What will happen is that you will have to reload your XP and activate it.
You can make sure you do a full backup. I don't know what 3rd party imaging
will do for you.
If I were you, I'd hold off and buy a full edition and I'm going to tell you
why. You will not have access to the major tools that Vista provides to
repair it and I'm detailing this below for you.
Let me give you a compelling reason to get a full DVD:
If you do not have a full DVD, or you have an upgrade DVD you are *NOT
going to have the major tools you'll need to fix Vista. You of course will
have System Restore via its new Volume Shadow Copy format adapted from the
Windows Server environment.
Anytime I ever spend $1000-$4000 for a new PC, (I order from an online site
because I like to choose my features and many stores don't have that choice)
I insist on them giving me the Windows OS DVD of the moment, and I have
heard that one is Vista. So either insist on it or buy the full DVD is my
advice.
You of course may have Backup depending on your edition. I applaud them for
doing this, but like a lot of users here, I prefer using an imaging system
like GHOST or ACRONIS or another type that works best for the user.
I am going to include some recent information and questions that are
additional posed on upgrade DVDs this morning and one of the guys who posed
the question writes one of the most comprehensive books on Vista that is
hitting stores this week (Ed Bott author of Windows Vista Inside Out MSFT
Press). I also point out below the major repair modalities in Vista that
you will not access unless you have a full Vista version DVD. You won't be
accessing them via that upgrade DVD.
The Upgrade scenario that MSFT has posed failed to take into consideration
what happens if the person has to format and cannot repair and also failed
to take into consideration that those customers should have full access to
the full panoply of Vista repair tools.
They do not: Read Below please and you'll become a more informed buyer:
MSFT has blocked your ability to repair Vista in two major ways it turns
out:
1) If you do not get a Vista DVD (Dell says you will from them) when you pay
$1000-2000 for your new Vista preloaded computer today, tonight or in the
future you cannot access the repair modalities I describe below from Win RE
on the Vista DVD or the Windows Repair Environment.
2) If you buy an Upgrade DVD.
See below:
And with all the excellent upgrade posts here, including Colin Barnhorst's I
haven't seen this little issue raised. Suppose that you cannot use Win RE's
major components to repair Vista which would be Startup Repair, System
Restore *from Win RE which I find superior to SR using the Volume Shadow
system adapted from the Windows Server environment, restoring the boot
sector using the bootsect /nt52 SYS from the Windows Recovery Environment
discussed in the MSKB directly below
How to troubleshoot scenarios in which the rollback phase was unsuccessful
after you upgrade from Windows XP to Windows Vista
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927523/en-us
and something that has not been mentioned that I can tell to date on this
group or much in the TBT groups:
How to use the Bootrec.exe tool in the Windows Recovery Environment to
troubleshoot and repair startup issues in Windows Vista
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927392/en-us
Startup Repair can also be used when there is not a problem booting into
Windows Vista and when it works which is not all the time (you should repeat
2-3 times if it does not) fix major broken Vista components:
A Stop error occurs, or the computer stops responding when you try to start
Windows Vista
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/925810/en-us
So suppose all these repair modalities used correctly and I emphasize there
are a minority of times when Startup Repair may need to be tried, i.e.
repeated 2-3 times until it works, and you have this scnario mentioned by
George Ou on his ZDNET blog this morning (January 29, 2007) in my time zone:
(I would think you could avoid a lot of "Geek Squad" money by the way by
simply searching this group, the setup group and the other MSFT Vista public
groups using View>Find):
From George Ou and a point that has not been raised that I can tell on this
group or the setup group and certainly has not been touched by Jill Zoeller
or Darrel Gorter who occasionally particpate here from MSFT:
From:
January 29th, 2007
Vista Upgrade Edition is lame by design
by George Ou
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=414&tag=nl.e589
"These new Vista Upgrade DVDs which I'm assuming have already been stamped
out will lack the ability to install on a system unless Windows XP or 2000
was present. This means anyone looking to do a fresh install for any reason
will not be able to. Someone who is doing disaster recovery after a hard
drive failure or a virus infection won't be able to wipe their hard drive
and install Vista, they'll have to install XP first and then install Vista
on top of XP. That could easily mean nearly an hour wasted. If you're
paying someone to rebuild your computer, this will mean an extra hour of
labor that will be billed to you for the installation of Windows XP. Will
Microsoft pick up the extra hour tab from Geek Squad for everyone?"
MSFT's current MSKB covering Upgrades and leaving much out:
How to install Windows Vista (See upgrade section of this MSKB)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918884/en-us
MSFT's Current Upgrade to Vista Page:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradepaths.mspx
Extreme Tech's article on Vista Upgrades:
Upgrade From Windows XP to Vista
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2082979,00.asp
What's the real story with Vista upgrades?
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=189
Vista Upgrade Edition is lame by design
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=414&tag=nl.e589
__________________________________________
MSFT's curreng MSKB covering Upgrades and leaving much out:
How to install Windows Vista (See upgrade section of this MSKB)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918884/en-us
MSFT's Current Upgrade to Vista Page:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradepaths.mspx
Extreme Tech's article on Vista Upgrades:
Upgrade From Windows XP to Vista
http://www.extremetech.com/article2/0,1697,2082979,00.asp
What's the real story with Vista upgrades?
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Bott/?p=189
Vista Upgrade Edition is lame by design
http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ou/?p=414&tag=nl.e589
What's the Real Story With Vista Upgrades?
Ed Bott
January 29th, 2007
"A story by Ken Fisher on Ars Technica this morning is raising alarm flags.
Fisher points to Microsoft Knowledge Base article 930985, which documents a
change in the setup process for upgrade versions of Windows Vista. The
article's title reads: "You cannot use an upgrade key to perform a clean
installation of Windows Vista."
Fisher concludes, "[Once] again, Microsoft appears to have made licensing
decisions without considering how people actually use their products."
George Ou calls it "another one of those 'what were you thinking' moments
for Microsoft management."
I'm not certain what's actually going on here. The KB article itself is
ambiguous. In Microsoft's world, a clean install requires booting from
optical media (CD or DVD). Here's Microsoft's definition of a clean
installation, as contained in an earlier KB article:
A clean installation refers to removing all data from your hard disk by
repartitioning and reformatting your hard disk and reinstalling the
operating system and programs to an empty (clean) hard disk.
So how is the upgrade media going to work? It sounds like it won't be
bootable, which means that you won't be able to start your PC using the
upgrade DVD. Will it include the disk management tools included on a retail
Vista DVD? Will you be able to install Vista without a product key, as you
can with a retail DVD? Will you be able to install Vista to its own
directory or to an existing disk partition without migrating current
settings - what most people outside Redmond consider a "clean install"?
The answer to all those questions, at this point, is "Nobody knows." At
least, nobody outside of Redmond. So far, the only copies of Windows Vista
that have been distributed to the public and the press have been full retail
copies. I have yet to hear from a single source that has actually seen one
of these upgrade disks and documented the experience. Everything written so
far is just speculation until those disks are in customers' hands tomorrow.
This may turn out to be a headache, as predicted. Or it may turn out to be
much ado about nothing.
Stay tuned."
Vista Upgrade Edition is lame by design
George Ou
January 29, 2007
Arstechnica is reporting that Windows Vista Upgrade edition will not permit
"clean" installs like all previous versions of Windows Upgrade editions.
Will Microsoft pick up the extra hour tab from Geek Squad?This is another
one of those "what were you thinking" moments for Microsoft management
similar to their bone headed decision to lock the retail version of Vista to
one hardware migration. Microsoft backed out of their ridiculous license
change after Ed Bott sounded the alarm and others picked up on the story.
So Vista Upgrade Edition should really be called Vista "Not Clean" "time
waster" Edition. [Update 4:10AM - A reader clarifies that you can
technically do a clean install by telling Vista to wipe the hard drive
before installing after it confirms a full copy of Windows XP is installed.
This however is still lame because you can't just install Vista on a freshly
formatted hard drive and it will still be a huge time waster.]
In the past, Microsoft has always respected their customer's time and
allowed upgrade versions of Windows to install on a fresh machine so long as
the customer could provide proof of possession of the old software. These
new Vista Upgrade DVDs which I'm assuming have already been stamped out will
lack the ability to install on a system unless Windows XP or 2000 was
present. This means anyone looking to do a fresh install for any reason
will not be able to. Someone who is doing disaster recovery after a hard
drive failure or a virus infection won't be able to wipe their hard drive
and install Vista, they'll have to install XP first and then install Vista
on top of XP. That could easily mean nearly an hour wasted. If you're
paying someone to rebuild your computer, this will mean an extra hour of
labor that will be billed to you for the installation of Windows XP. Will
Microsoft pick up the extra hour tab from Geek Squad for everyone?
Some might just say tough; you don't have to buy Windows Vista Upgrade
Edition if you don't like the terms of the agreement. But the problem is
that there are probably already millions of people who bought in to the
promise of Vista upgrade coupons during this last holiday shopping season
with their new computers or their copy of Windows XP and they weren't told
that the upgrade terms have been changed. The Vista Upgrade coupons were
used to lure people in to buying brand new computers for the holiday 2006
shopping season when many people would have probably opted to wait until
after Vista launches at the end of January had they known about these new
restrictions. Now these people are going to be in for a big shock after
they wipe their computers and find out that their copy of Vista won't
install without XP on the computer.
So why is Microsoft making a bone headed decision like this? One
possibility is that Microsoft is afraid that people might try to keep
running XP or Media Center on their existing machines and use Vista on a new
computer. This would mean that Microsoft would be giving away two copies of
Windows for the price of one. While I realize that a company has to make
money off of a commercial Operating System, surely Microsoft could have
worked out a better arrangement. Why not ask people to turn in their old
Windows XP serial number when they get their Full Vista DVD and then
blacklist that serial number from Windows Genuine Advantage. This would be
a fair free trade-up from Windows XP to Windows Vista and no one should
expect to get two versions of Windows for the price of one.
But it could be too late for Microsoft to avoid a backlash because Vista is
launching at the end of today and all those copies of Vista Upgrade with no
way to do clean installs have probably already been manufactured. If
Microsoft wants to set things right for people who want to do clean installs
of Windows Vista especially those who bought in to the promise of Vista
coupons during this last holiday season, Microsoft should allow these people
to opt for a trade-up to the full version of Vista where the old XP serial
number is blacklisted on WGA 30 days after the Vista is shipped to them.
That would seem to be the least they can do.
Sould Microsoft allow a full trade-up to Vista?"
From Ken Fischer (Ars Technica)
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20070128-8717.html
Vista "upgrade" drops compliance checking, requires old OS to install
1/28/2007 3:11:14 PM, by Ken Fisher
"Microsoft's quest to closely control the way Windows Vista can be used on
PCs has taken a turn for the worse as new information indicates that the
company is breaking tradition when it comes to Windows Vista upgrades. With
Windows Vista, users will not be able to use upgrade keys to initiate
completely new installations. It is a change that will affect few users, but
enthusiasts will certainly be amongst those pinched.
Upgrade versions of Windows Vista Home Basic, Premium, and Starter Edition
will not install on any PC unless Windows XP or Windows 2000 is already on
the machine in question. In years previous, upgrade versions of Windows
could be installed on any PC. If a PC did not have an older version of
Windows installed, users could provide an older installation CD of Windows
for verification. After dropping a qualifying CD in the CD-ROM drive, the
installation routine would verify the disc and you'd be on your way. With
this approach, one could use an "upgrade" copy of Windows to lay a new
Windows install on a computer.
One again, Microsoft appears to have made licensing decisions without
considering how people actually use their products. Last fall the company
trotted out changes to its retail licensing that would have punished users
who frequently upgrade their PC hardware had the company not relented. Now
Microsoft seeks to complicate our ability to start a crisp, new install with
an upgrade version. Why?
A 'per device' obsession
Microsoft has been adamant in recent years that Windows is licensed per
device and not per person. One practical ramification of this viewpoint is
that the company typically does not allow users to install one copy of
Windows across multiple machines, even if only one machine is in use at a
time. According to Microsoft, only the full retail license of Windows Vista
can be transferred to new devices (retail pricing here). OEM versions are
ostensibly tied to motherboards, and upgrade versions are now technically
tied to previous installations.
What does all of this mean on a practical level? Users who purchase upgrade
copies of the aforementioned versions of Vista will find that they can only
upgrade PCs that already have Windows installed. KB930985 clearly states:
"you cannot use an upgrade key to perform a clean installation of Windows
Vista." According to Microsoft, this happens because Windows Vista does not
check for upgrade compliance. If you do not have a previous installation of
Windows available, Microsoft recommends that you "purchase a license that
lets you perform a clean installation of Windows Vista."
For its part, Microsoft seems to be confident that the Vista repair process
should be sufficient to solve any problems with the OS, since otherwise the
only option for disaster recovery in the absence of backups would be to wipe
a machine, install XP, and then upgrade to Vista. This will certainly make
disaster recovery a more irritating experience.
Fortunately, the change will not mean that users cannot install Windows
Vista to a new directory. Windows Vista's upgrade process includes the
option of backing up previous installations, and in fact, in some scenarios
a "clean" upgrade is required. "Clean" or not, the requirement that the
previous OS be installed puts a bit of a damper on those of us that like the
do periodic system refreshes.
What does Microsoft hope to gain out of all of this? I can only speculate.
First, the change prevents a dual-license situation with all of the free
Vista upgrade coupons out there. If things worked according to the old
scheme, people with upgrade coupons would essentially get a "free" OS
because they could install the Vista upgrade anywhere, and continue to use
the version of Windows XP that came with their computer. Did Microsoft fear
that this would happen quite a bit? It seems like an unlikely scenario.
Second, and likely more important to Microsoft, this should make it
difficult for users to use a single upgrade copy of Vista throughout the
years. I'm quite sure many of you in readerland have done exactly that in
years past: build a computer, use your Windows upgrade disc. Build a new box
three years later, use that same upgrade disc. Microsoft's preference would
be for users in such situations to either purchase OEM copies for each new
machine, or pay for a full version of the retail product."
Good luck,
CH
