "clean installs" - in "upgrading"
Vista clean installs (keeps nothing of old OS installation) but retains
installed programs and files -
Preferred recommendation is to install Vista on a "test" computer - second
option is to install on a second hard drive and thirdly, separate partition
(from XP).
Absolutely do not install Beta or evaluation OS, e.g. Vista, over an XP
installation (period).
Having said that - installing Vista to a second drive via XP ( begin setup
in XP but select second drive as destination) usually, most of the time etc.
results in a dual b oot configuration - Vista boot manage will offer option
to boot XP or Vista - with Vista as the default OS.
If you are confused or not confident of your ability - check previous posts
for further information and recommendations.
AND - do not be afraid to seek help!
Whoa - that's a mouthful for me.

 

[Noozer]

Noozer - all installations of Vista are "clean installs" - in "upgrading"
Vista clean installs (keeps nothing of old OS installation) but retains
installed programs and files -

So if it's a clean install, how do I get my program icons back into the
Start menu, and how will the programs recall their settings? A clean install
means a virgin registry, etc. and PC operation in a known state.

Preferred recommendation is to install Vista on a "test" computer - second
option is to install on a second hard drive and thirdly, separate
partition (from XP).

My preference is to have a single drive in the PC and install Vista there.
If necessary, remove the current XP drive. I've had enough crap with the new
Microsoft boot system that cannot accept other OS's.

Absolutely do not install Beta or evaluation OS, e.g. Vista, over an XP
installation (period).

Why not? I intend on keeping an image of the XP installation. That way I can
restore if need be. Having my XP upgraded to Vista will keep my
applications, etc. handy so I'll get a feel of how usable Vista is instead
of spending all my time "tweaking" it into shap.

Having said that - installing Vista to a second drive via XP ( begin setup
in XP but select second drive as destination) usually, most of the time
etc. results in a dual b oot configuration - Vista boot manage will offer
option to boot XP or Vista - with Vista as the default OS.

Been there. Was really ticked off when I found out that I couldn't simply
add my Linux partition or my OSX partition to Windows boot manager. Even
moreso when I was told that I can't boot Vista with any other manager, such
as grub.

If you are confused or not confident of your ability - check previous
posts for further information and recommendations.

It's not a matter of ability at this point. I just don't know what to
expect.

AND - do not be afraid to seek help!
Whoa - that's a mouthful for me.

Don't worry. I'll be back!

: )