If you aren't buying a brand new PC with Windows Vista pre-installed, there are three ways to upgrade your PC to Windows Vista:
- An 'in-place' upgrade to an earlier version of Windows. This preserves your old programs, files and settings.
- A clean installation over the top of an existing version of Windows. This erases your previous version of Windows and all of your old files, favourites and settings.
- A clean installation on a new or freshly formatted hard disk or hard disk partition, with or without a dual boot environment.
Let us say right now that we don’t recommend option 1. There are four main concerns. First, there's no way back, so if you don’t like Windows Vista or if it doesn’t perform as you expect, that's just tough. Second, there's a risk, however small, that the upgrade will fail at some point and you'll lose your data. Third, any existing problems on your PC may be carried through to your new Windows Vista set-up, potentially including viruses and spyware. And finally, your current system may well be performing at less than peak performance due to internal clutter and conflicts, and this too could affect your post-upgrade performance. There's simply nothing like a fresh, clean installation to get the best from Windows Vista – or indeed any operating system.
So which of the other options is best? Well, option 2 is fine so long as you make absolutely sure that you've backed up everything you could ever need from your old version of Windows. Windows Vista will format (wipe clean) the hard disk during installation so your data will be gone for good. You'll emerge with a pristine installation of Windows Vista that's free from the performance and security issues inherent in option 1, but you'll have to install all your old software again. We strongly recommend that you use Windows Easy Transfer, as this makes it much easier to configure your new version of Windows like the old one.
Option 3 is easier still because Windows Vista doesn’t have to delete the old version of Windows; it simply installs alongside it in a different location. If you only have one hard disk, you can either install a second disk – an easy hardware upgrade – or you can split it into two (or more) 'partitions'. A partitioned hard disk has separate sections that behave just like physically distinct hard disks. This way, you can leave your old version of Windows in one partition while installing Windows Vista cleanly in the other. You can also use your old version of Windows whenever you like simply by selecting it from a menu when you reboot.
So, we're going with option 3. However, before we get stuck in there's a point about partitioning we need to take into consideration; if your hard disk isn't already partitioned, Windows Vista can't do it for you without completely erasing your existing data – so if you've got a PC with a 100GB hard disk and you ask Vista to split it into two 50GB partitions, one for Windows XP and one for Vista, you will indeed get two 50GB partitions. Unfortunately, the Windows XP one will be empty.
There are two ways around this. You can either install a second hard disk, which removes the need for partitioning altogether, or you can invest in a third party disk-partitioning program. Norton PartitionMagic (formerly owned by PowerQuest) is one of the most established, and in our experience, reliable tools you can get, and you can find more details at www.symantec.com/en/uk. When you use it (or another, similar tool) to partition your hard disk, make sure you choose the NTFS file system option for the Windows Vista partition and not FAT32.
Guide: Installing Vista without wiping Windows XP
You can launch the Windows Vista setup routine either by accessing the DVD from within Windows XP or by booting directly from the DVD. We'll take the former approach here.
Create the partition
If you intend to install Windows Vista on a hard disk partition next to Windows XP, create the new partition now using a third party tool such as PartitionMagic. If you have a second hard disk, you don’t need to worry about this step.
PartitionMagic
Here, PartitionMagic has created a new, clean hard disk partition ready for Windows Vista to make itself at home.
Start the install
The Windows Vista DVD should auto-run in Windows XP. Click Install now from the welcome screen. Your natural reaction here, given that you don’t want to perform an over-the-top upgrade, may be one of panic, because Windows Vista isn’t asking for a location. However, this choice will come later. The Check compatibility online button links to Upgrade Advisor but you should already have run this.
The Windows Vista installer gets straight to the point.
If you haven't already run the Upgrade Advisor you can do it from this screen; otherwise, click Install Now.
Check for updates
We recommend that you allow Windows Vista to check for updates at this point. Even something as simple as a newly available device driver could make an importance difference post-installation, and enabling updates now can save a lot of time later on.
Before installation, Windows Vista can check online for updates to any essential system files. Your PC needs to be connected to the Internet for this to happen
Enter your license key
Before going any further, setup prompts you for the license key. As ever, it will take you three attempts to copy this correctly from the sticker on the DVD case. We suggest unchecking the automatic activation box just in case you immediately hit problems during the installation and need to reinstall Windows Vista - you can easily activate it once you've completed the installation.
There's no point activating Windows Vista immediately. you might not like it!
Choose how to upgrade
If you launched Windows Vista from within Windows XP, you now make your choice between an upgrade or a clean installation. Select Upgrade to replace Windows XP or select Custom to install in a separate hard disk or disk partition.
Windows Vista asks whether you want to perform an upgrade installation or a custom one. You won't see this if you boot from the Windows Vista DVD.
Parition problems
Just to illustrate the importance of formatting a new hard disk or disk partition before installing Windows Vista, here's what happens when you don't – or when the partition is formatted with the older and unsuitable FAT32 file system. No matter: you can boot from the DVD and use the Drive Options tools to format the partition with NTFS.
You'll see this message if you don't have a suitable, NTFS-formatted partition on your hard disk.
Installation issues
Again by way of illustration, here's what happens when you try to perform an upgrade but you haven’t remedied compatibility issues identified by the Upgrade Advisor. There's no way forward here, so retreat and do what you're told.
Windows Vista isn’t kidding: if it suspects trouble ahead, it simply stops.
Account setup
Those pitfalls aside, Windows Vista should now install smoothly with no further intervention from you for a while. Your PC will reboot a few times. When you see the 'press any key to boot from CD' option during a reboot, don't do this – Windows Vista has already installed the required files on the hard disk, so booting from the DVD would simply start the whole process over again.
Unlike the Windows XP setup, which seems to require your attention every few minutes, the Windows Vista installer just gets on with the job.
Where in the world
Eventually, you will be prompted to specify your regional settings – Windows Vista still defaults to US settings – and thereafter to create a user account. This is the master account that Windows Vista will use by default upon every restart.
A user-account password is optional but sensible, and should really be mandatory.
Name your computer
Now give your PC a name. This will become important if and when you connect to a network. You can also select a desktop background here, but the real customisation comes later.
Be sure to choose a name that's not already on any network that this computer will join.
Setup security
Almost there now, but first you must specify some basic security settings. We recommend that you go for the default 'use recommend settings' options, as this turns on the Windows Firewall and configures automatic updates.
Start as you mean to go on – with a secure PC. Using the recommended settings makes your system much safer.
International Settings
You'll be asked to review your international time settings and then to specify how this computer will primarily be used; your choice will control how careful Windows Vista is when connecting to other devices.
Windows Vista wants to know where you are. This is to help with your Windows networking settings, although you can adjust the Network setup.
Reboot and go
And that's that. Hit the Start button to run some final automated configuration. Your PC will reboot and, if you have upgraded Windows XP, fire up Windows Vista for the first time. Now is not the time to remember that you forgot to save files from your old Windows XP installation!
Windows Vista makes final preparations for launch.
Select an operating system
If you selected a separate hard disk or hard disk partition, you will be presented with this or a similar boot menu. 'Earlier Version of Windows' is, of course, your old Windows XP configuration, which you can run whenever you like. Use the arrow and Enter keys to make a selection.
Which windows? You can have two (or more) operating systems on the same PC, each running independently.
Brave new world
Welcome to your new-look desktop and the world of Windows Vista. Is it a wonderful world? Let's find out...
Here we go – Windows Vista is up and running, and it's displaying the Welcome Center to say hello.
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