Vista Hands On #4: Clean install with an upgrade key
I've been reading
the breathless reports this week about the "Vista upgrade loophole." Most of it is typical echo-chamber stuff, and most of the reports I've read so far have gotten the basic facts wrong.
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19.2.2007 Vista upgrade invalidates your XP key
If you choose to purchase an upgrade version of Windows Vista to upgrade XP, you will no longer be able to use that version of XP.
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30.1.2007 Workaround Discovered For "Clean Install" With Vista Upgrade DVDs
DailyTech has posted a 7-step workaround courtesy of Paul Thurrott (via Microsoft internal documents) on how to perform a clean install with a Windows Vista Upgrade DVD.
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31.1.2007 The Product Key Is Not Valid Or 0xC004F061 Activation Error On Windows 7 Upgrade
When installing and upgrading to Windows 7 from previous version of operating system such as Windows XP and Windows Vista with an upgrade license, media (either Windows 7 ISO image or DVD disc) and product key, the following error message may be displayed when entering the serial key during setup.
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3.11.2009 Retrieve CD Key/Product Key From Windows Registry with Product Key Finder
You must keep CD Key/Product key of any software or application at handy place since you may not know when you will need that key again.
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9.7.2009 Fresh UI 7.93
Fresh UI is a fresh solution for configuring and optimizing Windows. Loaded with hundreds of useful hidden settings in Windows XP/2000/NT/ 98/95/Me, this software covers the customizing and optimizing techniques that you'll be glad to know, such as:
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16.10.2007 Fresh Release of Windows XP SP3 RTM
Service Pack 3 for the Windows client was released to manufacturing on April 21, 2008, and made generally available for download on May 6.
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19.11.2008 Windows 7 E Full Version at Upgrade Prices, but No Upgrade SKU
With a new edition of Windows 7 tailored especially for Europe, Microsoft revealed that with this release of its Windows client, it was doing things differentially.
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25.6.2009 Windows 7 Product Key Checker to Verify Windows 7 Product Key
Windows 7 official release is set on October 23 and soon you will be able buy your own copy of Windows 7.
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9.9.2009 Press any key
Cheapest USB key
How to Install Windows Vista
For people with access to the Vista betas through MSDN, there is an installation guide.
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How to install another OS on your PS3
Who'll get the last laugh now? They said the PS3 sucks, is late, is too expensive, isn't worth it, isn't a bargain. Well, look at it now! It's shaping up to be something worth its weight in news.
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13.11.2006 Microsoft Product Key Finder 1.0
In past we have covered product key finder, produkey & winguggle to recover product key of windows and several other installed softwares.
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6.8.2009 Change Office 2007 Product Key
When Office 2007 was RTM'ed and downloadable on MSDN I used Office Professional 2007. For my new course, SharePoint BI, which I'm writing at the moment I needed InfoPath as well.
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1.1.2007 Creating A Bootable WinPE 2.0 USB Key
Windows Preinstallation Environment (PE) 2.0 is a slimed down version of Windows (hence all the MiniNT references) that used to be the exclusive domain of OEM's providers.
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7.2.2007 Intel waiting for key update before going Vista
If it's not good enough for Intel, is it good enough for you? We're talking Microsoft's Windows Vista, which the chip giant's CEO, Paul Otellini, this week indicated has not won the backing of his technology experts.
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7.3.2007 Windows Key Enterprise v7.9.2141
Thanks to FireStorm for this download. Windows Key is a program to reset Windows security if Administrator password, secure boot password or key disk is lost.
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24.4.2007 How-To receive a valid Windows 7 beta key
Because of the overloaded Microsoft servers it can be hard to get a valid key. To get a valid key the fastest just follow these simple step. Thanks to scaramonga.
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11.1.2009 Install multiple versions of IE on your PC
Ever wanted to test your website in various versions of Internet Explorer?
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10.12.2006 How to Install and Enable DreamScene in Windows 7
Windows DreamScene, a feature which allows a video clip, movie show, slideshow or animated image and picture to be set as the desktop background in Windows Vista has been removed in Windows 7, in favor of Desktop Slideshow wallpaper auto rotator. Although Windows 7 no longer supports DreamScane, the DreamScene function can still be manually added and installed into Windows 7 with a little hack in order to turn on and enable the DreamScene support in Windows7.
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13.1.2009 Microsoft: How to install a browser on Windows 7 E
Microsoft have created a guidance page on the Windows 7 part of their website, detailing how users should go about installing a browser on Windows 7 E – the main version of Windows that will ship in the UK, that comes without a browser.
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15.7.2009 How to Install Chrome OS in Windows 7
Google unveiled Chrome OS in an event yesterday where they demonstrated the upcoming cloud-based OS for the first time in public. Source code of Chrome OS was also released which folks over at gdgt have compiled in a ready-to-install .vmdk file.
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20.11.2009 Microsoft releases key Vista developer technologies
Microsoft on Wednesday gave developers access to a key piece of Windows Vista, months ahead of the operating system's release.
The company posted near-final versions of two software development technologies that are part of WinFX, the underlying programming model being introduced with Vista, which is slated to ship late this year.
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20.1.2006 XP: Get Updates No Matter What or Change your Product Key
If your windows installation has issues, or for some other unmentionable reason is unable to get updates from the windows server, this is what you need to do.
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27.3.2006 Microsoft Cuts Key Features From Viridian Hypervisor
As it races to catch up to VMware and Xen rivals, Microsoft has made a tough call and decided to cut key management features out of its planned "Viridian" virtualization hypervisor for the next Windows server.
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11.5.2007 Vista License and Product Key Terminology Part 1
First part of mini serial of articles about Vista Licensing from
Steve Jobs blog.
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4.6.2007 Vista License and Product Key Terminology Part 2
Second part of mini serial of articles about Vista Licensing from
Steve Jobs blog.
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7.6.2007 Vista License and Product Key Terminology Part 3
Next part of mini serial of articles about Vista Licensing from
Steve Jobs blog - Vista Certificate of Authenticity (COA).
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Vista License and Product Key Terminology Part 4
Next article about Vista Licensing from
Steve Jobs blog - this is about Microsoft Product Activation (MPA).
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16.6.2007Windows 7 upgrade chart available
Microsoft has made available the official Windows 7 Upgrade chart, via allthingsd which indicates which previous versions of Windows are available for
an in-place upgrade to Windows 7, and to which version they can upgrade. You can view the chart below: As you can see from just a glance at the
chart, it's relatively confusing. Windows 7 offers no direct upgrade path from XP, which was announced very early on in the Windows 7 development
life cycle. Very specific upgrade paths from other versions of Windows Vista exist also. You can perform a "Custom Install" which is pretty much a
clean install, but you have the option to install Windows 7 to another disk without overwriting data.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
10.08.2009Workaround Discovered For "Clean Install" With Vista Upgrade
DailyTech has posted a 7-step
workaround courtesy of Paul
Thurrott (via Microsoft
internal documents) on how to
perform a clean install with a
Windows Vista Upgrade DVD. Per
Microsoft's new licensing
requirements for Vista, users
are required to install a
Windows Vista Upgrade from
within Windows XP and to make
matters worse, the Windows XP
license is forfeited. The
process may be tedious, but
few will argue when they
compare the price differences
between the upgrade and retail
versions. Here we go:
- Boot from the
Windows Vista Upgrade DVD and
start the setup
program.
- When prompted
to enter your product key, DO
NOT enter it. Click "Next"
and proceed with setup. This
will install Windows Vista as
a 30-day trial.
- When
prompted, select the edition
of Vista which you have
purchased and continue with
setup.
- Once setup has
been completed and you have
been brought to the desktop
for the first time, run the
install program from within
Windows Vista.
- This
time, type in your product key
when prompted.
- When
asked whether to perform an
Upgrade or Custom (advanced)
install, choose Custom
(advanced) to perform a clean
install of Vista. Yes, this
means that you will have to
install Vista for a second
time.
- Once setup has
completed for the second time,
you should be able to activate
Windows Vista normally. You
can also delete the
Windows.old directory which
contains information from the
first Vista
install.
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31.01.2007Windows Anytime Upgrade: Digital Distribution To End
Microsoft had this to say on its website: "In an effort to streamline the Windows Anytime Upgrade experience for our customers and open the program
to additional markets worldwide, Microsoft and its partners have decided to end digital product key distribution on February 20, 2008."
With Windows Anytime Upgrade, customers could upgrade to another version of Vista by purchasing a digital product key. Microsoft has now decided to
stop distributing product keys online. Those who now want to upgrade, will have to buy a Windows Anytime Upgrade Kit from a local retailer or from
Microsoft.
Read full
story.....
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11.02.2008Microsoft: Clean installs from "upgrade media" is pirating
Late last week, Microsoft published a post on the Microsoft SMB community blog announcing that using any "hack" to install Windows 7 from upgrade
media is not necessarily "legal" - and that users do not own the rights to perform such installs from upgrade media using this process. If
you're an owner of upgrade media, then you've probably experienced the painful migration process that the upgrade process tries to force you
through - if you're using XP it requires you to boot to an existing Windows installation, use Windows easy transfer to backup your information,
then will allow you to complete a "clean install" if it detects a partition with a previous, licensed copy of Windows installed.
Read full story.....
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02.11.2009Microsoft: Windows XP to Windows 7 upgrade possible
Microsoft has confirmed that customers can purchase upgrade media and an upgrade license at a discounted price to move from Windows XP to Windows 7.
However, customers need to do a clean installation of Windows 7. The pricing details of XP upgrade licenses are not yet known. An operating system
upgrade offers users the option of choosing between in-place upgrades, with installed applications & data in-place in the machine and a fresh
installation which overwrites the hard drive's contents. By eliminating in-place upgrades, users can have a reliable installation after backing up
all their data and applications.
Read full story.....
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04.02.2009Fresh Windows Mobile 6.5 screenshots
Mobile World Congress is not far away and we have had already many screenshots of Windows Mobile 6.5 leak. Except for the new Honeycomb interface, the
screenshots didn't look that good. pocketpc.ch have managed to install the latest Windows Mobile 6.5 in HTC Touch HD and have provided with some
high-quality screenshots which certainly looks better than the previous ones leaked. Enjoy these screenshots for now without that (cute) bird in the
background!
Read full story.....
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13.02.2009Top Ten Vista Tips: Video, Display, and Software Problems Solved!
This holiday week we've got 10 Windows Vista Blasts from the Past for you to savor, enjoy!
Boot manager for Windows Vista and Windows MCE? I
have a system with TWO hard drives installed. One has MCE and the second has Vista. I would like to get a boot manager that will allow me to pick one
at boot without having to access the BIOS or innards of the machine. Any suggestions?
Can I upgrade 32 Bit Windows XP to 64 Bit Windows Vista? The real question is can I buy the 64 bit upgrade version and be able to apply it to my current 32 bit Windows XP? Or do I have to buy the more
expensive new install 64 bit version and do a fresh install, thus losing all my precious Windows stuff?
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22.11.2007Microsoft Closes Vista Upgrade Loophole
Many computer users prefer to
install their operating system
"clean" by simply
using their old Windows disc
to verify they own a copy of
the software. However, that
appears to no longer be
possible using an Upgrade
version of Windows Vista...
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30.01.2007Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade retail boxing revealed
AeroXperience's Bryant Zadegan has got his hands on an exclusive look at the Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade retail boxing. Those who are familiar with
the Windows Vista Anytime Upgrade will remember that it was only pushed online, but Zadegan says that "Microsoft will indeed be pushing Anytime
Upgrade through retail channels." On Tuesday, Microsoft unveiled the final design for the regular retail box. The anytime upgrade boxes are the same
shape and design as the full version or regular upgrade boxes, except slightly smaller since they just contain a product key used to migrate Windows 7
from Home Premium to Professional or Ultimate from within the Windows 7 control panel. More images are available over at the AeroXperience Blog.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
26.06.2009Vista upgrade invalidates your XP key
If you choose to purchase an
upgrade version of Windows
Vista to upgrade XP, you will
no longer be able to use that
version of XP. Either on
another system, or as a
dual-boot option. The key will
be invalidated, preventing
activation.
From
Vista's EULA found
here
(PDF) :
13.
UPGRADES. To use upgrade
software, you must first be
licensed for the software that
is eligiblefor the upgrade.
Upon upgrade, this agreement
takes the place of the
agreement for the software you
upgraded from. After you
upgrade, you may no longer use
the software you upgraded
from.
neowin.net -
30.01.2007Windows "Longhorn" Server February CTP Now Available
The English-only February 2007
Community Technology Preview
of Windows Server "Longhorn"
(build 6001-16461-070209-1510)
has been released. Beta
testers are asked to use a key
from the key package "Beta 2
Enterprise Server (v.5384). A
clean install is necessary
since there is no upgrade
support included. Windows
Firewall Client is now turned
on by default during the
install process. For those in
the program, please navigate
to the
Microsoft
Connect website to
download the latest
release.
Note :
This is NOT Beta 3, although
that build is on its way.
neowin.net -
20.02.2007Win 7 Anytime Upgrade prices announced, EU & UK ripped off
Microsoft today unveiled pricing for Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU) and the Windows 7 Family Pack. Windows Anytime Uprade WAU allows users who
purchase machines with Home Premium or Starter to move up to a higher edition of Windows 7. After Windows 7 is released to market on October 22nd,
you will be able to buy a retail package that contains an upgrade key from retail outlets.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
31.07.2009Simple guide to test Vista SP1 RC1 on a separate partition
Long Zheng: A couple of people, dozen at max, have expressed interest in testing out the
soon-to-be-public Windows Vista Service Pack 1 Release Candidate release. There are many ways of installing and testing
operating systems and even more so service packs so it can be rather confusing and cumbersome experience for some people out there. Out of all the
possibilities, I do myself and recommend everyone to always start fresh, but that doesnt always mean from the command prompt.
Whilst release candidate will be a very good representation of the final product early next year, it still means youll have to forfeit this
release sooner or later so it is not recommended you replace your existing Windows installation with it. Especially with all the problems people have
been running into uninstalling their service pack betas which itself sounds like a really bad idea anyway, its ideal to set up a fresh install. And
the most convenient fresh install is on a separate partition on existing disks.
Formerly the process of splitting a partition
involved third-party software which is time-consuming and sometimes unreliable, however a less-known disk management function in Windows Vista will
simplify all that.
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10.12.2007Vista 'Trick' Theorist Defends Loophole Claims
The Windows expert who originally speculated that Microsoft deliberately included a 'trick' in Windows Vista that lets users install the OS from the
upgrade version on Wednesday defended his position.
Earlier this month, the Windows Secrets newsletter reiterated claims it made
last year that Microsoft is aware that users can clean install the fully functional, but cheaper upgrade edition of Vista on any machine, but doesn't
want to actually stop them.
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17.04.2008Upgrade to Windows Live Messenger 8.5 is coming
Back in November we shipped the final version of Windows Live Messenger 8.5 along with several other Windows Live applications and services. A lot of
you have already upgraded, and for that we thank you and hope you?re enjoying it as much as we enjoyed building it. Starting soon, we?re going to make
it easier for those of you who haven?t upgraded yet to get onto our latest and greatest.
This will happen in two phases. First, everyone
running Windows XP or Windows Vista will get a prompt encouraging you to upgrade. When you accept the upgrade, the new unified installer will launch
and start upgrading Messenger. While it?s installing, you?ll have the option to download and install other Windows Live applications. You don?t have
to take any of them, but we think you?ll like them and hope you?ll give them a try.
Click Read More to view the rest of
this article.
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22.02.2008Official Way to Use Vista without Activation 120 Days
Official Way to Install and
Use Windows Vista without
Activation for Free for 120
Days
By default,
Windows Vista can be
installed, used and run
without any license, product
key or the need of activation
for 30 days grace period, for
purpose of trial or
evaluation. Although Microsoft
initially stressed that users
should purchase a license with
valid product key before the
trial period expires, or else
Windows Vista will lock into
Reduced Functionality Mode.
However, a "rearm" method
has long since been discovered
to be able to extend, or reset
the remaining time for
activation to another fresh 30
days, for up to 3 times.
Now Microsoft has
confirmed that Windows Vista
can be used and run for 120
days or 4 months ( 3
rearms ), and extending the
activation grace period is not
a violation of the Vista End
User License Agreement (EULA).
All versions of Vista include
Windows Vista Ultimate allow a
30-day free period without
activation, except the
corporate-oriented Vista
Enterprise, which supports
only a three-day trial.
Read full story.....
neowin.net -
22.02.2007Sony limits 'Fresh Start' to certain SKUs, for now
The controversial "Fresh Start" option -- the option to pay Sony $50 to not include superfluous programs on new computers -- which was
made free after an immediate consumer backlash, may expand to more Sony units, but for now will remain with its TZ series...
betanews.com -
27.03.2008After backlash, Sony to drop $50 fee for not installing bloatware
UPDATED In response to consumer feedback on the issue, Sony will drop the added fee for "Fresh Start" beginning tomorrow. The company
was originally charging customers $50 not to pre-install trialware and other applications on their laptops...
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22.03.2008DigitalLife 2007: Fresh Images from the Show Floor
It's being called second only to CES as the most important consumer electronics show in America. BetaNews' Ed Oswald is on the floor of DigitalLife
2007 in New York City, and he's sending back fresh photos as the show goes on. See Palm's Treo Centro 500v, HP's and VoodooPC's Blackbird 002, and
the big push for HD DVD...
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28.09.2007No More Clean Installs Using Windows Vista Upgrade Discs
Although it has been discussed
to death
here,
some official coverage on the
front page is needed. Thanks
to Ambiance for
posting a
direct response from
Microsoft about the issue.
Unlike with the
Windows XP Upgrade CD, with
Windows Vista users are forced
to have a valid install of
Windows XP Home or
Professional on their machines
before upgrading with a Vista
Upgrade DVD. This typically
isn't a big deal for the
majority of users on the first
install of Vista; but think
about the necessary steps if
you already have Vista
installed or no operating
system on the computer:
- Install a
genuine copy of Windows XP
Home/Professional
- Acti
vate Windows XP through
Microsoft
- Upgrade to
Windows Vista from within
Windows XP
Either
shell out the extra cash for
the full version or be
prepared for the extended
process of installing XP, and
then Vista. Of course there is
always the OEM road, but
remember that such a copy is
limited to the computer it is
first activated on.
neowin.net -
29.01.2007
