Clean Install Windows Vista Using Upgrade Media

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Guest

When installing any operating system it is best to disconnect non-essential
peripherals such as printer/scanners and external hard drives. Try using the
method given below and when you have successfully installed Windows you can
then plug in your peripherals one at a time. Don't rush to activate - you
have upto 30 days to do so. This should give you sufficient time to ensure
that your system is working as it should.

Clean Install

Use Vista's 'upgrade' version to clean-install.

Please remember to DISCONNECT from the internet for this whole procedure.
You may reconnect at the end of the procedure when you have completed both
installations i.e. when you have completed Step 10.

Please note that you may be required to provide storage adapter drivers for
this procedure. These can be on floppy, cd or USB flash drives.

Step 1. Boot the PC from the Vista DVD.

Step 2. Select 'Install Now', but do not enter the Product Key from the
Vista packaging. Leave the input box blank. Also, turn off the option
'Automatically activate Windows when I'm online'. In the next dialog box that
appears, confirm that you really do want to install Vista without entering a
Product Key.

Step 3. Correctly indicate the version of Vista being installed i.e. Home
Premium.

Step 4. Select the 'Custom (Advanced)' install, not the 'Upgrade' install.

Step 5. Vista copies files at length and reboots itself one or more times.
Wait for the install to complete. At this point, you might think you could
'activate' Vista, but you can't. That's because you haven't installed the
Vista upgrade yet. To do that, run the DVD's 'setup.exe' program again, but
this time from the Vista desktop. The easiest way to start setup again is to
eject and then reinsert the DVD.

Step 6. Click 'Install Now'. Select 'Do not get the latest updates for
installation'. (You can check for these updates later.)

Step 7. This time, do enter the Product Key from the Vista packaging. Once
again, turn off the option 'Automatically activate Windows when I'm online'.

Step 8. On this second install, make sure to select 'Upgrade', not 'Custom
(Advanced)'. You're not doing a clean install now, you're upgrading to Vista.

Step 9. Wait while Vista copies files and reboots itself. No user
interaction is required. Do not boot from the DVD when asked if you'd like to
do so. Instead, wait a few seconds and the setup process will continue on its
way. Some DOS-like character-mode menus will appear, but don't interact with
them. After a few seconds, the correct choice will run for you automatically.

Step 10. After you click a button labeled 'Start' in the 'Thank You' dialog
box, Vista's login screen will eventually appear. Enter the username and
password that you selected during the first install. You're done upgrading to
Vista.

Step 11. If any device(s) or device driver(s) need installing, then this is
the time to do it.

Step 12. If any further user accounts need creating, then they may be
created now.

Step 13. Within 30 days, you must 'activate' your copy of Vista or it'll
lose functionality. To activate Vista, click 'Show more details' in the
Welcome Center that automatically displays on each boot-up, then click
'Activate Windows now'. If you've dismissed the Welcome Center, access the
correct dialog box by clicking Start, Control Panel, System & Maintenance,
System.

Dwarf
 
Dwarf
my dvd case says "Service Desk Upgrade" but I hope that will work. I am
going to do this sometime tonight.
 
Contrary to other reports, it IS possible to install Vista in this way, as it
actually says on the box "Upgrade. For users running Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional, Windows XP, or Windows Vista only. Backup and clean install may
be required. See back of box for details." (from the front of the box), and
"You must perform a clean install of Windows Vista and then reinstall your
existing files, settings, and programs, unless you are upgrading from Windows
XP SP2 Home or Media Center Edition, or Windows vista Home Basic." (from the
back of the box).
Dwarf
 
Everything went just as so many stated. Had no problems. Everything seems
much faster so the upgrade on the HP and all of its baggage was the culprit.
Larry. Thanks again.
 
Dwarf,

Thanks. That worked.



Dwarf said:
When installing any operating system it is best to disconnect non-essential
peripherals such as printer/scanners and external hard drives. Try using the
method given below and when you have successfully installed Windows you can
then plug in your peripherals one at a time. Don't rush to activate - you
have upto 30 days to do so. This should give you sufficient time to ensure
that your system is working as it should.

Clean Install

Use Vista's 'upgrade' version to clean-install.

Please remember to DISCONNECT from the internet for this whole procedure.
You may reconnect at the end of the procedure when you have completed both
installations i.e. when you have completed Step 10.

Please note that you may be required to provide storage adapter drivers for
this procedure. These can be on floppy, cd or USB flash drives.

Step 1. Boot the PC from the Vista DVD.

Step 2. Select 'Install Now', but do not enter the Product Key from the
Vista packaging. Leave the input box blank. Also, turn off the option
'Automatically activate Windows when I'm online'. In the next dialog box that
appears, confirm that you really do want to install Vista without entering a
Product Key.

Step 3. Correctly indicate the version of Vista being installed i.e. Home
Premium.

Step 4. Select the 'Custom (Advanced)' install, not the 'Upgrade' install.

Step 5. Vista copies files at length and reboots itself one or more times.
Wait for the install to complete. At this point, you might think you could
'activate' Vista, but you can't. That's because you haven't installed the
Vista upgrade yet. To do that, run the DVD's 'setup.exe' program again, but
this time from the Vista desktop. The easiest way to start setup again is to
eject and then reinsert the DVD.

Step 6. Click 'Install Now'. Select 'Do not get the latest updates for
installation'. (You can check for these updates later.)

Step 7. This time, do enter the Product Key from the Vista packaging. Once
again, turn off the option 'Automatically activate Windows when I'm online'.

Step 8. On this second install, make sure to select 'Upgrade', not 'Custom
(Advanced)'. You're not doing a clean install now, you're upgrading to Vista.

Step 9. Wait while Vista copies files and reboots itself. No user
interaction is required. Do not boot from the DVD when asked if you'd like to
do so. Instead, wait a few seconds and the setup process will continue on its
way. Some DOS-like character-mode menus will appear, but don't interact with
them. After a few seconds, the correct choice will run for you automatically.

Step 10. After you click a button labeled 'Start' in the 'Thank You' dialog
box, Vista's login screen will eventually appear. Enter the username and
password that you selected during the first install. You're done upgrading to
Vista.

Step 11. If any device(s) or device driver(s) need installing, then this is
the time to do it.

Step 12. If any further user accounts need creating, then they may be
created now.

Step 13. Within 30 days, you must 'activate' your copy of Vista or it'll
lose functionality. To activate Vista, click 'Show more details' in the
Welcome Center that automatically displays on each boot-up, then click
'Activate Windows now'. If you've dismissed the Welcome Center, access the
correct dialog box by clicking Start, Control Panel, System & Maintenance,
System.

Dwarf
Click to expand...
 
Thanks for Instructions

Dwarf said:
When installing any operating system it is best to disconnect non-essential
peripherals such as printer/scanners and external hard drives. Try using the
method given below and when you have successfully installed Windows you can
then plug in your peripherals one at a time. Don't rush to activate - you
have upto 30 days to do so. This should give you sufficient time to ensure
that your system is working as it should.

Clean Install

Use Vista's 'upgrade' version to clean-install.

Please remember to DISCONNECT from the internet for this whole procedure.
You may reconnect at the end of the procedure when you have completed both
installations i.e. when you have completed Step 10.

Please note that you may be required to provide storage adapter drivers for
this procedure. These can be on floppy, cd or USB flash drives.

Step 1. Boot the PC from the Vista DVD.

Step 2. Select 'Install Now', but do not enter the Product Key from the
Vista packaging. Leave the input box blank. Also, turn off the option
'Automatically activate Windows when I'm online'. In the next dialog box that
appears, confirm that you really do want to install Vista without entering a
Product Key.

Step 3. Correctly indicate the version of Vista being installed i.e. Home
Premium.

Step 4. Select the 'Custom (Advanced)' install, not the 'Upgrade' install.

Step 5. Vista copies files at length and reboots itself one or more times.
Wait for the install to complete. At this point, you might think you could
'activate' Vista, but you can't. That's because you haven't installed the
Vista upgrade yet. To do that, run the DVD's 'setup.exe' program again, but
this time from the Vista desktop. The easiest way to start setup again is to
eject and then reinsert the DVD.

Step 6. Click 'Install Now'. Select 'Do not get the latest updates for
installation'. (You can check for these updates later.)

Step 7. This time, do enter the Product Key from the Vista packaging. Once
again, turn off the option 'Automatically activate Windows when I'm online'.

Step 8. On this second install, make sure to select 'Upgrade', not 'Custom
(Advanced)'. You're not doing a clean install now, you're upgrading to Vista.

Step 9. Wait while Vista copies files and reboots itself. No user
interaction is required. Do not boot from the DVD when asked if you'd like to
do so. Instead, wait a few seconds and the setup process will continue on its
way. Some DOS-like character-mode menus will appear, but don't interact with
them. After a few seconds, the correct choice will run for you automatically.

Step 10. After you click a button labeled 'Start' in the 'Thank You' dialog
box, Vista's login screen will eventually appear. Enter the username and
password that you selected during the first install. You're done upgrading to
Vista.

Step 11. If any device(s) or device driver(s) need installing, then this is
the time to do it.

Step 12. If any further user accounts need creating, then they may be
created now.

Step 13. Within 30 days, you must 'activate' your copy of Vista or it'll
lose functionality. To activate Vista, click 'Show more details' in the
Welcome Center that automatically displays on each boot-up, then click
'Activate Windows now'. If you've dismissed the Welcome Center, access the
correct dialog box by clicking Start, Control Panel, System & Maintenance,
System.

Dwarf
Click to expand...
 
Hey, the question u answered that day?

Have made five attemtpts to do so since last Sunday. Have a new HP Slimline
3120s computer. As recommended on this forum, I have unplugged all USB
devices, turnoff all spyware blocking & anti-spam devices, etc, etc. At the
end of each attempt I get one of the two following messages:

"The upgrade was not successful. Your previous version of windows is being
restored. Do not restart your computer during this time"

or

"Windows could not configure one or more system components. To install
windows, restart computer and then restart the installation" - I have four
times!

Could someone please offer either a suggestion on how to upgrade to Vista
Ultimate or at least give me a toll-free number to resolve this issue.

ReBell


Yea, I can't do anything u wrote down, as it keeps on restarting and
restarting.... I can't go into the windows page..
Thanks
 
JimmyB wrote;

The only thing that worked for me after five tries was provided in this
Microsoft article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/KB946078

For this to work properly, you must login with the Administrator user
account (instead of an user account that has admin rights). Otherwise, your
file copy step will hang.

You then must follow these steps:
To resolve this problem, follow these steps:
Click Start, type Programs and Features in the Start Search box, and then
click Programs and Features in the Programs list.
1) Under Tasks, click Turn Windows features on or off.
2) If you are prompted for an administrator password, type the password. If
you are prompted for confirmation, click Continue.
3) Click to clear the check boxes of the following features:
a) Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0\XPS Viewer
b) Remote Differential Compression
c) Window DFS Replication Service
4) Upgrade Windows Vista to a more advanced version, and then click to
select the check boxes that you clicked to clear in step 3.
 
JimmyB wrote;

The only thing that worked for me after five tries was provided in this
Microsoft article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/KB946078

For this to work properly, you must login with the Administrator user
account (instead of an user account that has admin rights). Otherwise, your
file copy step will hang.

You then must follow these steps:
To resolve this problem, follow these steps:
Click Start, type Programs and Features in the Start Search box, and then
click Programs and Features in the Programs list.
1) Under Tasks, click Turn Windows features on or off.
2) If you are prompted for an administrator password, type the password. If
you are prompted for confirmation, click Continue.
3) Click to clear the check boxes of the following features:
a) Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0\XPS Viewer
b) Remote Differential Compression
c) Window DFS Replication Service
4) Upgrade Windows Vista to a more advanced version, and then click to
select the check boxes that you clicked to clear in step
 
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