Vista Upgrade DVD can be tricked into installing as a full install -- whoops!

Nathan Davis
01 February 2007, 12:44 AM


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Microsoft implemented a clean-install lock down on its Vista upgrades. So, uh... we can only assume it was not supposed to do this...


Windows Vista: Crowbar meets the pane.Windows Vista: Crowbar meets the pane.
Contrary to Microsoft's original intention, if you're stuck without a previous edition of Windows and just want a clean install of Vista -- and you are holding but an upgrade to Vista -- you can now do just that.

Yep, Microsoft slipped on this one.

An option offered by previous upgrade editions of Windows is that Microsoft allowed you a clean install -- that is, without having to first install an older version. The installer did, however, check if you owned an older version of Windows.

The way in which the upgrade CD verified this was to request the aging install CD. Once the installer was satisfied, you popped in the newer Windows CD and all was blissfully peaceful in the land.

With Vista coming screaming into the world, Microsoft was apparently intent on smashing that serenity. You see, it required that you have an existing Windows install on the system in which you intend to install Vista.

Don't have an existing install? According to Microsoft's Knowledge Base, when you attempt to install Windows Vista with your legitimately-acquired upgrade key, "you will be blocked from continuing."

Its solution to this? Well, it says you can take your pick of two; you can either spend more money on another product license -- a full one this time, you silly git -- or start the upgrade installation from within an existing install of Windows 2000, Windows XP, or even Vista itself.

This was supposed to mean that you can no longer perform a clean install with the upgrade CD/DVD of the latest version of Windows.

Or so it seemed up until not a full day ago, for there is a third option.

In a twist of fate, the likes of which Microsoft must be rather miffed, the Vista upgrade can, indeed, perform a shiny clean install without requiring anything else but itself.

The lads over at DailyTech discovered that you first must install Vista with the upgrade media without using a license key -- this installs the 30-day trial. Once you're in here, you can initiate the actual install, or 'upgrade' as the kids call it, and this will accept your upgrade key.

It's not quite a clean install, but it's a handy trick to have up the sleeve, nonetheless.


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tin:

It's not quite a clean install, but it's cleaner than starting with a different OS version.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

john:

I tried this ... doesn't work at all. At least not on my puter.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Darren Y:

I wish I had known that the other day when I tried to install my Vista Ultimate edition. I did not KNOW that you had to have on your hard disk the prior version, i.e. XP PRO for me. I had cleaned and formatted my hard drives for a "CLEAN" install. Then found out the hard way.

As a computer hobbiest and gamer, I am FREQUENTLY reinstalling my operating system AND it is a PAIN in the neck to have to call in for "activation" since I have exceeded my "allotted" number. These "Piracy Protection schemes" may make them more money, BUT they don't create much good will with us paying consumers having to jump through the hoops pleading to get our product reactivated...a product we paid very good money for. I lost a program from ScanSoft for "over activating", so I will never buy another product from them or Tenebril for they, in effect, "pirated" my copies of legally purchased software by putting up roadblocks making activiation burdonsome.

But back to my point, I didn't NOT want to again go through the process of having to reactive XP Pro just to install Vista Ultimate. So I tried to upgrade without activating XP first AND it worked!!! Thank God for that.

For home users, Microsoft should do what some other software providers are doing and give three licenses per product purchase. The cost of an upgrade is the cost of a major appliance and I only have ONE computer. I can't imagine being a family household need to shell out more money for extra copies.

I think Bill Gates is the REAL PIRATE for he's got all the booty!!!! Just kidding Bill. :)

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

b2bomber:

I remember the good ole days when you could install as many copies of Windows on as many different desktops as you wanted.... but funny you mention the wish that you could have a home license that allowed 3 installs. I wish that this would happen too. They currently allow it with the Office Student and Home edition. I don't see why they won't do this with Windows as well (other than the whole nasty greed reason).


29 February 2008, 8:37 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

MISSI0N:

This is nothing new to me, I figured this trick out myself when I brought home the upgrade version 2 weeks ago, and it wouldnt install without finding XP already on the harddrive.

I guess im just smarter then your average PC user.

Good for me.

29 February 2008, 8:29 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Igor Stravinsky:

Don't strain yourself patting yourself on the back.

29 February 2008, 8:37 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Electroconvulsive:

You figured that out all by yourself..
I hope you got your parents permission first before playing with anything electrical..

29 February 2008, 8:38 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Carmievg:

All I did with my brand new machine was do a complete install of XP on one partition, then a complete, clean install of Vista on another. Works like a charm.

29 February 2008, 8:39 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

DannyBoy:

haha, stop being so petty...the guy was only making the comment, not gloating.

I'm aware of the irony....but go and do something else.

29 February 2008, 8:39 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Paul:

theres an easy way, to not have to have activate windows after every reinstall, start with a fresh copy activate it, now reinstall fresh copy, it will send ur activated copy to windows old in c: or what ever drive u installed to, vista has a option to shrink and expand drives, to get here left click start, right click my computer, left click manage, now left click disk management easy enough, once u shrink to the size u want ur choice, format ur new partition then copy the contents of windows old not the folder it self, only contents inside of it, once finished go back to disk mangement, and make partiton active, now reboot onto active partition I will leave the rest to you guys, kind of commen sense, also tip make sure u copy contents of that activated vista also to a cd case hard drive crashes u wont have to go about doing it all over again, also tip only use ur fresh activated partition to reboot your main partition this way u always have clean install, of course to get back to your main partition you will have to make it active through disk management


no more running out of activating priv

hope that helped

please don't use it for piracy, us good guys who pay for our stuff, are suffering enough for u cheap piraters, hate bill gates don't hate us

29 February 2008, 8:31 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

GeoffP:

Thanks Paul.
That might be good advice if I could be bothered trying to parse your language into something I could read. Do you know of somthing called English grammar? It helps people read by putting your thoughts into sentences...

29 February 2008, 8:42 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Strephon Alkhalikoi:

There is an easy way to not have to activate Windows after every reinstall.

1. Start with a fresh copy and activate it.
2. Reinstall the fresh copy. It sends the activated copy to a folder called "windows.old" in C: or whatever drive letter Vista was installed to.
3. Vista has an option to shrink and expand drives. To access that option, click on the start menu, right click on "My Computer", click on "Manage", then click on "Disk Management". Make that partition active, then reboot into that partition.

I will leave the rest to you guys, for this is all common sense. Here's a tip: make sure you copy the contents of that activated Vista to a CD [DVD, ed] in case the hard drive crashes so you won't have to do all these steps over again. Another tip: only use the freshly activated partition to reboot the main partition as this will ensure you will always have a clean install. But to get back to the main partition, you will have to make it active through Disk Management.

That should be far more readable than the insane run-on sentence that exists. It's rather sad to see language mangled in this fashion, as if the original poster didn't give a rat's ass about what he was saying. I mean, take a look. No capitalization. No distinct sentences. Shorthand "u" for "you", which tells me he's very familiar with text messaging on a phone. The misnaming of DVDs as CDs. The list goes on and on.

29 February 2008, 8:43 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Oh so Anonymous:

Thanks for the translation!
Can I do this if my Vista software comes pre-installed with a new computer?
Also, in addition to translation, can you add "Simplification", so that "Not so computer geeks" may also use this info.

29 February 2008, 8:43 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

Gerry:

The guy is only trying to help other & you just criticise his writing. Grow up!!

29 February 2008, 8:43 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

nzschooltech:

We got the Business upgrade DVD, and it won't boot from scratch. First time I've seen a MS operating system CD/DVD that doesn't boot for installation.

See my article at
http://nzschooltech.blogspot.com/ for more info (it was posted on 2007-08-10)

29 February 2008, 8:31 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

James:

When i got a disk to upgrade to home premium i just used the 'boot from disk' option on the quick boot screen, with the windows vista disk in my computer. it ran with no problems and did a completely clean install without asking for or checking once for a previous version of windows. also if you choose not to enter a product key it will let you choose which version of vista you want to install. I used my home premium upgrade disk to put vista ultimate on my machine which i then used that nifty crack program to register. considering i got the upgrade free from dell i'd say thats a pretty good deal.

29 February 2008, 8:32 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

terry095:

hey guys i had vista home basic bought new use hard drive installed vista wont let me reactafect anyone knowwhats up

29 February 2008, 8:47 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

PC SNIFFER:

Hears another trick I have found usful to know, It may not be related but it is useful.

You will additional tools like drive image XML and bartpe.

1. Get a fresh copy of vista on your system and set it up the way you want it. Don't place any additional items like documents or favourites as this will make the result larger.

2. Use driveimage XML to create an image of your vista drive, save it to another drive if possible.

3. Use bartpe to create a bootable iso and burn it onto a cd or dvd depending on the size of the image.

Now you have a legal fully activate version of vista that you can use like a recovery disk should things start to go pear shaped with the installation you currently have. A word of warning bak up anything you have on the vista drive as restoring the image will erase the drive before retoring the image.

I have used this process to create about 5 recover images already and 5 of them have worked everytime they are needed. the only downside is if you change any hardware that causes windows to need to be reactivated, simply repeat the process any you are back in business.

It also cuts down on using your orriginal and going through the setup process as well.

Enjoy !!!!!!!

29 February 2008, 8:32 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

fivestartowing (New user):

ive done it a few times now, and im STILL tryin to rollback to XP pro, but to no prevail, but i use the "Windows anytime upgrade for vista" to install it all over again, and ive gone through 3 different versions of Vista; basic, pro, and im now on ultimate. IN WICH IM STILL TRYIN TO BYPASS THE ACTIVATION. cause the activation program/site wont recoginse my product key that's on the chassis (total BS.) but the disk DOES allow you to do a "clean" install of vista (any version). so have fun with this crap!! oh ya I HATE VISTA!!

22 May 2008, 2:11 AM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

MOPTHS (New user):

i want the code for vista ultimate from pirate at real

23 August 2008, 11:26 PM (3 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

baradinepixie (New user):

I was in this boat the other week when I got my Vista Ultimate from Singapore (Uni/TAFE Student offer). My Product Key didn't work that Microsoft had sent me via email.

But I was able to install it without the Product Key, then I had to enter it in and activate it after. There lies my problem. I spent quite some time to Microsoft Technical Support and it wasn't until I was firm with them that I had to send them a scan of my Disc, Packaging and the Invoice that I was re-issued with a new Product Key.

This took me over a week to solve and quite a few hours on the phone, I might add.

But the Clean Install on an Upgrade does work.

05 May 2009, 10:32 PM (2 years ago)report abuse Send to a friend reply

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