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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.'"

13 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 Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      I wish: - I didn't waste today's mod points - There was a +1 sarcasm tag

    2. Re:And the problem is? by Jessta · · Score: 5, Insightful

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

      It is. It's better than all other versions of Windows. But that doesn't make is stable or secure.

      --
      ...and that is all I have to say about that.
      http://jessta.id.au
    3. Re:And the problem is? by Basehart · · Score: 5, Funny

      Iceberg, Penguin, it's all the same.

  2. Are you surprised? by alshithead · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Respectfully...So? This isn't really surprising. MS has always tried to have UPGRADE versions require a previous MS OS already installed. Their allowing you to use a CD key from a previous OS version to do a fresh install of the new was somewhat of a kindness on their part. It is an UPGRADE version. If this is a pain in the ass, then buy a full version. Better yet...go Ubuntu.

    --
    I reserve the right to think for myself. Others' opinions are optional. Puppy on lap = typos...not illiteracy.
  3. Are you kidding me? by Ancil · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This will certainly make disaster recovery a more irritating experience.
    If your idea of disaster recovery is to install the OS from scratch, I hope to hell you don't work in my company's IT department.
  4. "Backup" Utility by Philip+K+Dickhead · · Score: 5, Informative

    The newly supplied "backup" utility is incompatible with the .bkf file format, which goes back to 1993, and worse yet - it cannot operate in Safe Mode. Many times when trying to restore an inoperable system, Safe Mode is the only available way to access the system!

    Vista - a glossy step backwards.

    --
    "Speaking the Truth in times of universal deceit is a revolutionary act." -- George Orwell
  5. Re:How long? by theurge14 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I believe you underestimate what Windows users are willing to put up with.

  6. Fuck that! by Robber+Baron · · Score: 5, Insightful

    There are multiple options.
    1) Buy an upgrade version that requires a previous OS version to already be installed.
    2) Buy the full version to install however the hell you want.
    3) Use an alternate OS other than MS. Fuck that! I'll be using option 4:

    4) Download a cracked version and install it instead.

    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.

    --

    You're using her as bait, Master!

    1. 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.
  7. They Had To Discuss This At Microsoft by NeverVotedBush · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Somebody made a conscious decision to do it this way. You have to wonder what they were thinking.

    "We're Microsoft and we can do as we damn well please because few of our customers know they have options?"

    I do wish that more people would move to Linux and/or that Apple would port their OSX to PCs. (which I believe Apple has expressed no or little interest) If Microsoft had more real competition, they wouldn't be so smug and willing to hang their own customers by the short and curlies.

  8. 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?

  9. Re:How long? by cheater512 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Oh they dont put up with it. They just dont know there is a alternative.

    From what they hear, Linux is a OS for hippies which only geeks who live in their parent's basements can use.