Hi, Hatchet.
Can I upgrade Windows 2000 Professional to Windows Vista
No. :>(
You haven't told us anything about your present computer except that it is
running Win2K Pro, and that it "needs a good clean sweep anyway". The
minimum requirements for Vista (CPU, hard drive, graphics, and RAM) are much
more than for Win2K. And you probably won't be happy with Vista performance
on "minimum" hardware.
My advice would be to study the hardware requirements and recommendations
for Vista and be sure that your current system would be adequate. Start
your research on the Windows Vista home page:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/default.mspx
Click "Know your options for upgrading" on that page and you will see a
chart that tells you that the move from Win2K to ANY version of Vista
"Requires clean install." It also says, "If you are currently using Windows
2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional x64, you are eligible for an
upgrade copy to a corresponding or better edition of Windows Vista, but a
clean install is required." In other words, you can save money by buying
the Upgrade retail package, but you must use it to perform a clean install
of Vista, not an upgrade from Win2K.
Even for WinXP systems that are eligible for upgrade to Vista, a clean
install is usually the best way to go. It cleans out the deadwood, installs
new Vista drivers, and gives a fresh start. Many users who upgraded from
Win9x to Win2K or WinXP (including myself) later wiped their new
installation and did a clean install, because the upgrade often accomplished
a less-than-perfect migration of applications and - especially - hardware
drivers from the old system to the new.
So, first check the recommended hardware requirements, not just the
minimums. Make sure that there are Vista drivers from the manufacturers for
all your hardware. If all that checks out, buy the upgrade version of Vista
and clean install it. But if you must spend a lot to upgrade your hardware
to run Vista, then consider buying a new computer with Vista already
installed.
RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP
(Running Windows Mail in Vista Ultimate x64)