Contrary to Microsoft's original intention, if you're stuck without a previous edition of Windows and just want a clean install of Vista -- and you are holding but an upgrade to Vista -- you can now do just that.
Yep, Microsoft slipped on this one.
An option offered by previous upgrade editions of Windows is that Microsoft allowed you a clean install -- that is, without having to first install an older version. The installer did, however, check if you owned an older version of Windows.
The way in which the upgrade CD verified this was to request the aging install CD. Once the installer was satisfied, you popped in the newer Windows CD and all was blissfully peaceful in the land.
With Vista coming screaming into the world, Microsoft was apparently intent on smashing that serenity. You see, it required that you have an existing Windows install on the system in which you intend to install Vista.
Don't have an existing install? According to Microsoft's Knowledge Base, when you attempt to install Windows Vista with your legitimately-acquired upgrade key, "you will be blocked from continuing."
Its solution to this? Well, it says you can take your pick of two; you can either spend more money on another product license -- a full one this time, you silly git -- or start the upgrade installation from within an existing install of Windows 2000, Windows XP, or even Vista itself.
This was supposed to mean that you can no longer perform a clean install with the upgrade CD/DVD of the latest version of Windows.
Or so it seemed up until not a full day ago, for there is a third option.
In a twist of fate, the likes of which Microsoft must be rather miffed, the Vista upgrade can, indeed, perform a shiny clean install without requiring anything else but itself.
The lads over at DailyTech ( http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5932 ) discovered that you first must install Vista with the upgrade media without using a license key -- this installs the 30-day trial. Once you're in here, you can initiate the actual install, or 'upgrade' as the kids call it, and this will accept your upgrade key.
It's not quite a clean install, but it's a handy trick to have up the sleeve, nonetheless.
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