Important info on Vista "clean install"!!!

Okay I was wondering what Vista would put into the windows.old if you did a "clean install", which you would HAVE TO choose if you upgrade XP Pro (including corporate, ahem) to Home Premium.

It places "Documents and Settings", "Program Files" and "Windows" from your old install in the "Windows.old" folder.

Also, all of the other folders in my root stayed in place. "ATI" folder with my old drivers for example.

So although I didn't care enough to backup my old data, I didn't have to. All my documents, music, videos, save games, etc. are still on my machine.

Yes, everything will have to be reinstalled, but I think a "clean install" upgrade should be the best choice for advanced users anyway. There will be no chance an in place driver or program will hose your upgrade during the install.

Burning programs and antivirus programs have a very high chance of blue screening an install.

For those with Dell, HP and Compaq machines you would lose any factory pre-installed "value-added" software in a "clean-install" upgrade. This would include MS Works, Sonic, NTI software, etc. Which some will not like, but honestly these machines have the highest chance of not making it through the upgrade.

These OEMs do not even support using a retail box upgrade! Neither will MS because it is being done on a brand name machine. Already been through this upgrading Compaqs from XP Home to retail XP Pro. We called both HP and MS, and each said to call the other company and they don't support doing this!

They will only be supporting an upgrade to Vista sent by them if you just bought a new XP box. They will send out a package with their own software updates, etc. to make the upgrade work.

If you bought an XP box from an OEM previous to the free upgrade my advice is this...

Do a clean install. It will require a lot of work done after you upgrade, and you may have to purchase new burner software such as Nero 7, Works Suite OEM to replace Works (at least you'll get Word), but at least Vista will install.

Better than a blue screen on a driver of program that conflicts.

EDIT: As a side note, my ULi Sata II RAID controller support was native! No more F6 floppy!

The only problem is they've changed things a bit this time.

You can't boot from the disk, format and have it ask you for for an XP disk to qualify for the upgrade.

You have to run it from a working copy of XP/2K.

The "clean install" is not really clean. Its an install renaming the folder of the old install.

Not too bad really, but it might be hell to reinstall if Vista goes boom, or the upgrade fails part way through.

Would suck to have to install XP first again. Oh well, such is the life of a PC.

Some are saying to buy an OEM copy, but then it can only be activated on one PC, ever. I bought a retail box so I can just move it to a new machine when I'm done with this build.