What to do if Microsoft locks you out of Vista?
section: windows, for your questions: KezNews forum, 17.8.2007
"What to do if Microsoft locks you out of Vista?" - This is question of lot of our users in last time, so here are some advices.
scaramonga say:
1. Reinstall XP <----------RECOMMENDED!
2. Buy it! (OEM copies now sell for peanuts, so why bother with the hassle of getting locked out)
It is not so bad, but we have some better solutions for you.. :)
fattodahill say:
after that...
use paradox..you can activate without internet access...:
http://keznews.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2838
bzImage say:
Installing vista should always involve these three easy steps.
1. Install XP.
2. Setup a ultimate boot CD or BartPE of said XP.
3. CLEAN Install Vista on a drive without an existing copy of windows.
Always dual boot if it's your first time installing vista, I have been using this OS for 4 days now and still cant decide if I want to switch, all of the locked folders, having to find work arounds for security center just to disable UAC without being yelled at.
So much control has been taken away from the end user in this windows, I am actually considering server 2007 as an alternative to XP when it goes the way of windows 9x.
if you haven't been dual booting it, its a little trickier, youll need some form of access to the drive, if its ntfs the best way would be to use a UBCD or BartPE, if you can't get those and have no other machines that can burn cds, then you might have to format the drive, I have no experience installing xp over vista.
But the goal for a vista to xp install is to rename the following folders:
Boot
Documents And Settings (if this is here, try "restore previous version of windows" on the boot menu, otherwise rename or delete.)
Program Files
ProgramData
Users
Windows
Or delete them if you do not wish to access their contents later, then install xp. This will allow you to install cleanly without XP even knowing that there was a previous windows to complain about.
IF you upgraded by some magical means that an upgrade succeeded, then your best option is to just restore previous version of windows from the boot menu.
There is one final option though it will be difficult for the novice and requires a floppy drive (I am assuming you have no means of making a preinstallation environment cd) is to use a set of boot/root disks for nix that includes read/write options to an ntfs drive, allowing you to rename the directories I mentioned above.
Edit: No you cannot use recovery console from an XP cd, if only we lived in such an easy world... It will not allow you to rename all of the folders mentioned.
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Comments(14)
bollox!, stick with xp until your ready to comit yourself to a lot of problems
sells for peanuts???? what is he smoking?
it should also me posted that the oem version of vista has some extremely severe
limitations, such as not allowing you to *ever* install it on another computer. and that
includes your own upgrades.
another point i'd like to make. i actually own a legitimate copy of vista, and still
use the cracked version for the very fact of the fear of getting locked out with the pay
version. it is a huge hassle having to get it working again. yes i've had it happen to
me with xp.
ghost it.
i will never be locked out of vista because im using a pirated version.
bill gates says: you don't have to do anything. it will never happen. crab!
use deepfreeze...use deepfreeze..use deepfreeze..use deepfreeze..use deepfreeze..use
deepfreeze..use deepfreeze
i using acer aspire 5050 with ram 512..install vista ultimate with paradox activations on
c drive and xp on my d drive...so far no problem...both windows able to download & update
using windows auto update....the best part i hv validate both windows and it saying
genuine....no more night mare.....
one of my mate bought a genuine copy of vista but had to phone microsoft 3 times to get
the 16 digit unlock key ... i deleted his and put a pirated version that so far has been
working perfectly ... slick to the pirate version ... dont waste your money giving it to
mr gates..
for those who are using paradox activation it is true!!! try it!!! 100% working...
cool!!!
after 4 months of updates to my vista 64 i have finally started to count down again. i
have tried reinstalling timestopper without any luck. i hope someone can determine which
hotfix causes this to happen so myself and others can avoid it in the future.
hell. vista will lock you out even if you actually own a copy. sometimes all it takes is
updating a driver, it makes no different to wpa. its the same thing as if you installed a
new piece of hardware. it can't tell the difference.
so? i always keep most of my files in different partitions, such as my music, my games
installations etc, including an xp copy. so if that happens boot from xp and get yourself
a different realease!
Bollox!
By Graham on 18.08.2007 - 15:08