Can't boot from 'upgrade media'?

  • Thread starter Thread starter John
  • Start date Start date
J

John

Is the Windows Vista UPGRADE media bootable????
I can read it from many machines, but 3 machines I've tried (so far) will
not boot from it.
 
I have no personal experience with this, but from what I'm reading in the
"...vista.general" newsgroup, Upgrade versions of Vista must be run from a
machine with an already existing, qualifying operating system already
installed. My GUESS is that that means the media won't be bootable: you'll
have to put the DVD into the already running machine and run the
installation from there. That sounds silly to me (how would you repair an
installation from a non-functioning machine?), but that's my impression so
far. I, too, would love to have an official response.
 
My first thoughts after I noticed it wouldn't boot... how the heck would we
use the CD for repair after it's running Vista??

Thanks
 
The DVD for the upgrade version of Windows Vista is non-bootable
for installation purposes. You must have either a "genuine" Windows XP
or Windows 2000 operating system installed and use the upgrade disc
while at the desktop to begin installation.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows Shell/User

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

:

Is the Windows Vista UPGRADE media bootable????
I can read it from many machines, but 3 machines I've tried (so far) will
not boot from it.
 
Is the Windows Vista UPGRADE media bootable????
I can read it from many machines, but 3 machines I've tried (so far) will
not boot from it.
Click to expand...

You should be able to boot from it to carry out repairs but you can't
install from it - it will tell you to run it from within the existing OS.

Check that it's clean and check the BIOS options re booting order on the
PC in question.
 
If you install the 64-bit version it will be able to boot for both repair
and installation functions. X86 version will boot only for repairs,
installs must be from the desktop of the qualifying system
 
If he has upgrade media at this point it has to be a volume license copy and
is not bootable. He just didn't tell us that. It has nothing to do with
the retail editions (both upgrade and full) which are bootable.
 
According to Darrel Gorter, the retail dvd's are all bootable. In fact, the
user must boot with the x64 dvd to use an upgrade edition product key when
installing Vista x64 on a system running a 32bit edition of Windows. Since
there is no difference between the dvd's in the retail upgrade and full
edition boxes all retail dvd's are by definition bootable.
 
I think the OP failed to tell us that he is using a volume license copy,
which is not bootable.
 
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