Download Windows Vista

  • Thread starter Thread starter Carl G
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Carl G

Hi All
May sound like a dumb question BUT
can i download Vista bata and test it ?
I have tested the bata (live messenger, desktop mail , and IE 7.
Just wondering if i can try Windows Vista also.
Retired here with nothing better to do at this time.
Thanks
Carl G
 
For information on downloading the beta, please go to:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/

I highly recommend you read through these forums first to get a very good
idea on the risks involved before you do it.

General recommendations:

- Install Windows Vista to another partition on your hard drive or to a
second internal hard drive
- Do not upgrade from XP to Vista - there is no way to go back

- JB
 
Carl G said:
Hi All
May sound like a dumb question BUT
can i download Vista bata and test it ?
Click to expand...

Yes you can.
I have tested the bata (live messenger, desktop mail , and IE 7.
Just wondering if i can try Windows Vista also.
Retired here with nothing better to do at this time.
Click to expand...

If you have a spare machine or a spare hard drive, go for it.

If you are thinking of upgrading your primary machine to from XP to Vista,
don't do it.

Stratagies for testing Vista on your primary machine:

1) do an image of your current operating system, so that when you are
finished looking at Vista you can restore the image, and be back to exactly
where you were. Then do a clean install of Vista. If you're not exactly
sure how to do an image, don't do it. All too often users find that after
making an image, they can't restore it. I blame the companies that market
so called backup software that can't be relied on, and that misleads a user
into thinking he has a good backup when he doesn't. If you decide to do
an image, you should also backup your data by copying it to a DVD as
well in case the image doesn't work.

2) Get a new hard drive. I got a new 200GB maxtor hard drive for $45 after
rebates. Look around, you can find similar deals. I used the MaxBlast
software that was included in the box to copy my operating system to the new
hard drive. You can also download software from the drive manufacturers
site. After verifying that it worked, I removed the new hard drive from the
system, reinstalled the old hard drive as the secondary master, and did a
clean install of Vista. Then I reinstalled the new hard drive as the
primary master. Now I use the BIOS to select the hard drive to boot from.

3) as Colin and Travis mentioned, if you have enough free space on your hard
drive, you can use third party partitioning software to split your hard
drive into two partitions, and install Vista on the second partition. I
would prefer to do 1 or 2. Given the chances of getting an unusable image,
I'd really prefer 2.

Be carefull.

Todd
 
Read the next thread down, "How do I get XP back" to get an idea of what you
can get into if your computer is not set up for beta testing. I use a test
machine that I never use as my primary computer. Others use a second or
third hard drive on their primary computer or at least another partition on
thier primary drive. If you only have one computer with one drive and one
partition, do not try Vista. Vista is not yet ready for consumer preview or
early adoption.

If you are set up for beta testing, then start at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/preview.mspx and read the
information as you go (some just skip to the links to the software).
 
Hi Guys
Thanks for all the info.
I have an empty 80 gig sata drive in my machine now,which i will use,I have
4 sata drives in my machine now,3 in use , one empty.
Well i guess i will go download it and see if i can figure out how to burn
it to bootable DVD.
I did make a bootable xp with SP2.all went well , but i don't know if i
remember how.
So i will go do some readeing at Microsoft Vista site.
Thanks again.
 
Don't burn it to a bootable dvd. The image is bootable and all you have to
do is "burn image to disc" or whatever the command is in your software. MS
advises to burn at the slowest speed available in your software. They are
attributing almost all file copy errors during installation to dvd's burned
too fast.
 
Thanks Colin
I will give it a try.
Carl G
Colin Barnhorst said:
Don't burn it to a bootable dvd. The image is bootable and all you have
to do is "burn image to disc" or whatever the command is in your software.
MS advises to burn at the slowest speed available in your software. They
are attributing almost all file copy errors during installation to dvd's
burned too fast.
Click to expand...
 
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