If you plan to upgrade to Windows Vista Home Basic, this thread is not for you.

There are a few things that I think you should be aware of before you upgrade to the better edition of Vista:

1. Do not assume that you have the latest video card capable of handling Windows Aero. Chances are you don't. For more info, read my other thread HERE that discussed the hardware requirements for Vista.

2. If you are convinced that your PC have the hardware, the next thing you may or may not encounter is a number of glitches or gotchas when you try to upgrade your current OS to Vista. THIS new Vista MSKB explains why the Upgrade option that is located in the Install Windows dialog box may be unavailable.

i_XpUser

Another good reason to forget Vista. I ran their Advisor programme on my desk top and it said all was well and then gave a list of my programmes I would have to deinstall BEFORE upgrading and then reinstall afterwards, about 10 -12 if I remember so it is not going to happen! even though I have a free Vista upgrade certificate!

That is the biggest fool thing we have ever done. The Atomic bomb will never go off, and I speak as an expert in explosives.
- Admiral William Leahy

Do you know why it took M$ 5 years to come up with Vista?

Most of Vista main features (such as Aero) did not originated out of Redmond laboratories. They spent considerable time researching other companies creations. Then it took M$ time to initiate, negotiate, and complete the companies acquisitions.

Once it is done, M$ required more time to integrate and modify the acquired intellectual rights with the OS.

Another point of interest is the hard drive requirement for the upgrade:

40-GB hard disk that has 15 GB of free hard disk space (the 15GB of free space provides room for temporary file storage during the install or upgrade.)

The 15GB storage space for the transition is quite excessive.

i_XpUser

Read what Thomas C. Greene from The Reg has to say about the vista update advisor:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2007/0...

Today's subliminal thought is: 'Calm down ... it's only ones and zeros.'

That's a nice written and handy article - thanks :-)

Since I haven't done any upgrade and don't plan to at least until all the dusts are settled, I am curious to know a few thing, namely...

Does the Vista Upgrade CD clean up the 15GB folder once the upgrade is supposedly successful and you are able to activate it and restart the computer?

Given the fact that you cannot uninstall Vista to revert to your previous OS, does the installer also purge from your PC every remanants of your former OS?

Does anyone know?

i_XpUser

"Does the Vista Upgrade CD clean up the 15GB folder once the upgrade is supposedly successful and you are able to activate it and restart the computer?"

Yes.

"Given the fact that you cannot uninstall Vista to revert to your previous OS, does the installer also purge from your PC every remanants of your former OS?"

The Vista installer places your previous OS into a "WINDOWS.OLD" folder. You can access the folder as well as the files, but you can not reload the OS... the key has been invalidated.

Of course there are EASY ways to install vista WITHOUT disturbing or invalidating xp. ;)

Thanks for the info, blackbill :-)

i_XpUser

BTW I'd like to find out what are the EASY ways. Care to share it with us?

i_XpUser

Have you not seen this??

http://www.dailytech.com/article.as...

It truly DOES work. I'm now running dual boot system with my old XP intact and unharmed.

For all intents and purposes, the present UPGRADE disks can be handled as full version disks. Read:

http://www.dailytech.com/article.as...