Workaround discovered for clean install with Vista upgrade dvd

Microsoft internal documentation reveals workaround for Vista Upgrade DVDs with no need for a previous version of Windows

Per Microsoft’s new licensing requirements for Vista, users are required to install a Windows Vista Upgrade from with Windows Xp. When this occurs, the Windows XP license is forfeited and the Windows Vista installation process can take place.

Now, however, this workaround allows users to perform a “clean install.” The process is a bit tedious, but is not hard are all to complete. Users have to perform these simple steps to perform a clean install of Vista without a previous version of Windows installed with an upgrade DVD:

1. Boot from the Windows Vista Upgrade DVD and start the setup program.
   
2. 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.
   
3. When prompted, select the edition of Vista which you have purchased and continue with setup.
   
4. 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.
   
5. This time, type in your product key when prompted.
   
6. 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.
   
7. 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.
   

Windows NT Backup – Restore Utility

This download is a utility that runs on Windows Vista and Windows Server Codename “Longhorn” to restore older backups, made using the “NT Backup” application on Windows XP or Windows Server 2003. NT Backup has been replaced in Windows Vista or Windows Server Codename “Longhorn” with different applications, which are not compatible with the .bkf files that NT Backup created.

You can use this utility if you made a backup using an older version of Windows, and now want to restore files from that backup on to a computer running Windows Vista or Windows Server Codename “Longhorn”. The utility requires that you also enable the Removable Storage Manager feature.

Get it here.

VirtualBox goes open source

InnoTek VirtualBox is a family of powerful x86 virtualization products for enterprise as well as home use. Not only is VirtualBox an extremely feature rich, high performance product for enterprise customers, it is also the only professional solution that is freely available as Open Source Software under the terms of the GNU Public License (GPL).

Get it here.