Preparing to Install Windows Vista
The Windows Vista Setup Wizard guides you through many of the choices you need to make, but there are some decisions and actions you need to make before you start the wizard. To ensure a successful installation, do the following:
Make sure your hardware components meet the minimum requirements. Your computer hardware needs to meet the following minimum hardware requirements to be Windows Vista PC Capability Ready: A modern processor (at least 800MHz1), 512 MB of system memory, and a graphics processor that is DirectX 9 capable.
To get an even better Windows Vista experience, including the Windows Aero user experience, your computer hardware needs to meet the following hardware requirements to be Windows Vista PC Premium Ready: 1 GHz 32-bit (x86) or 64-bit (x64) processor1; 1 GB of system memory; support for DirectX 9 graphics with a WDDM driver, 128 MB of graphics memory (minimum), Pixel Shader 2.0 and 32 bits per pixel; 40 GB of hard drive capacity with 15 GB free space; DVD-ROM Drive3, audio output capability; and Internet access capability.
Features available in specific premium editions of Windows Vista, such as the ability to watch and record live TV, may require additional hardware. Beyond the basic requirements, some software and hardware services, such as networking, voice and video conferencing, and sound playback, call for you to meet additional requirements; see Windows Vista documentation for specific details.
Make sure your hardware and software are compatible using the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. If you are running a Windows XP-based computer, you can run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, which scans your computer and creates an easy-to-understand report of all known system, device, and program compatibility issues, and recommends ways to resolve them. Upgrade Advisor can also help you choose the edition of Windows Vista that best fits the way you want to use your computer. The Upgrade Advisor software is available on the Install window and the Microsoft Web site at www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/upgradeadvisor.
Make sure you have the required product key information. On the back of the Windows Vista DVD packaging is a unique 25-character product key, such as KFEPC-12345-MHORY-12345-IROFE, that you need to enter during the Windows Vista Setup Wizard installation to complete the process. Keep the product key in a safe place, and do not share it with others. The unique product key allows you to activate and use Windows. Product activation and product registration are not the same. Product activation is required and ensures that each Windows product is not installed on more than the limited number of computers allowed in the software’s end user license agreement. Activation is completely anonymous and requires no personal identification information to complete. To complete the activation process, you enter a unique 25-character product key during the Windows Vista Setup Wizard installation process or when using the Activate Windows program located on the Start menu. You have a 30-day grace period in which to activate your Windows product installation. If the grace period expires and you have not completed activation, all features will stop working except the product activation feature. During the activation process, you can also register your copy of Windows Vista. Product registration is not required, but completing the process ensures that you receive product update and support information from Microsoft.
Determine whether you want to perform an in-place upgrade or install a new copy of Windows Vista.
After you start the Windows Vista Setup Wizard, you need to decide whether to upgrade your current operating system or to perform an entirely new installation, known as a clean install. A clean install includes completely erasing your hard drive and reformatting it with a new file system, which eliminates incompatibilities and makes your system run better. See Chapter 15, “Maintaining Your Computer,” for more information about file systems. Before you perform a clean install, you need to backup your files and settings on a CD, removable, or network drive before you begin. After a clean install you still need to re-install all of your programs. To perform a clean install, you also need the Full Edition of Windows Vista, which is more expensive than the Upgrade version. You can upgrade from Windows 2000 or XP to Windows Vista. Earlier Windows operating systems are not supported for upgrading, so those users will need to perform a clean install.
Back up your files in case you need to restore your current operating system. If you’re upgrading from an earlier version of Windows or performing a clean install, you should back up your current files so you can correct any problems that might arise during the installation. You can back up files to a removable disk, a DVD-R or DVD-RW drive, a tape drive, or another computer on your network. See Chapter 17, “Backing Up Your Computer,” for more information.
Make sure you have the required network information. If you are connecting to a network, you need the following information from your network administrator: name of your computer, name of the workgroup or domain, and a TCP/IP address if your network doesn’t use a DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) server. If you are not sure whether you are connecting to a workgroup or a domain, select the workgroup option. You can always connect to a domain after you install Windows Vista Business.