I would disagree with that assertion. I always do an upgrade first - you can
always do a clean install if you run into trouble. An upgrade will preserve
user profiles, settings, and installed programs. A clean install will force
the user to start from scratch, something the vast majority would rather
avoid. Some points to address:
- Before upgrading, uninstall your antivirus software. There are just too
many conflicts possible and it's best to just remove it entirely, not just
disable it. Same thing for any antispyware and third party firewall
programs. Install Vista-compatible versions after the upgrade.
- Remove your graphic driver software and revert to standard VGA. You can
update to a Vista driver afterwards if it's not in the package.
- Check for compatibility of your software from the vendor, make sure the
version you are running is ok for Vista, do not rely on the upgrade adisor
utility for this.
- Backup important data in case of a failure, they do happen infrequently,
and your significant other will be rather ticked off if you lose those
photos. There is simply no excuse for not doing so.
- Double check your hardware specifications for suitability, again from the
device manufacturer. If the machine isn't capable of running the OS, your
experience will be disappointing. Don't upgrade a low spec machine.
- The upgrade advisor, while useful, is not an end-all to determining
suitability. It only reports what it knows about and cannot predict
potential conflicts that it is unaware of. With the millions of possible
hardware combinations and installable software, it is best to check with
vendors for suitability.
--
Best of Luck,
Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
Windows help -
www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts
http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com