Clean Install Workaround for Vista

Jimmy 2004 · Jan 31, 2007, 03:08 PM

You may remember this news story on techPowerUp! a couple of days ago relating to the lack of clean installs when using the Upgrade Editions of Vista, which required an old OS to be installed. However, Paul Thurrott has managed to find a workaround for this issue, which ironically lets users do a clean install Vista without any previous version of Windows, albeit a little tedious. Here are the steps:

Boot from the Windows Vista Upgrade DVD as normal
When prompted for a product code, leave this blank
Select the version of Vista you have purchased and let Vista install
When you boot to your desktop for the first time, run the Vista setup from Windows
This time enter your product key
When asked whether you want to do an Upgrade of Custom install, select custom and choose a clean install
Windows will now install for a second time and you should be able to activate it

Remember, these steps are only advised for use in order to achieve a clean install of Vista, it is only legal to use the upgrade editions if you have previously purchased the appropriate version of Windows.

Source: DailyTech

EviLZeD · Jan 31, 2007, 03:35 PM

haha thats great

Sasqui · Jan 31, 2007, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EviLZeD

haha thats great

Totally! I wonder when the Upgrade slip-strem discs are coming out to prevent that? No doubt SP1 discs will.

EviLZeD · Jan 31, 2007, 03:47 PM

yea microsoft would definatley stop this in sp1

overcast · Jan 31, 2007, 03:54 PM

Still need to install the OS twice. But it saves you from buying the full Retail , when you can just buy the upgrade retail. This will be fixed for sure.

newtekie1 · Jan 31, 2007, 04:44 PM

Yeah, this will be fixed rather quickly I assume.

OEM versions FTW!!!!11!

overcast · Jan 31, 2007, 05:03 PM

I'm really itching to get Vista going, but I think I should wait until I get new hardware before installing the OEM. I wish I knew how my opteron @ 2.7ghz will perform in a year regarding games. There's always conflicting results regarding CPU's holding back GPU's.

RickyG512 · Jan 31, 2007, 05:17 PM

i dont know why oem is so famous if it only alows it to be installed on one machine or is their now a way around that

Jimmy 2004 · Jan 31, 2007, 05:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickyG512

i dont know why oem is so famous if it only alows it to be installed on one machine or is their now a way around that

Much cheaper. If you only plan to use one or two PCs during the reign of Vista then it will be cheaper. As long as the motherboard is the same I think you can get away with it.

Thermopylae_480 · Jan 31, 2007, 05:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickyG512

i dont know why oem is so famous if it only alows it to be installed on one machine or is their now a way around that

Any way around it would not be legal. There may be a way, but you'll have to find it yourself, you can't ask here

.

I believe it is licensed to a single motherboard, and changing motherboards, by their definition, results in a "new" computer.

newtekie1 · Jan 31, 2007, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickyG512

i dont know why oem is so famous if it only alows it to be installed on one machine or is their now a way around that

Because it is a lot cheaper, usually half the price or less compared to the full retail version.

Frogger · Jan 31, 2007, 05:33 PM

thanks jimmy will be using this for sure this week.. F

EviLZeD · Jan 31, 2007, 05:53 PM

windows xp lists alot of hardware details wen i reinstalled windows using a raid 0 config i had to reactivate it my cd key wasnt working said i had to phone did so and got it working

Easy Rhino · Jan 31, 2007, 06:47 PM

haha this is such an easy work around. i love you bill gates and microsoft but you are idiots. its like a last minute step they took to save money. so sorry.

WarEagleAU · Jan 31, 2007, 08:48 PM

There is always somebody smarter...

hotrippr · Feb 5, 2007, 04:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RickyG512

i dont know why oem is so famous if it only alows it to be installed on one machine or is their now a way around that

They will allow, you just will have to phone them up and tell them "no" when they ask if you are still running vista on another machine. Retail will allow multiple reinstalls without jumping through the hoops.
I believe an article that was here or at theinquirer put oem to the test on 3 or 4 totally different machines, each time he had to call MS to de/activate it. If anyone has the original link please post it, I cant find it.
Either way it is up to MS if they will reactivate or not. I wonder if retail "upgrade" will reactivate like retail or over the phone like oem?

hotrippr · Feb 5, 2007, 04:34 AM

Edit
Found it
http://theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37276
original story:
http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid...e=expert&pid=4

hotrippr · Feb 18, 2007, 10:35 PM

Well it is not really a secret or considered a workaround for HOME PREMIUM if you have Xp PRo, it is a must. You can only upgrade if you have XP home, Vista HB, or MCE. If you have XP pro it forces you to do a clean install. At first I was like WTF! but then I read the small print on the back of my Vista Upgrade box.

Confirmed:http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...radepaths.mspx

Jan 31, 2007, 03:08 PM	#1
Jimmy 2004 Eligible for custom title Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: England Posts: 5,047 (1.64/day) Thanks: 134 Thanked 276 Times in 185 Posts System Specs	Clean Install Workaround for Vista You may remember this news story on techPowerUp! a couple of days ago relating to the lack of clean installs when using the Upgrade Editions of Vista, which required an old OS to be installed. However, Paul Thurrott has managed to find a workaround for this issue, which ironically lets users do a clean install Vista without any previous version of Windows, albeit a little tedious. Here are the steps: Boot from the Windows Vista Upgrade DVD as normal When prompted for a product code, leave this blank Select the version of Vista you have purchased and let Vista install When you boot to your desktop for the first time, run the Vista setup from Windows This time enter your product key When asked whether you want to do an Upgrade of Custom install, select custom and choose a clean install Windows will now install for a second time and you should be able to activate it Remember, these steps are only advised for use in order to achieve a clean install of Vista, it is only legal to use the upgrade editions if you have previously purchased the appropriate version of Windows. Source: DailyTech Last edited by Jimmy 2004; Jan 31, 2007 at 03:43 PM.

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Jan 31, 2007, 03:35 PM	#2
EviLZeD Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 649 (0.26/day) Thanks: 30 Thanked 48 Times in 44 Posts System Specs	haha thats great

Jan 31, 2007, 03:47 PM	#4
EviLZeD Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 649 (0.26/day) Thanks: 30 Thanked 48 Times in 44 Posts System Specs	yea microsoft would definatley stop this in sp1

Jan 31, 2007, 03:54 PM	#5
overcast Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 707 (0.26/day) Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts System Specs	Still need to install the OS twice. But it saves you from buying the full Retail , when you can just buy the upgrade retail. This will be fixed for sure.

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newtekie1 Semi-Retired Folder Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 17,903 (6.47/day) Thanks: 785 Thanked 5,185 Times in 3,754 Posts System Specs	Yeah, this will be fixed rather quickly I assume. OEM versions FTW!!!!11!

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Jan 31, 2007, 05:03 PM	#7
overcast Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 707 (0.26/day) Thanks: 0 Thanked 2 Times in 2 Posts System Specs	I'm really itching to get Vista going, but I think I should wait until I get new hardware before installing the OEM. I wish I knew how my opteron @ 2.7ghz will perform in a year regarding games. There's always conflicting results regarding CPU's holding back GPU's.

Jan 31, 2007, 05:17 PM	#8
RickyG512 Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Croydon, England Posts: 473 (0.17/day) Thanks: 2 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts System Specs	i dont know why oem is so famous if it only alows it to be installed on one machine or is their now a way around that __________________ 3D mark 05 13400 3D mark 06 6800 I have a dream that one day everyone will have water cooling

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Jan 31, 2007, 05:33 PM	#12
Frogger Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: ONTARIO CANADA Posts: 1,951 (0.73/day) Thanks: 341 Thanked 261 Times in 224 Posts System Specs	thanks jimmy will be using this for sure this week.. F __________________ You can't be a real country unless you have a beer and an airline-it helps if you have some kind of a football team,or some nuclear weapons,BUT at the very least you need a BEER!-Frank Zappa

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EviLZeD Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 649 (0.26/day) Thanks: 30 Thanked 48 Times in 44 Posts System Specs	windows xp lists alot of hardware details wen i reinstalled windows using a raid 0 config i had to reactivate it my cd key wasnt working said i had to phone did so and got it working

Jan 31, 2007, 06:47 PM	#14
Easy Rhino Linux Advocate Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 10,284 (4.27/day) Thanks: 1,219 Thanked 2,789 Times in 1,801 Posts System Specs	haha this is such an easy work around. i love you bill gates and microsoft but you are idiots. its like a last minute step they took to save money. so sorry.

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Feb 5, 2007, 04:34 AM	#17
hotrippr Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 167 (0.06/day) Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts System Specs	Edit Found it http://theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=37276 original story: http://www.pcper.com/article.php?aid...e=expert&pid=4 __________________ ASUS_P5LD2 R2.0 Sapphire X1900XTmaxOD 2X1Gb CrucialBallistix800 AtiHdtvWonder Auzen Xplosion DTS Audio ThermaltakeArmor Last edited by hotrippr; Feb 5, 2007 at 04:39 AM.

Feb 18, 2007, 10:35 PM	#18
hotrippr Join Date: Dec 2005 Posts: 167 (0.06/day) Thanks: 0 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts System Specs	??? Well it is not really a secret or considered a workaround for HOME PREMIUM if you have Xp PRo, it is a must. You can only upgrade if you have XP home, Vista HB, or MCE. If you have XP pro it forces you to do a clean install. At first I was like WTF! but then I read the small print on the back of my Vista Upgrade box. Confirmed:http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...radepaths.mspx __________________ ASUS_P5LD2 R2.0 Sapphire X1900XTmaxOD 2X1Gb CrucialBallistix800 AtiHdtvWonder Auzen Xplosion DTS Audio ThermaltakeArmor

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