Kudos! Thank you, Robert, for such positive and creative thinking.
Because I am a dummy (this is the first time for me to hear about VM), and
because my track record with even simple installations is not too good, I
probably should just bite the weenie they want me to eat, and pay for the
upgrade. That will be a moral defeat, sure, but it is promised by "Anytime
Upgrade" to be super EZ and safe.

Really though, if I buy the upgrade key for $199 from Amazon, that's a 100kb
download, and there, it's done. Microsoft makes no mention of any
possibility of loss of the license key or possibility of failure. Microsoft
leads me to want to believe that they never gloss or oversimplify prospects,
in order, I guess to brighten their primrose path. Maybe I should trust them
again, inasmuch as their gun is at my head.

To be very sure, however =I only need to know now=, that IF I upgrade this
present "clean install" of Basic, to Ultimate,

then can I for sure for sure for sure! regain my former files, programs,
settings of the RC1 installation?
Thanks!

____________________
Robert, I am a poet-type of comic fool. In appreciation for your aid and
positive thinking... Virtual Machine? Hard to believe, but I never heard of
"VM" stuff before now. You fire my imagination. You get for a gift, what
used to be called an "ode".
And although humorous, the appreciation extended to you is genuine:


=Ode to Robert Moir=

I would lay a laurel
at your VM feet
if I had a laurel
and United Parcel's fleet...

....if I even knew
what a laurel was,
and if I had some VM hands
instead of my mental fuzz.



"Robert Moir" wrote:
[color=blue]
>
> "Lowered Expectations" <LoweredExpectations@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote
> in message news:FC6AB26E-9DAB-4CB1-977C-019B4DDD22D6@microsoft.com...
>[color=green]
> > So I'm screwed. I paid for Vista. I can't have my data back unless I get
> > (am told elswhere here) Ultimate or something near that.
> >
> > Phooey. If anyone has a solution short of suicide of the user, please
> > tell.
> > WHAT were they thinking????[/color]
>
> Set up a Virtual Machine (VMware ought to work, not sure about Virtual PC
> 2007 and Vista basic).
>
> Install a _trial_ version of Vista Ultimate in the virtual machine.
> Restore backup in virtual machine
> Transfer data to the real machine from the virtual machine.
> Make sure you've got everything then delete \ uninstall the virtual machine.
> Pour yourself a drink of whatever your favourate beverage is for a victory
> sip. You've earned it.
>
> --
> Robert Moir
> [url]http://www.rhymeswithgeek.com[/url]
>
>
>[/color]