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Cheap Vista for everyone - how to

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Microsoft is running an unadvertised sale on Windows Vista. For the price of an upgrade edition requiring an existing copy of Windows, anyone can have a stand-alone version of Vista that will run on any PC.

Indeed, the upgrade editions are full versions, simply waiting to be told to install themselves regardless of what OS is currently on the system, if any. The trick is all in how you interact with the setup program.

Microsoft MVP Marc Liron was kind enough to explain the procedure in this recent article, and we merely set about duplicating his results. Which we did, with an upgrade version of Vista Home Premium, Liron's instructions worked like a charm.

In short, all you need to do is delay entering your product key and delay validating your copy of Vista online until the setup is complete. For some reason, Microsoft has decided to allow users to install first and deal with the paperwork later. Simple in theory, although the details of exactly how to do this are a bit lengthy, and we strongly recommend following Liron's step-by-step instructions linked above. But, in a nutshell, all you are doing is avoiding the traps that MS has set up to cancel the upgrade installation if an authorised version of Windows isn't already present. If you dodge those traps, you can install a Vista upgrade on any machine, and later enter your product key and validate your copy normally.

We took a PC with a valid copy of Windows XP, and nuked the XP image (always a satisfying experience for a Linux user). Then we booted from the Vista upgrade DVD, and, following Liron's instructions, got ourselves a fully operable and properly validated copy of Vista in about an hour's time, without a single misstep (again, we've confirmed this with the Home Premium upgrade only, but we have no reason to believe that the trick would not work with other editions).

So, for those of you still using Windows 98 or the ludicrous ME, or Linux, Vista just got a good deal cheaper. Would this technique also work on an Intel-powered Mac? I have no idea, but I'd guess that if you know how to re-partition your disks, and so long as there's nothing truly weird in the EFI, it ought to work. And the rEFIt Project might be able to offer assistance to anyone willing to experiment (I don't do Macs, so I'm not a candidate).

No doubt readers are wondering why Microsoft designed the Vista upgrades to be so easily installed as a free-standing OS. I'd like to answer this question, but I have nothing more than a clue. But it's an interesting clue.

I had a Windows XP Professional image on one of my computers. Now, the Vista Update Advisor recommended that I upgrade to Vista Business, but I didn't wish to. I went to the shop, looked about, and decided on the Home Premium upgrade. According to the package, Home Premium can be used on the following Windows OS's: "Windows 2000 Professional, Windows XP, or Windows Vista." That's a quote.

Follow These Windows Vista Upgrade Steps.

#1) Grab your shiny new Windows Vista "Upgrade" DVD and "boot" your PC from it.

#2) Select "Install Now" button but DO NOT enter the Product Key from the yellow sticker on the Vista packaging that holds the DVD.

Also, make sure the "Automatically activate Windows when I'm online" box has NO tick in it!

Windows Vista Upgrade Image 1

Fig 1.1 - Windows Vista Product Key Screen

In the next dialog box that appears, confirm that you really do want to install Vista without entering a Product Key.

#3) Now from the list on the next screen you must select the version of Windows Vista that you're installing: Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate.

#4) On the next screen select the "Custom" install, not the "Upgrade" install option.

Fig 1.2 - Select The Custom Option

#5) Windows Vista will now copy all the files it needs so sit back and relax for a few minutes! Please note that the PC will reboot automatically several times.

Fig 1.3 - Wait For Windows Vista To Install

At this stage of the installation DO NOT attempt to "activate" Windows Vista, that will come later. Now the installation is complete move onto the next step.

#6) We now need to install the the Vista upgrade files... To do this place the DVD in the drive again but DO NOT try to run the setup again from the DVD.

Instead logon to Windows Vista using the account you just created and from My Computer run the DVD's setup.exe program.

#7) On the screen that appears click "Install Now" but make sure that you also select "Do NOT Get The Latest Updates For Installation." - You will check for these updates lat a later time...

#8) On the next screen you CAN now enter the Product Key from the yellow sticker on the Vista DVD packaging. But make sure you TURN OFF the option "Automatically activate Windows when I'm online."

#9) Now on the next screen that appears you will need to select "Upgrade" and not "Custom" that you selected in an earlier stage...

#10) Wait while Windows Vista copies the files it needs and reboots itself, there is no action required on your part...

You will be asked to boot from the DVD - DO NOT do this!

Instead, wait a few seconds and the setup process will continue on its way. You will notice some character mode menus appear, just IGNORE them!

After a few seconds, the correct choice will run for you automatically...

#11) On the next screen to appear click the button labelled "Start", Windows Vista's login screen will then appear (this may take a few moments.)

Now just enter the username and password that you selected during the first install and you are finished upgrading to Windows Vista!

#12) All that remains is to activate Windows Vista within the next 30 days. Failure to do this will mean you will lose most functionality of Vista.

To activate Windows Vista simply click Show more details in the Welcome Center that automatically displays upon each boot-up, then click Activate Windows now.

If no Welcome Center appears, access by doing this: Start - Control Panel - System & Maintenance - System.