Microsoft Confirms Vista Upgrade Limitations (Updated with Workaround)

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Paul Thurrott

Windows IT Pro

InstantDoc ID #95011

With a support note quietly posted to its Web site, Microsoft confirmed what enthusiasts have long feared: Users who purchase Upgrade versions of Windows Vista will not be able to perform clean installs of the operating system. Instead, they will need to first install their previous OS and then upgrade in-place to Vista.

"This problem occurs because Windows Vista [Setup] does not check upgrade compliance," a support note on Microsoft's Web site reads. "Therefore, you cannot use an upgrade key to perform a clean installation of Windows Vista."

While this is sure to infuriate some users--and certainly, it contradicts information Microsoft provided me with last year--the reality is that upgrade installs of Windows Vista essentially wipe out the OS and perform an install that is very much like a clean install. The real problem here, therefore, will be the length of time it takes to install Vista using the Upgrade media: Though Vista often installs in about 30 minutes, previous versions often take twice as long.

UPDATE: I haven't tested this yet, as I don't have Vista Upgrade media to test, but I'm told that Microsoft's internal documentation does explain how to clean install Vista using an Upgrade version. It appears to be more of a workaround than a true clean install, however. Here's what it says.

1. Boot with the Windows Vista Upgrade DVD.

2. Click "Install Now."

3. Do not enter a Product Key When prompted.

4. When prompted, select the Vista product edition that you do have.

6. Install Vista normally.

7. Once the install is complete, restart the DVD-based Setup from within Windows Vista. Perform an in-place upgrade.

8. Enter your Product Key when prompted.

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That's why I'm sticking with XP until Windows 7 comes out. XP security updates should still be around if Win7 is released before 2011. :-)

Grantcv1: You buy a Mac, you pay by the nose for proprietary hardware and an OS that lacks drivers for peripherals. Let alone pay how mych to go from 10.4.x to 10.5.x? For every other Os, that would be called a service pack (or release) and would be free of charge. not with Apple!

ebraiter@videotron.ca 4/1/2008 3:06:52 PM

at least Steve Jobs doesn't have his ____ up my a$ like he does with you.

XP

Joe1/31/2007 10:43:01 AM

"when I look around the airport or the coffee shop these days, the majority of the machines are suddenly Macs. "

I'm noticing the same thing. The majority may not be Macs, but they are certainly represented in numbers far beyond those of their reported market share. On any given day, more than half the machines I see in such places are Macs.

"I hope this issue turns out to be the turning point for the Great Humbling of Microsoft."

Won't happen. Inertia will keep them going, along with fear of the unknown. The Microsoft FUD machine has been in high gear for so long, most people don't realize they even have a viable alternative, and the rants of folks like "Waethorn" (who have their heads so far up Microsofts a$ that they can't see daylight) don't help much, either.

Lotsa1/31/2007 6:53:31 AM

"Lord knows I'm not going to pay the full version price. "

Why not? It thought it was a relative bargain?

Lotsa1/31/2007 6:48:34 AM

I am glad I am switching to a Mac. And so is my brother. And a couple of my friends have just done so. And a couple coworkers too. And when I look around the airport or the coffee shop these days, the majority of the machines are suddenly Macs. I hope this issue turns out to be the turning point for the Great Humbling of Microsoft. They seriously need to be cut down a whole lot now!

Grant1/30/2007 11:06:02 PM

nah of course not....you wouldn't know the first thing to finding a way of understanding that....

XP

Joe1/30/2007 7:52:32 PM

losta, you may know how to read words, but some basic comprehension studies would be in order for you.

for Microsoft, there is no "problem". sorry.

???? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??????

comprender?

XP

Joe1/30/2007 7:50:46 PM

Well, dang it. I was planning to keep XP MCE 2005 on one partition and install the upgrade version of Vista on another partition so I could have the new platform but also have XP MCE to fall back to in case anything is completely broken in Vista. Lord knows I'm not going to pay the full version price. Well, hopefully it soon becomes known whether the workaround works.

Very disappointing. Thanks for reporting this early, Paul. Much appreciated. Oh, and before it's posted, no, I have no desire to switch to Mac, so don't waste your breath. Macs are excellent computers, yes, but I personally can't stand 'em.

Brandon1/30/2007 4:48:24 PM

losta: "It's not a "supposed issue", "Waethorn", it's a PROBLEM. That's how Microsoft refers to it"

WRONG! are you completely stupid?! they wanted it this way. just another Microsoft hating Mac user with nothing to do. "

"Waethorn", you really need to learn to read. Paul's story quotes Microsoft thusly:

""This problem occurs because Windows Vista [Setup] does not check upgrade compliance," a support note on Microsoft's Web site reads."

See that word? PROBLEM. As in "This PROBLEM occurs". It's direct from Microsoft.

Now, as I've asked of you before: STFU. Or at the very least, take some remedial reading courses.

Lotsa1/30/2007 3:19:13 PM

On my Windows Vista laptop, I checked for updates, and there was a total of....... 2gigs of updates! And no, I am not kidding.

@vandil2 No, they will not need the XP CD because they already have an activated version of Vista installed. The only way the person will need the XP CD is if the hard drive is completely lost.

Also, check out the MOAB website. I'm sure that malware writers will exploit those holes if OS X gets more marketshare. It sounds like have bought into the utter *lie* than OS X is more inherently secure than Vista.

Also, please stay away from ad-hominem attacks against Waethorn. It doesn't help your argument.

Nathan1/30/2007 7:48:57 AM

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