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Thread: Reformatting with Vista Upgrade

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    Reformatting with Vista Upgrade

    When installing Windows Vista upgrade, it requires a legal, activated installation of XP to upgrade over. In doing this, it 'absorbs' the XP licence, rendering it unusable and activates your copy of Vista.

    So riddle me this:

    If down the road, I want to reformat my computer, how can this be done? Obviously I can't install and activate XP ready for another upgrade and I certainly can't install Windows Vista on a freshly formatted drive since it will look for a previous OS.

    Any ideas?

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    Senior Member gss03's Avatar
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    You can wipe your drive and re-install windows XP. Just when it comes to activiation you will have to call Microsoft to activate it again.
    They'll ask why and you just say you formatted the drive. That usually is enough to keep them happy and you get XP activated again.

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    Quote Originally Posted by silentvoice View Post
    When installing Windows Vista upgrade, it requires a legal, activated installation of XP to upgrade over. In doing this, it 'absorbs' the XP licence, rendering it unusable and activates your copy of Vista.

    So riddle me this:

    If down the road, I want to reformat my computer, how can this be done? Obviously I can't install and activate XP ready for another upgrade and I certainly can't install Windows Vista on a freshly formatted drive since it will look for a previous OS.

    Any ideas?
    Thats why i hate upgrades.


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    Quote Originally Posted by gss03 View Post
    You can wipe your drive and re-install windows XP. Just when it comes to activiation you will have to call Microsoft to activate it again.
    They'll ask why and you just say you formatted the drive. That usually is enough to keep them happy and you get XP activated again.
    No wonder Vista uptake is bad if that's what you have to go through each time. It's probably another way of Microsoft trying to push you towards the more expensive 'full version'.

    If all this talk of Vienna being released in early 2009 is true, then I might just skip Vista altogether and stick with XP until it's support ends around the same time.

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    cat /dev/null streetster's Avatar
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    if you dont mind breaking the eula in order to save yourself some time/effort you can install vista upgrade without a license key, and then reboot/reinstall and enter the key

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    Quote Originally Posted by streetster View Post
    if you dont mind breaking the eula in order to save yourself some time/effort you can install vista upgrade without a license key, and then reboot/reinstall and enter the key
    Break the eula tut, tut


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    if you go to the PCStats website, theres a walkthrough on how to do it without the install of XP first

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