Either way, the company had pulled a fast one, silently taking away a feature we had all come to know and expect. Clearly, Microsoft was disabling this previously handy option in order to inconvenience users (at best) or force them to spend more money on a Full product version (at worst).

The reaction in the Windows community was predictably swift and darn. Or, you could simply purchase a Full Product license. Windows 2000, XP, or Vista) and then run Setup from within that install, upgrading the OS to the new version. You cannot use an upgrade key to perform a clean installation of Windows Vista.' The support note recommends that users who run into this issue first install a compliant version of Windows first (i.e. Then, finally, Microsoft dropped the bomb: The weekend before Vista's launch, the company quietly posted a support note on its Web site ominously titled Upgrade installation keys are blocked when you start from the Windows Vista DVD, Microsoft explains: 'Windows Vista does not check upgrade compliance. These rumors grew louder as Vista's broad release date of Januapproached. When rumors began surfacing that Vista Upgrade versions would not support clean installs, however, a veil of silence descended over Redmond. a Windows 2000 or XP CD-ROM), you could use the Upgrade media to perform a clean install.

Previously, Microsoft had said that Vista's upgrade experience would be similar to that of XP: You'd be able to perform an in-place upgrade using the Vista Upgrade media or, with qualifying media (i.e. When I began inquiring into various Windows Vista installation options late last year, Microsoft and its representative grew quiet and seemed to begin selectively answering my questions.

How to clean install windows vista