Your complete guide to upgrading to Vista

Thinking of upgrading to Vista? Here’s a complete guide to buying and installing Vista on your PC!

The pre-Vista scan

The first thing I advise, before you even think of buying vista, is to download Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. It will test your system for compatibility within your hardware/programs, and will provide you with a general idea of whether this is something you want to tackle with your current system.

A quick 2 minute scan of my computer revealed that my system was capable of running Vista; although, a few compatibility issues came up. Viewing the device details, I noticed Vista had no compatibility data for my video card, network card, USB camera, and audio card (just to name a few).

This is most likely due to compatible drivers needed to run this hardware; it will be a long road for manufacturers completely updating their drivers to function properly with Vista. I’ve been down that road too many times, looking for compatible drivers on forums, message boards, and support groups, with everyone desperately seeking the same. Not to say that Vista’s generic drivers won’t be adequate, but probably won’t be 100% functional on all devices.

The scan also discovered a few minor program issues. To name one, it turns out my $120 Norton System Works CD-ROM will be a $120 coffee cup holder after the upgrade to Vista; Upgrade Advisor suggests the action required, “This program must be uninstalled before upgrading to Windows Vista. After upgrading, you will not be able to reinstall the program due to compatibility issues. For more information, go to the vendor’s website.”

Ironically, Upgrade Advisor notes that there might be minor compatibility issues with Microsoft Messenger. I’m sure this is just a glitch.

What version to purchase

Vista comes in 4 different flavors: Home Basic, Business, Home Premium, and Ultimate. We won’t be touching Vista Business;  but let’s look at the differences between the other three.

For the Home editions, you must choose between Basic and Premium; both give you plenty of new features including support for multi-core CPUs, Superfetch caching (pre-loads data into memory for quicker operation), instant searching (search files instantly while you type), speech recognition, and much more.

In terms of hardware, Home Basic is limited to 8GB of Memory in it’s 64-bit version, and Premium to 16GB. All 32-bit versions of Vista are limited to 4GB RAM; although, you won’t be needing this for some time. Home Basic is limited to one processor (don’t confuse this with duo core); meaning you can only have one physical CPU.

Premium edition allows you to edit video and create DVDs (without any 3rd party software), and comes bundled with premium games. It also boasts Windows Sideshow, a feature that  allows you to send data to remote or secondary displays.

Among some of the greater features that Premium holds over Basic are Windows Aero,  Windows Media Center, and Tablet PC functions. Windows Aero provides spectacular visual effects for your desktop. It offers a slightly transparent, futuristic looking user interface that is more responsive and manageable. Aero comes with Flip3D which allows you to cascade your programs in a three dimensional line across your desktop; navigating windows has never been so easy.

Windows Media Center, not available on Home Basic, is just a fancy interface that allows you to view all your media (including pictures) in one place. For those who are already familiar with Media Center, the new edition on Vista included enhanced support for digital and high-definition cable TV, an improved menu system, and the ability to create multi-room access to your media through Media Center Extenders (including Xbox 360).

Windows Vista Ultimate Edition includes every feature from every edition, and comes with Windows Ultimate Extras. Microsoft won’t yet disclose exactly what benefits you will receive with Ultimate Extras, but describes it as “programs, services, and tips & tricks.”

By now, you should have a pretty good idea of what version of Vista will suit your needs; however, your budget may have a different version in mind.

Vista Edition	Home Basic	Home Premium	Ultimate
Full price	$199	$239	$399
Upgrade price	$99	$159	$259

 

 

If you plan on purchasing Vista outright, your best bet would be Home Premium; with a $40 difference from Basic, you’ll be glad you did. If you must have Ultimate Vista, I would suggest sticking with XP for a while; it’s yet to be seen if Ultimate can boast enough features to justify a $400 price tag.

It should be noted, however, that Microsoft is launching a limited-time offer (Jan. 30 through June 30) for customers who buy retail copies of Vista Ultimate. The Windows Vista Family Discount will allow customers to purchase a license for two additional copies of  Home Premium for use on other PCs in your home at $50 each.

Upgrade or clean install

Upgrading Windows can save you money. If your not planning on purchasing a new PC, and your current machine can handle it, go with the upgrade.

Only certain editions of XP qualify to upgrade to certain editions of Vista, and you MUST install Vista over XP in order to qualify for the discounted upgrade price. The list is as follows:

Can I upgrade from … to … ?

Version	Home Basic	Home Premium	Ultimate
XP Home	Yes	Yes	Yes
XP Pro	No	No	Yes
XP Media Center	No	Yes	Yes
XP Tablet PC	No	No	Yes

 

 

 

 
When upgrading XP to Vista, you have 2 options: Format your disk and install fresh, or install Vista over your current version of XP. This may sound like an easy pick, but rumor has it that an “install over” is less predictable and unstable at best. There is too much that can go wrong. Your best bet is to “install over” XP to check whether everything is working correctly; if it is not, you may want to consider a clean install.

In either case, I suggest you backup your important documents and create a disk of drivers for your hardware (preferably a CD/DVD, not a flash drive). 

Identify major hardware such as your video card, sound card, display adaptors, modems, and network cards; go to their vendors websites and find out if they have drivers for Vista. If they don’t, you may want to download the latest drivers available for XP, for they may suffice until Vista drivers are available. Windows generally has good support for printers, fax machines, etc,… but you may also want to download those drivers as well. (if they are even available)

(Note: It is important to always keep a backup of your modem/network card drivers or any other means to the Internet on a backup disk; If, for some reason, Vista is unable to control your modem/network card, you’ll be out of luck when it comes time to download drivers)

If you choose to install Vista over XP, keep in mind that Vista no longer uses the “My Documents” folder; Instead, it uses a folder named “Documents.” Don’t be alarmed when it appears that all of your documents have disappeared; they’re in there.

If it’s convenient and available to you, create a disk image so you can always go back in case of emergency. If you own any partitioning software like Partition Magic, It may be beneficial to create an additional partition (logical drive) to store your image.  

At an extreme, you could consider a Dual-boot; but it’s not an easy task, and will leave you with the feeling that there is too much junk in too many places on your PC. You’ll feel good with a clean install.

Installing Vista

The Vista installation disk requires a DVD-Rom! Don’t even think about installing Vista if you don’t have one. If you plan on performing a clean install, the DVD is bootable; and requires a boot with the installation disk in your computer. To upgrade Vista from your existing OS to keep your files, you must run the setup within XP.

(Note: Some computers may need to be configured to primarily boot from a DVD drive. This can be accessed via the BIOS setup immediately after your PC is turned on; however, it is suggested that you not attempt to change any settings unless you know what you are doing and are familiar with the interface.)

If you’ve installed any version of windows in the past, you’ll notice Microsoft dropped the DOS looking, text-based interface for Vista; it is now complete with WinPE, the graphical user interface Windows pre-installation environment.

After a few general settings (time, date, etc,…) are confirmed, you’ll be prompted to enter your Product Key. This key is what differentiates the installation between any version of Vista; all Vista installation disks are exactly the same. Your unique key is what tells Vista which version to install. If you left this field blank, you  would be prompted to choose which version of Vista you would like to install and evaluate for 30 days.

You will then be prompted to choose whether you are performing a clean install or upgrading from XP, followed by the choosing of which partition (drive) you would like to install Vista on.

(Note: For advanced users, it should be mentioned that previous operating systems had to reside on a primary partition. It has been reported that Vista will allow you to install on a secondary; but you must allow the installer to format the partition first.)

Opposed to previous installations of Windows, Vista is packed on the DVD as a single image file; thereby, reducing installation times. After some files are copied to your hard drive and a couple reboots later, you’ll be prompted with a wizard that will walk you through the final steps of installation; not to mention you’ll be staring face to face with the elegantly improved Vista desktop!

The aftermath

Don’t look back now, unless you have a complete image backup of your old OS, there’s no rolling back. Keep in mind that If you didn’t enter a product key during installation, you will have 30 days to evaluate Vista (and it will remind you every time you boot up).

After you install Vista, your computer will be run through a series of tests to determine its performance level, this is the Vista System Assessment Tool. The VSAT gives you an overall rating of your system’s hardware based on Processor calculations per second, memory operations per second, graphics performance, 3D performance, and the transfer rate of your hard disk. The result is called the Windows Experience Index.

The Windows Experience Index is a number from 1 to 5.9; it’s basically a benchmark that you can use when purchasing a new computer, buying software, or to see how upgrades have affected your machine. The Experience Index number will soon be well seen on the side of software packages to give you  a reference as to whether or not your PC is capable of running a particular piece of software, so write it down!

Don’t be concerned if your hard drive is ticking away; for some time, Vista will be collecting data about your machine, and how you use it. Vista knows what programs you use the most, and pre-loads them into memory to make your system more responsive your needs.

At this time, if you purchased Vista Ultimate and plan on buying discounted Home Premium licenses for additional computers in your home, you will need to visit windowsvista.com/FamilyOffer.

This may also be a good time to check all your devices to see if they are operating normally. If you are experiencing difficulties, I suggest the greatly improved Remote Assistance offered within Vista. If your problem resides in hardware, you’ll certainly have to take your case up with the company who manufactured it. (They will likely tell you that their product does not currently have Vista support)

If your still stuck, go to the people; the Internet has a vast knowledge, and offers many solutions for sorting out problems. If you’re having trouble, chances are you’re not alone.

While it may be some time before all compatibility issues are worked out, be patient. Vista will be around for what will seem a lifetime; there is no need to push a new Vista on an old computer. Wait for your time, and most of all, enjoy your new OS.

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