[Please also read the Action Pack FAQ on this blog at http://uksbsguy.com/blogs/doverton/archive/2007/02/13/windows-vista-windows-xp-office-2003-and-office-2007-action-pack-update-my-faq.aspx] 

This has been discussed lots on the aliases and in the comments on this blog, so here is what I did to do a clean install.  In Summary, the process was:

1. Boot Windows XP on the machine
2. Log in (I used an Administrator Account)
3. Insert Vista DVD
4. Start the Install
5. Type in Product Key
6. Select Advanced install
7. Select the disk and clean install
8. Wait for Install to complete  (I am not going to talk you through entering your name etc)
9. Log into Vista
10. Run the "Free up Disk Space" tool from the control panel to remove the Windows.old programs
11. If you are worried about clean installs in the future, use the backup tool to do a hard disk image backup now

In pictures, it looks like this:

 

Just to clarify a few things - yes, before you blow away your old OS, don't - you can move it to one side and then migrate any documents and then remove the old install using a tool designed to do just this.

 

Things that will lead to misery are:

1. Trying to do the install by Booting from the DVD
2. Doing an install without entering the product key (yes, you can do this) as when it comes to activate, it will fail as the product key required a Windows XP OS to install from
3. Trying to work around the WGA checks
4. Formatting the Old Windows Off the machine before doing the upgrade

If you need to build a short term VPC for test of Demo use then simply do not enter a product key and you get a version you can use for a short time without issue.  If you need a longer term demonstration system then order the Demonstration Toolkit at windows vista demo readiness toolkit - last time I checked it was still showing a RC build, but expect this to change very soon.

ttfn

David

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Posted Fri, Jan 26 2007 8:53 PM by David Overton