No More Clean-Installs for Vista Upgrades

Jimmy 2004 · Jan 29, 2007

When users were upgrading to Windows XP, the procedure was that users could simply insert their old Windows 98 or Windows 2000 CD at the appropriate time during a clean install without the need for the old OS to be installed at the time. However, Microsoft has decided to change this for Vista, and now requires a fully installed and activated version of your old OS already on the machine. This comes as an attempt to prevent illegal use of upgrade CDs, but could be inconvenient and time consuming when the time comes to reinstall. The new procedure for a reinstall is as follows:

Install your old copy of Windows XP
Activate it either online or over the phone
Install Vista

View at TechPowerUp Main Site

Deleted member 24505 · Jan 29, 2007

they are trying like fook to stop the plethora of hooky os discs,but will it work?

my xp is fully activated so it dont affect me,or anyone who has legit windows.personally,i think it is worth buying the os,its less messing around than trying to get it free.

mikek75 · Jan 29, 2007

Dunno why you'd buy an upgrade disc when an OEM copy is £77 (Home Premium)in the UK. And from what I've read here, you can change any component (including mobo) in your rig as long as you re-activate within 3 days.

Personally, I've never felt the need to speak to Microsoft support. If you wait a couple of months the tech sites will be full of people with just as much knowledge of Vistas' foibles as MS tech monkeys. And if its anything like XP they'll give that knowledge for free....God bless 'em!

Deleted member 24505 · Jan 29, 2007

i'm not gonna buy an upgrade,i've got my eye on a vista home premium oem this week.

jocksteeluk · Jan 29, 2007

Granted vista is relatively cheap fromt he get go but i could see Microsoft moving onto micro transactions to download updates and patches t is pretty obvious it will be the next step.

WarEagleAU · Jan 29, 2007

Kind of pointless really. Everyone figures a way around these things, it just takes time and Im sure hackers have been working feverishly on this for awhile. On that note, Ill bide my time to get Vista, when I have to, not because I want to. XP is fine for me.

EastCoasthandle · Jan 29, 2007

Wait a minute, didn't they do that with Win95 and was broken?

Rodster · Jan 29, 2007

I'm a little confused here. I thought the Upgrade/Retail version allowed you to make unlimited hardware changes and Microsoft would reactivate your OS when there was a "Hash Mismatch" which triggers the re activation balloon.

Now we find out that the upgrade will work only if you have installed a copy of XP on your drive. Will the OEM version allow unlimited upgrades or will we have to buy the "Full Retail" version? :confused:

regan1985 · Jan 29, 2007

the thing is people who did used to use fake windows, will carry on doing so when a crack comes out, where as they might have gone for the new vista and paid but now they will think its going to cost loads for both xp and vista so why get the real thing!!!

im still not sure about vista, im going to wait a few months and there is always problems in the first year!

v-zero · Jan 29, 2007

Wow MS really have gone right out of their way to piss everybody off this round. What's next, a tax for not using MS peripherals?

overcast · Jan 29, 2007

Rodster said:
I'm a little confused here. I thought the Upgrade/Retail version allowed you to make unlimited hardware changes and Microsoft would reactivate your OS when there was a "Hash Mismatch" which triggers the re activation balloon.

Now we find out that the upgrade will work only if you have installed a copy of XP on your drive. Will the OEM version allow unlimited upgrades or will we have to buy the "Full Retail" version?

There is a reason the OEM version is magically $100 cheaper. Having all the hardware upgrade benefits of the RETAIL version for half the cost, is not it.

overcast · Jan 29, 2007

v-zero said:
Wow MS really have gone right out of their way to piss everybody off this round. What's next, a tax for not using MS peripherals?

No, pirates and hackers have gone right out of their way to piss everybody off. MS didn't introduce windows with these anti-piracy features. They are protecting their products and interests, and have every right to do so.

I still don't understand all of the anti-ms , anti-activation, my rights are not being upheld baloney. The majority of you brought this upon yourselves, so deal with it. You don't have any rights, you are licensing the software to be used on your computer, you don't own it, you never will, get over it.

overcast · Jan 29, 2007

regan1985 said:
the thing is people who did used to use fake windows, will carry on doing so when a crack comes out, where as they might have gone for the new vista and paid but now they will think its going to cost loads for both xp and vista so why get the real thing!!!!

Huh? Who said you have to buy both? This for people with legitimate copies of XP , who wish to install the upgrade version of Vista. Boohoo, the pirates can't upgrade their copy of XP. They can still go out and buy the full version of Vista without any problems.

Frogger · Jan 29, 2007

overcast said:
No, pirates and hackers have gone right out of their way to piss everybody off. MS didn't introduce windows with these anti-piracy features. They are protecting their products and interests, and have every right to do so.

I still don't understand all of the anti-ms , anti-activation, my rights are not being upheld baloney. The majority of you brought this upon yourselves, so deal with it. You don't have any rights, you are licensing the software to be used on your computer, you don't own it, you never will, get over it.

and that's putting it in the real :rockout:

EviLZeD · Jan 29, 2007

wow that is one long procedure to do a format like that lol

newtekie1 · Jan 29, 2007

But what about the upgrade paths that require a clean install?!?!?!

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradepaths.mspx

Jimmy 2004 · Jan 29, 2007

newtekie1 said:
But what about the upgrade paths that require a clean install?!?!?!

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradepaths.mspx

I expect that this would then require the software to be installed but it would format the drive once it's seen XP is installed and do a clean install, so you would probably still need to reinstall your old version of XP first.

newtekie1 · Jan 29, 2007

Jimmy 2004 said:
I expect that this would then require the software to be installed but it would format the drive once it's seen XP is installed and do a clean install, so you would probably still need to reinstall your old version of XP first.

Yeah, that could be the case. I'll probably never know since I buy full OEM copies anyway, but I would still like to know how this works for sure out of curiosity.

Judas · Jan 29, 2007

I heard that you need some sort of key to install the oem version,what ever that is?
Anyway s ill be going for the retail version (Home Premium)

overcast · Jan 29, 2007

I need to dig up a cheap vendor of retail home premiums.

Jimmy 2004 · Jan 29, 2007

overcast said:
I need to dig up a cheap vendor of retail home premiums.

Here in the UK home premium costs about three times as much as OEM. I'm not planning on getting three new PCs in the time Vista is around, so I think I will personally go for that when I upgrade. Can you change the hardware on a retail version as much as you want, or are you still limited?

overcast · Jan 29, 2007

Jimmy 2004 said:
Here in the UK home premium costs about three times as much as OEM. I'm not planning on getting three new PCs in the time Vista is around, so I think I will personally go for that when I upgrade. Can you change the hardware on a retail version as much as you want, or are you still limited?

Retail you can do whatever you want, OEM is locked down. I really don't feel like calling Microsoft everytime I change out a motherboard. Which is bound to happen a least a few times in the next 5 years.

Rodster · Jan 29, 2007

overcast said:
Retail you can do whatever you want, OEM is locked down. I really don't feel like calling Microsoft everytime I change out a motherboard. Which is bound to happen a least a few times in the next 5 years.

Does that include the Upgrade version as well as the Full version?

overcast · Jan 29, 2007

Rodster said:
Does that include the Upgrade version as well as the Full version?

OEM is OEM man, it's locked to the hardware it was installed on. That's why it's at least half the cost.

Rodster · Jan 29, 2007

overcast said:
OEM is OEM man, it's locked to the hardware it was installed on. That's why it's at least half the cost.

I know man, MS has confused the hell out of me, LOL. Ok let me ask the question another way. Is the Upgrade and Full versions both considered retail versions? :confused:

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