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Vista Upgrades Require Presence of Old OS

Posted by kdawson on from the recovery?-disaster dept.

kapaopango writes "Ars Technica is reporting that upgrade versions of Windows Vista Home Basic, Premium, and Starter Edition cannot be installed on a PC unless Windows XP or Windows 2000 is already installed. This is a change from previous versions of Windows, which only required a valid license key. This change has the potential to make disaster recovery very tedious. The article says: 'For its part, Microsoft seems to be confident that the Vista repair process should be sufficient to solve any problems with the OS, since otherwise the only option for disaster recovery in the absence of backups would be to wipe a machine, install XP, and then upgrade to Vista. This will certainly make disaster recovery a more irritating experience.'"

24 of 561 comments (clear)

  1. And the problem is? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    I thought Windows Vista was the most stable and secure version of Windows ever! Surely there will be no need for disaster recovery!?

    1. Re:And the problem is? by Andrew+Kismet · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'm sure that the band will play on as Microsoft's Titanic sinks, too.

    2. Re:And the problem is? by Mad+Merlin · · Score: 3, Funny

      You mean a disaster like having Windows installed on a computer? A good way to solve that disaster starts here.

      --
      Game! - Where the stick is mightier than the sword!
    3. Re:And the problem is? by Basehart · · Score: 5, Funny

      Iceberg, Penguin, it's all the same.

    4. Re:And the problem is? by Pxtl · · Score: 2, Funny

      Heheh, I thought I was the only one with one of those. It was nasty when I realized that (long, long after the original install), since there was no way in hell I was going to find my old win3.1 install disks when I needed to wipe-and-repave it.

      On the other hand, it came with a cool hovercar game.

  2. what part of upgrade do you not understand ? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny


    upgrade has never meant install from clean hence the price differential

    tagged with moran

  3. Screw Upgrading by Frogbert · · Score: 4, Funny

    Screw Upgrading, I finally have the hardware to allow my Windows XP install to boot as fast as my Amiga used to.

  4. Re:How long? by obeythefist · · Score: 3, Funny

    With the marketshare Microsoft has they can require people to sacrifice their first born (which I'll do before Vista gets on MY systems)

    Man, you must want Vista *real* bad. Or you just hate your firstborn?

    --
    I am government man, come from the government. The government has sent me. -- G.I.R.
  5. I love it by rolyatknarf · · Score: 3, Funny

    I love Microsoft. I don't care how difficult they make make it for me. I will pay as much as they demand to get Vista. I will do anything they ask. You must all realize that it is not just an operating system - it is GOD. It is the only reason to live. It is more important than air, food and water. Without Microsoft there is simply no meaning to life.

    Now just be quiet and send them money.

  6. Well, I'm not the first by Klowner · · Score: 2, Funny

    But I think I speak for everyone when I say, boy oh boy, I can barely wait until Tuesday to get my $300-something Windows Vista Ultimate Bill Gates Limited Edition... ...BAHAHAHAhahahahahaahahahahahahahahaahaha

  7. huh? by macadamia_harold · · Score: 4, Funny

    Microsoft is crippling Windows and making life harder for their customers? Good. I welcome this change

    what do you mean "change"?

    --
    Push Button, Receive Bacon
  8. Practical joke? by Raven42rac · · Score: 4, Funny

    This OS must be some sort of practical joke just to get all of us talking about it. No company that respects its customers... oh wait, nevermind.

    --
    I hate sigs.
  9. Microsoft seems to be confident that the Vista rep by skelator2821 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Microsoft seems to be confident that the Vista repair process should be sufficient to solve any problems with the OS Hahaahahaha I didnt know Format was a Repair Process?

  10. Re:"Backup" Utility by Jeremiah+Cornelius · · Score: 3, Funny

    Who'd want to back that up? :-)

    --
    "Flyin' in just a sweet place,
    Never been known to fail..."
  11. Re:Fuck that! by cpt+kangarooski · · Score: 5, Funny

    Bill Gates can go attempt asexual reproduction if he thinks I'm going to run through two installs just to get one O/S working.

    Attempt? Bill Gates can undergo mitosis at will. Didn't you know that? It's one of the creepier things about him.

    --
    -- This and all my posts are in the public domain. I am a lawyer. I am not your lawyer, and this is not legal advice.
  12. Re:Microsoft seems to be confident that the Vista by wizzahd · · Score: 2, Funny

    I can see why they're confident: the upgrade from Windows 95 to Windows 98 was so easy and problem free!

  13. Re:Are you surprised? by CompMD · · Score: 2, Funny

    No thanks, I'm not that into Pokemon.

  14. Dum-bee badum-bee by Jesus_666 · · Score: 4, Funny

    You think so? Let me tell you a little story:

    I was writing a paper, on Vista. Then suddenly the computer was like "beepbeepbeepbeepbeep" and I was like: "...huh?" And then like, half of my paper was gone. It was a really good paper. And I had to write it again and I had to do it fast so it wasn't as good, which is kind of... a bummer.
    My name is Jesus_666 and I'm a student.

    --
    USE HOT GRITS WITH STATUE OF NATALIE PORTMAN (NAKED AND PETRIFIED)
    1. Re:Dum-bee badum-bee by bmo · · Score: 2, Funny

      "You guys get a lot of spam? Email?

      It's unstoppable

      I opened one, it's so embarassing. I opened one of those bad ones. It was so weird. I swear I knew it was XXX I swear I did. It said on it...it said on it "Riga Girls Go Like This" and I said "Riga girls go like this? That's the email?" So I clicked on it, and it was like springtime on my screen *poof! poof! poof! poof!* I had like 15 things open and my computer just crashed. I was like "niiiice, nice" curiosity killed my computer. So we wrote this song about that... "

      -Steve Tannen
      So since Microsoft recommends nuking from orbit as the solution to malware (format and reinstall), this means that all upgrade versions aren't valid after the first wipe? Ahahahahahah.... Go ahead, Microsoft, squeeze your customers. Frustrate them. Madden them. Drive them completely 'round the bend. OS/X and Linux are waiting.

      --
      BMO

      "It's just a little bit of snake oil; tinfoil. It takes so little charm to keep you hangin' on" - The Weepies "Riga Girls"
  15. Re:Microsoft seems to be confident that the Vista by Mythrix · · Score: 3, Funny

    Format usually repairs your OS, losing things like your documents, photos and e-mails is just collateral damage.

  16. Re:thank u bill by rbanffy · · Score: 2, Funny

    Since so many laws call for "reasonable effort" and use similar wording, can someone call using something like Windows a reasonable effort to stay secure and/or avoid data loss/theft?

    Specially since there are some reasonably easy to use alternatives?

    --
    http://www.dieblinkenlights.com
  17. Re:Microsoft seems to be confident that the Vista by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    maybe you should check "don't format the partition" instead then?

  18. Re:thank u bill by Serengeti · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Is Microsoft just running down a list of crappy things to do that make me dislike Vista even less?"

    That is, actually, what they're trying to do. Unfortunately for them, most of their decisions have made you dislike them more.

  19. Re:How does it compare to OS X? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    You're not a real Mac user if you don't buy a new Mac each time.