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I am going to try vista on another computer. I have read numerous articles on just getting the upgrade and using that instead of the full version. I have not read much about it lately and was wondering what people were doing. Please respond only if you have tried the upgrade process. Thanks.

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Short summary: for a brand-new PC the upgrade SKU is often the least convenient choice unless there is a qualifying Windows license already tied to that machine. and raised useful practical points about preparing hardware and preferring a clean install; the following expands on licensing, installation pitfalls, and longer-term advice that is not covered in the existing replies.

Licensing and purchase path: retail (full) and OEM (system) copies are intended for blank/new builds. Retail keys are transferable; OEM keys are normally bound to the first motherboard they are installed on. Upgrade SKUs require a qualifying prior Windows license and can create activation and legal ambiguity on a fresh system. The cleanest route for a new build is a full retail or OEM product; use upgrade media only if the qualifying OS truly exists and the license terms are met.

Installation and hardware notes (new-build specifics): confirm motherboard firmware mode — many modern boards are UEFI-only while Vista has limited UEFI/GPT support. If using SATA controllers in AHCI or RAID modes, obtain the vendor storage/network drivers before starting the installer so that the installer can see the target disk or NIC. If planning RAID 0 (striping) for speed as mentioned, document a tested backup plan: striping increases failure risk and complicates recovery. After a successful fresh install, capture a disk image so future reinstalls take minutes rather than hours.

Long-term viability and testing: Vista is end-of-life and no longer receives security updates; consider newer Windows versions for internet-connected machines. For legacy-only needs, run Vista in a virtual machine or isolate it from networks to reduce exposure. Microsoft lifecycle details are available here: Windows Vista lifecycle.

These points bridge the short-term installer choices and the longer-term operational risks that matter for any new build.

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Member Avatar for binoj_daniel

I have been testing Vista as part of the Beta Testing team. Since the RC1 release they have really improved a lot.
You can defintelty try to install a clean install without going for an inplace upgrade.

A word of caution: make a list of all the device drivers and apps installed. so that you can search compatible drivers. Also i owuld suggest you to download some important device drivers before installing vista as you might not be able to get on to internet without proper vista compatible. Most geenric devices will be installed automatically by the OS. But dont take a chance as it depends on the H/W manufatures is they have release any updates for vista or not.

Member Avatar for az49er

I definately believe that a new install is the better way to go. Yes, it's fun getting all the new drivers installed for your software, but sometimes it's better to just clean it up, and start over. Vista takes a lot of space and it's good to save some space by getting rid of unused software. It's amazing about how many programs you accumulate and don't use. I had about 50 on my machine, and after the new install, only reinstalled about 20.............
In all fairness, I also went to new disks for more speed useing ATA and two discs together in something call "Stripe". Really fast

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