Vista Upgrade Installation - From MSFT

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xfile

Re: Upgrade option for installing Vista

KB Article: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=928432&SD=tech

So I assume it's bootable but upgrade option is not available when booting
from the DVD, and it will perform a "clean" installation.

Upgrade option is only available when running with XP.

Unsolved mystery: Is it applied to both the full version and upgrade
version? I assume both.
 
Good catch.

What it addresses is a situation where the user is looking for "upgrade" but
it is greyed out. Custom Install is the only option he is seeing. It just
says how to get to a screen where "upgrade" is available, i.e., start Setup
from a desktop.

I would think that it applies to both full and upgrade editions.

It doesn't say anything about a "clean" installation, but that figures
because the two options are "upgrade" and "custom." I suppose that the
Upgrade Matrix green dots are probably the only scenarios this applies to.

It is a baby step in documentation, but it's a start. Where did you find
it? I assume you're looking for more.

Interesting to see Starter edition listed.
 
The subject has been covered here ad ad nauseam.

The upgrade can only be run from within a qualifying OS.

Why would it apply to the full version. That would make NO sense what-so-ever. What - if one buys a full version they
must have a prior version installed and/or the media for a prior version? NO!
 
You miss xfile's point. This is a Microsoft knowledgebase article. We all
have wanted it from the horse's mouth.

It does apply to a full edition. You can for your own convenience upgrade
with a full edition. You might not want to wipe out some hard to replace
apps for which you don't have a source, for example. You also might want to
upgrade the bits but keep the license from the legacy OS free for reuse,
which upgrading with a full edition would allow. There are many scenarios.
 
Hi,

Thanks for the compliment, and as you mentioned, it is intended as a
reference from the official source.

It is part of links provided by the current edition of TechNet Flash
(Biweekly Newsletters).
 
The subject has been covered here ad ad nauseam.

The upgrade can only be run from within a qualifying OS.

Why would it apply to the full version. That would make NO sense
what-so-ever. What - if one buys a full version they must have a prior
version installed and/or the media for a prior version? NO!
Click to expand...


Jack, as with XP, the full version of Vista can do either a custom install
(normally called a clean install in XP) or an upgrade.
 
xfile said:
Re: Upgrade option for installing Vista

KB Article: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=928432&SD=tech

So I assume it's bootable but upgrade option is not available when booting
from the DVD, and it will perform a "clean" installation.

Upgrade option is only available when running with XP.

Unsolved mystery: Is it applied to both the full version and upgrade
version? I assume both.
Click to expand...

Fantastic find! Thanks a bunch xfile! :)

--
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Mike Brannigan

"But I'm not insulting people. I'm insulting Linux Loonies..."
spoken by Mike <[email protected]>

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spoken by Mike <[email protected]>

More great quotes here:
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Re: Upgrade option for installing Vista

KB Article: http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=928432&SD=tech

So I assume it's bootable but upgrade option is not available when
booting from the DVD, and it will perform a "clean" installation.

Upgrade option is only available when running with XP.

Unsolved mystery: Is it applied to both the full version and upgrade
version? I assume both.
Click to expand...

Hmm - I'm slightly confused, and I may be missing the point, but by booting
from the DVD and performing a clean (non-upgrade) installation, does this
only work if you have the Full (non-upgrade) Vista DVD? Or will it also work
with an upgrade Vista DVD, whereby it will somehow (how?) check that you
have a qualifying copy of XP/previous Windows version (either on a CD or
already installed on your HD)?
 
All retail dvd's are identical. What determines events is your product key.

If you boot from the dvd and have a full edition product key you can do a
custom install but upgrade will be disabled. Whether you do a classic clean
install depends on whether you use the Advanced Options/Format first.

If you start setup from the desktop and enter a full edition product key you
can either upgrade-in-place (not supported in all scenarios) or do a custom
install.

If you boot with the dvd and enter an UPGRADE edition product key you will
be directed to restart the computer and start Setup from the desktop.
 
All retail dvd's are identical. What determines events is your
product key.
Click to expand...

Thanks - I didn't know that.
If you boot from the dvd and have a full edition product key you can
do a custom install but upgrade will be disabled. Whether you do a
classic clean install depends on whether you use the Advanced
Options/Format first.
Click to expand...

So if I understand you correctly, does "custom install" include the ability
to format the HD + clean install the OS?
If you start setup from the desktop and enter a full edition product
key you can either upgrade-in-place (not supported in all scenarios)
or do a custom install.

If you boot with the dvd and enter an UPGRADE edition product key you
will be directed to restart the computer and start Setup from the
desktop.
Click to expand...

Ah - I see. Makes sense now.

Many thanks, Colin (and for your patience!).
 
There is no one-button clean installation of Vista in the classic
wipe-the-drive-and-install way.

Custom installation does guarantee a freshly formatted hard drive. That's a
'not.'

The Install option is one of the Advanced Options. You must be in a mode in
which the Advanced Options are visible on the Setup screen to be able to
format a target partition. They are not always visible. I have the
impression that the Advanced Options are only available when you have booted
from the dvd. I hope I have that wrong and one of the other regulars can
straighten me out. At the very least you cannot format the partition if you
are upgrading Vista on the currently active partition (where you booted
Windows from). That has always been true of Windows.

Vista is installed from an image file using block copying in which the file
format is laid down with the data. Vista does not use the file copying
technology that XP uses. That means all installations of Vista, upgrade or
custom, are clean installations of the OS.
 
There is no one-button clean installation of Vista in the classic
wipe-the-drive-and-install way.
Click to expand...

I think I understand what you're saying here. But what you say here:
(e-mail address removed)
appears to contradict this?
Custom installation does guarantee a freshly formatted hard drive. That's
a 'not.'
???

The Install option is one of the Advanced Options. You must be in a
mode in which the Advanced Options are visible on the Setup screen to
be able to format a target partition. They are not always visible. I have
the impression that the Advanced Options are only available
when you have booted from the dvd. I hope I have that wrong and one
of the other regulars can straighten me out. At the very least you
cannot format the partition if you are upgrading Vista on the
currently active partition (where you booted Windows from). That has
always been true of Windows.
Vista is installed from an image file using block copying in which
the file format is laid down with the data. Vista does not use the
file copying technology that XP uses. That means all installations
of Vista, upgrade or custom, are clean installations of the OS.
Click to expand...

Sorry, you've lost me here!
 
I think I understand what you're saying here. But what you say here:
(e-mail address removed)
appears to contradict this?
Click to expand...

Sorry - this is a hyperlinking cock-up (how do you link to other NG
messages?!) - I tried to link to your post in the "W2k to Vista upgrade"
thread when you said:

"You can clean install with an Upgrade Edition even though you start Setup
from the desktop. In fact with Win2k you have to. The upgrade option will
be greyed out."
 
Custom installation does NOT guarantee a freshly formatted hard drive.
Period.

I just got really messed up on the typing.
 
Aside from the fact that our understanding is evolving, notice the note on
the Upgrade Matrix that says

"If the edition of Windows Vista that you choose to install will result in a
loss of functionality over your current edition of Windows, a clean install
must be done or the installation must be completed to a new partition on
your PC."

"....or the installation must be completed to a new partition on your PC"
means to me that it is possible to use an Upgrade Edition to install Vista
to a drive or partition other than the one W2k or XP Pro x64 is on by
choosing the custom option and not upgrade (in fact upgrade will be greyed
out). That has yet to be demonstrated, but that is what the table says. I
am not very confident that the content of that whole page is final.

In any case, the use of the word "clean" above is not right. The word
should have been "custom" and it should have read "...a custom install must
be done..."

I am about to test the first part of that statement by attempting to upgrade
XP Pro x86 to Vista Home Basic x86.
 
xfile said:
Thanks :)

Your sig is getting longer and I do read them ;)
Click to expand...

LOL, you like clippy at the link?

--
Priceless quotes in m.p.w.vista.general group:

"Price is actually no factor in piracy..." spoken by
Mike Brannigan

"But I'm not insulting people. I'm insulting Linux Loonies..."
spoken by Mike <[email protected]>

"No, I'm not sure. I was just making fun of Chad's typo."
spoken by Mike <[email protected]>

More great quotes here:
http://protectfreedom.tripod.com/kick.html
 
And the result was that when I started Setup from the XP Pro SP2 desktop
using a Vista Home Basic product key, Upgrade was greyed out and only Custom
was available. On a single drive system this results in an overwrite of XP
Pro SP2. The text states that it is a clean install of Windows (which it
is) and that files, settings, and programs will not be retained. Well,
guess what. That is not entirely true. What is true is that they will not
be registered. The code is still there and I don't mean in the windows.old
folder. You do have to reinstall that stuff to actually use it again, but
it is still there.

This is how badly wrong a custom installation can really go:

I ran another test, this time on a real box. I overwrote XP Pro x64 with
Vista Ultimate x86. I launched setup from my Vista x64 (C:) desktop and did
a Custom install to D:. D: still had an XP Pro x64 installation in good
working order. Since there were no Advanced Options and therefore format
was not available I decided to do what a trusting soul would do and
pretended that I assumed Custom meant formatting the drive too.

The Program Files and Program Files (x86) folders from XP Pro x64 were still
intact! None of the programs in any of those folders were installed, but
the folders and their contents were still there. I had not done an upgrade
so that stuff had not been reinstalled.

Now, you have to know a little bit about how Windows x64 uses the Program
Files and Program Files (x86) folders to understand how messed up this is.
In x64 native 64bit programs install to the Program Files folder. 32bit
programs go into the Program Files (x86) folder. In Windows x86 all
programs go into the Program Files folder.

That means I have a Program Files folder now that has folders and contents
for both native 64bit programs and native 32bit programs. Of course, only
the 32bit programs (which I installed after the installation of Vista x86)
are registered and can work, but what a mess. That also means I have Office
2007 folders and contents in BOTH the Program Files and Program Files (x86)
folders. Only the Office 2007 in the Program Files folder is "real."

I can safely delete the entire Program Files (x86) folder, but the Program
Files folder is another matter. I would have to identify which programs
were bogus (unregistered) and which were real.

This is not unique to Vista. This always happens when you install different
editions of Windows into the same partition. I just wanted to prove that a
custom installation is not a classic clean installation.

Obviously it was an experiment and I will simply format D: and reinstall
Vista x86, but it is fun to see stuff like this go really wrong. Not that
Vista x86 has any problem with it. It's running fine this way.

Bottom line: Custom install does not format the drive.
 
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