Vista RTM question...

[Moody Marco]

....I have Vista Home Premium RTM on my PC, I didn't enter a product key when
installing, I have 29 days left to activate it. I done this as I'll be
getting my official Vista disc soon:

My Vista Home Premium upgrade disc will be arriving from Dell in the next
few weeks. Can I then use the product key from that and put it into my RTM
installation and then activate?

If so, is this advisable? Will the version I get officially from Dell be
different from RTM?

Cheers

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP}]

No. The Dell OEM product Key will only work with the
Dell OEM Windows Vista upgrade DVD you will be receiving.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User

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:

....I have Vista Home Premium RTM on my PC, I didn't enter a product key when
installing, I have 29 days left to activate it. I done this as I'll be
getting my official Vista disc soon:

My Vista Home Premium upgrade disc will be arriving from Dell in the next
few weeks. Can I then use the product key from that and put it into my RTM
installation and then activate?

If so, is this advisable? Will the version I get officially from Dell be
different from RTM?

Cheers

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

No. When you install without entering a pk, the full edition gets
installed. You will be receiving an upgrade edition pk. You will have to
reinstall.

 

[Moody Marco]

Oh God. Please tell me although my disc is from Dell and branded "Vista
Upgrade" I'll be able to do a clean install of Vista?

 

[Rock]

Oh God. Please tell me although my disc is from Dell and branded "Vista
Upgrade" I'll be able to do a clean install of Vista?

If it's an upgrade edition, it has to be started from the XP desktop.
Depending on which version of XP and which of Vista you'll be able to do
either an in place upgrade or a custom install or you may be limited to a
custom install. All Vista installs are clean in the sense that Vista is
installed as an image rather than a file by file copy.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

No way will Dell send you an upgrade dvd that is just a standard retail
Vista dvd. It will only function to upgrade the preinstalled OS to Vista
Home Premium (since that is what you say you are entitled to). Further you
can expect it to only work if the preinstalled OS is back on the computer.
You will need to restore the computer to factory condition. I have been
through this scenario before with HP and Compaq as well.

You will not have an opportunity to do a clean install. You need to restore
to factory condition instead.