Something you all should know about Microshafted Vista

440roadrunner · Post by **440roadrunner** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 5:46 pm

It used to be, that as long as you had a legit copy of Whinehozed in a previous
version (that you of course bought AND PAID FOR) you could in most cases, use
an "upgrade" version of the newer OS you just bought, to do a "clean" install,
and use the previous version CD for "proof."

Not anymore, Keemosabie

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http://www.dailytech.com/article.aspx?newsid=5887

The following is a partial quote from the above link:

===============================================

No More Clean Installs Using Upgrade Discs With Windows Vista

Microsoft is changing a long-standing tradition when it comes to upgrading from
a previous version of Windows. No longer will popping in a disc of a previous
version of Windows during setup satisfy the people in Redmond when using an
upgrade CD.

For example, when performing a clean install of Windows XP Professional using an
upgrade CD, users would run through the normal setup routine until prompted to
insert a previous version of Windows. A user could pop in a Windows 98 or
Windows 2000 CD for upgrade compliance and then the setup routine would move
along as usual.

Microsoft has cut out this process for Windows Vista and forces users who buy an
upgrade CD to actually have a valid install of Windows XP Home or Professional
on their machines before upgrading.

===============================================
===============================================

The following is a partial quote right from Microsoft:

http://support.microsoft.com/default.as ... 0985/en-us

SYMPTOMS
You purchase an upgrade key for Windows Vista. Then, you try to use the upgrade
key to perform a clean installation of Windows Vista by starting from a Windows
Vista DVD. However, Windows Vista does not let you perform a clean installation
by using the upgrade key, and you cannot upgrade to Windows Vista.

CAUSE
This problem occurs because Windows Vista does not check upgrade compliance.
Therefore, you cannot use an upgrade key to perform a clean installation of
Windows Vista.

RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, use one of the following methods.

Method 1
Upgrade to Windows Vista from an earlier, supported version of Windows that is
already installed on the computer.

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 8:06 am

Like i always say, when a new OS comes out wait a minimum of two years before upgrading anyway...

Those who have Vista around here, got it with a new computer from Dell or others, have had nothing but problems. Peripheral drivers for anything but the latest hardware is still lacking, there is still software bugs that they haven't officially worked out, and its just clunky and slow in my opinion.

As always, they shipped another OS that was hardly ready for the real world. I imagine we will see the first of the many service packs for this OS soon.

For now i'm just staying with XP, i don't need the visual bullcrap of Vista to get my work done.

Tom in D.C. · Post by **Tom in D.C.** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 11:28 am

One additional thing Vista allows MS to do is to put a time
limit on the period during which they'll support XP. Pleasant
thought, huh?

JAYMZ · Post by **JAYMZ** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:08 pm

Microsoft said they will support XP for another 5 years. So, security updates and stuff will still be available for a while yet.

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 3:30 pm

When ever they stop supporting XP (never wanted to switch to it), then I'm gonna go for an alternate OS.

Can you run Office 2000 on Linux or Unix?

spectragod · Post by **spectragod** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:12 pm

Did they ever get XP to work?

SG

440roadrunner · Post by **440roadrunner** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:14 pm

Can you run Office 2000 on Linux or Unix?

I would think so, there seems to be several "windows emulators" out there, and Wine comes to mind.

http://www.winehq.com/

Don't forget, there's "open office" a free Linux based office program that can handle many of the same formats as office, and also can deal with pdf files. You can even create and edit pdf files in open office.

http://www.openoffice.org/

The thing that really really ticks me off about the latest Microshaft policy, is that I don't see what it gains Microsoft, and causes us, the customers problems. This decision means, that instead of cramming an old Whenhozed CD in the drive for "proof" during an upgrade install, now you must first actually INSTALL the old system, and THAT means that there's no way to have a "clean" unburdened installation from an upgrade.

Now that MicroBill have put the cabash on transferring OEM systems, the only thing pretty much left is either to (barf) buy a preinstalled system, or go downtown and give them your first born.

Yep, no Vista for me, I'll stay with Xtra Putrid. Actually, I've been using Winehoed 2000 on some of my machines

RESCUE161 · Post by **RESCUE161** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 6:42 pm

I still use and love Windows 2000 Pro, but support is pretty much over. I don't have the Win 2000 Pro machines on the net. One is a MAME machine and the other is for UniTrunker and programming radios.

All of my "new" computers are running XP because that's what came with them. I keep computers for a long time, so the second that they drop support, I'm never looking back and will go with another OS. I refuse to pay for something that doesn't work (at least for the first couple of years). I'm not a beta tester and Microsoft isn't paying me to be one either. Funny when you think about it... We're paying Microsoft (BIG BUCKS) to beta test their software... Unreal...

kf4sqb · Post by **kf4sqb** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 7:18 pm

The really dumb thing about this is that it may very well cause some people using bootleg copies of XP, who were originally thinking about upgrading to a legit copy of Vista, to NOT spend their money on a new copy of Windows.

OX · Post by OX » Tue Jan 30, 2007 8:00 pm

I don't think this is something new but maybe something revisited. I remember the time of having to have Win 3.1 installed in order to install the Win95 upgrade. At least the boot sector had to be at win31. That was the trick around it was to format the drive for W31 with a boot disk.

440roadrunner · Post by **440roadrunner** » Tue Jan 30, 2007 9:00 pm

I don't think this is something new but maybe something revisited. I remember the time of having to have Win 3.1 installed in order to install the Win95 upgrade. At least the boot sector had to be at win31. That was the trick around it was to format the drive for W31 with a boot disk.

You have never--up to now with Vista--had to install anything first, in order to do a clean install with upgrade products.

All previous "clean" installs using an upgrade product could be started from an empty hard drive, and simply inserting floppies or CD from the previous system for "proof".

In the case of Winhozed95, you didn't need to install, or even actually have Whinhoed3xx--and by the way, you can't "format the boot sector" with W3xx because it is not an operating system, merely a GUI on top of DOS. What you COULD get away with on W'hoed95, is to use a text editor like Notepad, and actually make two fake files. I've forgotten what you named them, but you simply put them on the HDD or somewhere else that you could access them, like your boot floppy, and install away. Of course all of us really DID (and DO!!) have DOS and W3x

Here it is, actually, right here where it's been for years

http://www.netpathway.com/~kramer/win95upgrade.html

This whole new attitude of Microshafting just plain ticks me off. It's not enough that they have, what, 90+% of the market share? Now that we've been blessed with the benevolence of Xtra Putrid, of course we must deal with "activation"---just one more threat that MicroBill can hold over our heads in the coming years.

Look at all the cool old stuff you guys all play with---like your old DOS machines that you use for old radios and software. I've got some myself. Now imagine, that you are rebuilding one of those, but the system needs to be "activated" but when you try, you get some message that "The system you are trying to install is no longer enjoying activation support from Microsoft. Please obtain a more up to date system."

kb0nly · Post by **kb0nly** » Wed Jan 31, 2007 5:30 am

As annoying as XP is with the activation and validation schemes i can just about imagine how bad it will be on Vista.

I call microsoft's activation number so much i have it on speed dial. Why in the hell can't they get that working right? Seems like every time i have to reinstall the OS on a customers computer it comes up with the screen saying your cd key may be invalid and gives you the option to change it or call for activation.

So off i go to call Alli Babba, it takes so long because he has to repeat the numbers about three times before i can understand him. Then finally it's activated.

It would be nice if at least someone would design an activation keygen for it that works 100% of the time. I am NOT suggesting software piracy here, Activation and Validation are two different things. Even if you can activate a pirated copy of windows, be it a corporate key and xp pro or otherwise, you still can't validate it unless its a valid cd key for access to windows update. I'm just tired of that extra step that costs me something like 15 minutes on the phone each time i do a reinstall.

Post by **wavetar** » Thu Feb 01, 2007 5:17 pm

As always, a work-around was just around the corner...and in Microsoft's own release notes, no less:

http://techreport.com/onearticle.x/11747

It involves installing Vista twice...once as a 30-day demo, then again as an upgrade. Then you delete the "vista.old" folder that contains the demo system information. Voila, a clean full install of Vista onto a blank hard drive, and your XP license key remains unsullied.

Todd

scanner_freak · Post by **scanner_freak** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 8:17 am

wavetar wrote:As always, a work-around was just around the corner...and in Microsoft's own release notes, no less:

http://techreport.com/onearticle.x/11747

It involves installing Vista twice...once as a 30-day demo, then again as an upgrade. Then you delete the "vista.old" folder that contains the demo system information. Voila, a clean full install of Vista onto a blank hard drive, and your XP license key remains unsullied.

Todd

Looks like Not for long..That site also states:

Thurrott didn't test this workaround, but you're supposed to install Vista in trial mode and then run an "upgrade" over your fresh Vista installation. The result might not be as unspoiled as a clean installation from a full retail Vista DVD, but if it works, it should nonetheless allow users to avoid having to install Windows XP or Windows 2000 before they can put Vista on their machines. Of course, if the workaround works, it should also remove the need for users to prove that they own a previous version of Windows, thereby taking the whole "upgrade" concept out of the equation. We wouldn't be surprised if Microsoft ended up fixing this sooner or later

Something you all should know about Microshafted Vista

Something you all should know about Microshafted Vista

Not only that, but...