Colin:
Thank you for putting this in a new post. It's very useful
information for all.

--
Dennis Pack
Vista x64 Enterprise
Office 2007
"Colin Barnhorst" <colinbarharst@msn.com> wrote in message
news:D3B1BD07-AECC-4E23-8486-FE5E98ED803B@microsoft.com...[color=blue]
> New info on "clean" installations and the implications for migrating from
> x86 to x64 with an upgrade edition.
>
> Darrel Gorter replied in one of the ng's yesterday that he had performed
> an experiment for us with an upgrade edition product key. This is a first
> from a Microsoft person. Thank you very much, Darrel.
>
> Based on Darrel's experiment with XP x86 and XP x64, it IS possible to run
> Setup from a dvd boot in some scenarios. His experiment was to use an
> upgrade product key with one of the yellow dot scenarios. What he found
> out was that in those cases entering the UE pk does NOT trigger the
> message to restart the computer and run Setup from the legacy desktop.
> Setup continued and completed the installation.
>
> Darrel's findings showed that a classic clean install may not be possible
> when upgrading from XP x86 to Vista x86, but should be when migrating from
> Win2k or XP Pro x64 to Vista. Based on Darrel's experiment with XP x86
> and XP x64, it IS possible to run Setup from a dvd boot in some scenarios.
> His experiment was to use an upgrade product key with XP x86 to Vista x86
> (upgrade scenario) and with XP x64 to Vista x64 (migration scenario).
> What he found out was that XP x86 to Vista x86 required restarting and
> running from the desktop, but XP x64 to Vista did not. In that case
> entering the UE pk did NOT trigger the message to restart the computer and
> run Setup from the legacy desktop. Setup continued and completed the
> installation from a dvd boot even though he had entered an upgrade edition
> product key.
>
> Look at the Upgrade Matrix on Get Ready. The green dots are the upgrades,
> meaning that you will have to run Setup from an XP desktop. When you do so
> the Advanced Options (including format) are not be available. The AOs are
> only available in Setup when you can start Setup following a dvd boot.
> Therefore you can only do a classic clean installation in a scenario that
> permits running Setup following a dvd boot (and that should be all the
> yellow dots in the Matrix).
>
> The yellow dots in the Matrix are what I prefer to call migrations.
> Migrations are where you save all your files and settings, install
> Windows, reinstall your apps, and then restore your files and settings.
>
> Darrel said that he believes that upon entry of an UE pk, Setup runs a
> compliance check to see if any qualifying Windows installations exist on
> the system that qualify for upgrade pricing and based on that does one of
> the following:
>
> (1) If there is an XP edition that can be upgraded to an equivalent or
> higher edition of Vista then you get the message to restart and run Setup
> from the XP desktop. The upgrade option will be enabled when you do so.
>
> (2) If there is a Win2k, XP Pro x64, or version of XP that would lose
> functionality (XP Pro to Vista Home Premium, for example), then Setup
> continues without requiring running from a desktop. What you get with (2)
> is a migration. The upgrade option would have been disabled if you had
> run Setup from the desktop.
>
> (3) If none is found you should have purchased a full edition.
>
> If (2) holds true for all the yellow dots, it would mean that you can do a
> classic clean installation of Vista as long as running from the desktop is
> not required because (a) the legacy OS is not running (and therefore the
> system drive can be formatted) and (b) the Advanced Options are available
> when booting with the dvd.
>
> Also, if (2) holds true for all the yellow dots, it would mean that a
> Win2k or XP x86 user could migrate from x86 to x64 with an UE pk by
> booting with the x64 dvd instead of the x86 dvd. That will be very
> welcome news indeed. It also explains how the process works for XP Pro x64
> users when using an UE pk to migrate to Vista x64.
>
> It appears that Darrel's and Carey's statements a few weeks ago that
> booting with a dvd and entering a UE pk required restarting the machine
> and running Setup from the legacy desktop were ONLY applicable when
> upgrading XP x86 to Vista x86 and only then if a loss of functionality
> would not be involved.
>
> Until Darrel's reply yesterday I had not seen a single first hand report
> of any attempt to use an UE pk in one of the yellow dot scenarios. Darrel
> was very gracious to take the time to do it for us because I don't think
> it was in his job description.
>
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