Cheap Vista for everyone - how to
section: windows, for your questions: KezNews forum, 12.2.2007
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!
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.
View:
KezNews Discussion - Cheap Vista for everyone - how tosource: instantvista.com, theregister.co.uk
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Comments(30)
vista download via torrent will suffice with the timestopper crack applied.
r u sure?
lol! somebody is already examining your files on your hd because of the lack of updates.
did you actually buy it ?
then that'd bring ultimate down to $250, about what i think a legit retail copy max.
has anyone confirmed that this would work? i'm thinking about simply buying a home premium system and the
upgrade version is a lot cheaper and i don't need ultimate. would rather have an authorized copy of home
premium but want to do a clean install but still pay for upgrade.
haah...that's stupid but any way...
why is it stupid? unless you think a more stable crack/hack is going to come out that will be upgradeable i
don't mind putting down around 70 bucks for a home premium upgrade. i just don't have xp installed anymore
and would rather not install it so that's why i asked if this works well...
why, can you see my hdd files :-)
all the 'cracks' or 'patches' out there do not work properly.
i have no problem: i have an
activated copy of vista - msdnaa (college)
hell, yesterday i received a 2nd product key!!! :d
you dumb goats, eventually you'll need a key anyway, the free keys a re no more available, like they were
before, so start saving your money, bheeeeeeeeee, bheeeeeee, dumb goats
i downloaded the rtm version and installed without a key,and installed the ultimate version.
i use a
stoptimer and it's on 30 day for alsmost 9 days now....
regards
can sum one tell me y the oem is cheaper then the upgrade??????
because the oem version comes without the fancy dvd covers and without telephone support if im not mistaken.
look for ultimate sb - version, i think i have seen it for 175$ as full version :d
yesterday i was in an electronic market and looked to the comuter. on most of them was the windows vista key.
i wrote it down and install the vista prem with this key. i had to activate by call. it was no problem. now i
have a activate vista prem.
i've tried this...waste of time ...
wait until that computer is sold, and the owner activates, he will have the proof of purchase "not you" and
ms will activate his copy and will kill your system.via bad key..to limited use. actually more than 1 has
refused to boot into vista...the stoptimer is best for pirates to use..
be careful..they have your phone
number, name ip #..etc etc
ill just wait a year or so till all the bugs are out and the vista sp2 is on the disk when u buy it hahahaha
bugs bugs bugs there in there its windows duh
people you want to get software that costs hundreds of dollars for free? you have got to be kidding. it
doesn't work that way, why should i give something and get nothing in return?
@ snuffy
you could steal the key then sell it on ebay. that way no one can blame you... and with
the money buy a legit copy.
you're all termites
you dumb pakis, get a damn job and buy the damn vista, instead of asking retarded
questions or looking for images of your moms with a dildo up their ass
all of your retarded goofs have no idea what to do with those files that you download let
alone properly installing the soft., this stuff wasn't made for dumb n-i-g-gas like
yourselves, can't you f-u-c-k-in see it
if you are willing to pay for a key email me at barin25@hotmail.com
i'm selling vista keys too. (1 ultimate, 6 home premium and 2 business). email me at
hwh1226@hotmail.com.
you can also get a vista keys for free too. all you have
to do is to share you rapidshare premium account with me. (the accounts can't be
temporary.)
wait and see
need production key
if your system got fu^cked up by rogueremover, here is what i did to fix it,
i
ended up hiding my partition with all my important stuff on it
(using hirens boot cd
8.8 and paragon partition manager) ,
then remove assigned drive letter, and then did
a full destroy and
recover to factory specs., then after everything was back,
i used paragon partition manager again to assign drive letter
then unhide my
valuable partition.
do not make the same mistake, do not install rogueremover,
it damages your boot sector and that will make it impossible to
recover
unless you do the steps that i mentioned here.
i will raise my voice on their forums
from now on,
because this was such a bad headacke.
if you want a cheap version of vista, just buy the oem version, it's legal and cheap.
hi, i'm a registered user of vista rc 2. time for testing runs out january 2007. can i
made it a working version by entering an other key ?
greetings zo all.
No Thank You...
By MM on 12.02.2007 - 21:02