Anyone attempted to do a clean install using the Dell Vista Business upgrade DVD?
Yes, and it works, but there is a trick to it. First install it to a clean hard drive, but do NOT give it the product key. It will ask you which version to install. Make sure you pick Vista Business. It will install in 30-day trial mode. Do NOT activate it. Then, from Windows Vista, run the install again and this time DO give it the product key. It will recognize that it is doing a valid upgrade (Vista upgrades Vista). You can then activate it. Works just fine. Tom
This is _very_ helpful. I'm surprised that Dell doesn't document it better. Or, do they want someone to install over XP? That would be a pain, seems like it would leave a lot of junk on the system.
Tom - I tried that procedure however on the 2nd boot, it would not allow me to enter the product key code.So I clicked cancel and the system booted on up. There must be an option somewhere to del the partition, FYI, these are the procedures I tried, http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5932 On a side note, there no burner software I saw so I had Dell send me the Sonic DE version. Works fine after you install the patch from Roxio.
Tom, Bone (or anybody else) INFO Only: I have used the clean install method before several times but using the retail Upgrade version Vista Home Premium and Vista Ultimate not the Dell supplied DVD. I found that unlike other versions of windows it would not install to a clean HDD. One MB was an Intel DG965OT (similar to the Dell 520) and I was using the Intel Matrix Raid Array. Set up the array using the BIOS so had the partitions which were of course unformatted and not set active. When I fed the installation program the Raid driver diskette setup found the correct driver but told me it could not find any compatible hardware. I loaded my old Partition Magic (8) and formatted and set the partition active and all went as planned. I have had to do this on several different brands of MB. Creating the partition and setting it active was not necessary on a machine with just a standard HDD (PATA or SATA) only the machines using Raid Array. Art
Dell will not document it because it is not a valid method and not sanctioned by MS so will not/can not be sanctioned by Dell. It is something that slipped through the crack when MS was writing the setup scripts. Art
Dual boot is even easier. You need an empty partition or hard drive. Boot XP. Insert the Vista disk. When the install program runs under XP, install to the empty partition/drive. Vista will setup a dual boot menu. Only one install You HAVE to install Vista from within XP to get dual boot. There is a bug with restore points, so you're essentially running bare on restore points. I believe Barry has a work around, but I don't know it.
The second time did you run the install from WITHIN Windows? You have to. If it doesn't let you enter it, you should be able to finish the install and then it will prompt you when you activate.
Empty hard drive worked fine for me, but I used the Dell disk which, I suspect, has all the right hard drive drivers slipstreamed.
Re: "Dell will not document it because it is not a valid method and not sanctioned by MS" There is both question and ongoing debate about Microsoft's position here. Microsoft wrote the code that allows this; by some reports, it was intentional. The method has been known and publicized on the web for some time now (since about March or April). Microsoft has not commented either way. They have not said that it's invalid, neither have they given it a clean bill of health.
