would use a upgrade vista. make my xp cd useless

[dirtfarmer]

i like to know what fact, and what friction


i just just got a new computer in June and it came with xp home sp2 full, and there reason i need a new computer was my MOBO on old computer die on me and on that computer i run xp home ( before sp1 and sp2 ), i use a xp upgrade ver from 98se


ok my question, the web full of site saying that if you upgrade xp to vista, you can no long use that xp on you computer any more, even if you do not like vista

her is some of what a lot of site are writing


If you choose to purchase an upgrade version of Windows Vista to upgrade XP, you will no longer be able to use that version of XP. Either on another system, or as a dual-boot option. The key will be invalidated, preventing activation.


\now is that true or not--- would use a upgrade vista. make my xp cd useless


i sure wish MS would clear this point up

[BipolarBill]

Sounds like BS to me. If you do the upgrade while actually running XP, there should be an "Advanced" button to press and select an alternate location - another partition or drive. That would give you dual boot. Keep in mind that Vista completely replaces the boot files, so going back will be hard anyway.

No matter. If you're smart, you will "image" your current setup to a file and have it to restore in case you don't like Vista.

Back up your PC. (http://www.sysopt.com/forum/showthread.php?t=199126)

You should be doing this already. If not, it's time.

[Lgbpop]

No, it would not make your CD useless - it would still work just fine.

It will, however, render your XP product key void. In effect, to get the Vista product key you turn in your XP key. Kinda like using your old car as trade bait at a new car dealership.

[BipolarBill]

I don't know about that. I've never heard of an upgrade invalidating a CD key. Maybe it invalidates that particular installation, but the CD? I don't see how. That would mean that the upgrade is not reversible and not even MS has the stones to try to get away with that.

[Midknyte]

“Per Microsoft’s new licensing requirements for Vista, users are required to install a Windows Vista Upgrade from within Windows XP. When this occurs, the Windows XP license is forfeited and the Windows Vista installation process can take place.

your xp code would be invalidated if you do a regular upgrade, so do this instead:

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/winvista_upgrade_clean.asp

[BipolarBill]

That's always a great tip.

I would still like to know if MS really disables all reversibility. This makes no sense. What if Vista will not run on your hardware? There has to be some facility for bailing out and using XP again. My laptop ran with fans full bore on Vista 100% of the time. It ate the battery in 10 minutes. It was unworkable. Guess what? I was able to go back to XP without issue.

I think that this is just legal mumbo-jumbo. It may "legally" invalidate the current OS, but I don't think that it de facto nullifies the product key. That would require colossal cojones.

[Lgbpop]

It technically nullifies one's use of the product key, which is legal the way they market their software. It does void the use of the XP key, once Vista is activated - or at least, it did last winter. You'd get a small grace period in order to dry-run Vista to make sure it worked OK, but sooner or later you had to uninstall it to keep XP or activate it and lose XP. M$ caught a lot of grief about it last spring, but I don't know if they ever backed down.

When all is said and done, the way M$ writes their EULAs legitmizes what they do. Technically you're only leasing the product key so they can put all kinds of stipulations and restrictions on its use.