Vista Upgrades Cannot Be Cleanly Installed

Vista upgrade customers could quickly become irritated if they plan to do a clean install to their computer system. The reason being that Microsoft has designed the upgrade operating system to work only with computers that has the previous Window OS already installed. Microsoft has long pushed for the per machine license instead of the per consumer license, similar to the Office software license, and that is what's behind the change.

A clean install technique is the installation of a Windows operating system on a new or freshly erased hard drive using an upgrade Windows CD and license. To complete an installation of a Windows upgrade OS, the system asks you to for a compliance check. A compliance check insures that you are not illegally trying to install the upgrade OS by asking you to insert the basic operating system CD and enter the required verification number that accompanies it. Using the clean install technique saves time and effort for the person doing it, and has been used by both the computer savvy and the computer amateur for over a decade.

The only way to install the Vista upgrade is if a Windows XP or 2000 operating system is already installed. The change is caused by the fact that a clean install is tied to the pc hardware, where the Vista upgrade is tied to the previous installed operating system.

What this change means to someone that has never or will never again install an operating system is minimal. The cost of paying a pro to install Vista through an upgrade CD might rise slightly, and the amount of time before being able to pick up the pc from the shop could lengthen by a day.

"TM" Microsoft Vista Logo

Credit: Microsoft press image

Copyright: Microsoft Press Image