Unattended Clean Install of Vista Upgrade Edition?

[trainee]

I've been searching for awhile but havent been able to find a concrete answer on this:

Is it possible to do a complete unattended install (virgin machine w/ no OS) of Vista from a Vista Upgrade CD. I have to admit that I don't have Vista yet and I and trying to decide if I can purchase an upgrade copy and still do an unattended install. I have many legal copies of XP, but I dont want to have to install XP first. I'm hoping someone else has discovered the answer the easy (or hard) way Thanks!

[sreedx2]

Well I know you can get a fresh install of Vista from an upgrade DVD, not sure about unattended. You could try using vlite to make it unattended but I am not sure if it supports that ?

SR

[lawrywild]

What I do is install XP first. You don't need to set up and activate XP or do anything. Just install it, then boot to the vista disk. Go through the installation (enter your vista license key) and when you get to the bit where you chose what drive to install to. Just format the whole drive and create the partitions you want. Carry on with the installation and you have a clean install of Vista and no remains of other vista installs or whatever.

[zanzabar]

all that u need to do is do a clean install with the vista disk, but it will ask to insert a windows disk half way through to make sure that ur upgrading but its the same as a normal disk but with a cd check

also if u install xp then vista u have to do a clean install anyways since u cant upgrade and xp install to vista

[sreedx2]

What I do is install XP first. You don't need to set up and activate XP or do anything. Just install it, then boot to the vista disk. Go through the installation (enter your vista license key) and when you get to the bit where you chose what drive to install to. Just format the whole drive and create the partitions you want. Carry on with the installation and you have a clean install of Vista and no remains of other vista installs or whatever.

That is a different way of doing it, sounds cool :D


Goodluck :)

[trainee]

Thanks! That certainly helps me choose to buy an upgrade vs. full if it can easily do a clean install. But do you know if you can do it unattended?

[lawrywild]

all that u need to do is do a clean install with the vista disk, but it will ask to insert a windows disk half way through to make sure that ur upgrading but its the same as a normal disk but with a cd check

also if u install xp then vista u have to do a clean install anyways since u cant upgrade and xp install to vista

That's not how vista installation works. I guess you've never even tried booting the vista upgrade disk and doing a clean install on a wiped drive. :rolleyes: It will tell you that the key is wrong when you get to the format drives bit (it says it can't continue installing on this drive), unless you have xp or vista installed or not.

Oh and another thing I forgot to mention. I also tried installing Vista without a key, and then booting, and formating but it DOES NOT work. You can only do a clean install on the same partition (leaving remains and the drive is very fragmented after installation).

So my XP method is the best I know of so far for having a perfect clean install, just like retail. :cool:

[sreedx2]

That's not how vista installation works. I guess you've never even tried booting the vista upgrade disk and doing a clean install on a wiped drive. :rolleyes: It will tell you that the key is wrong when you get to the format drives bit (it says it can't continue installing on this drive), unless you have xp or vista installed or not.

Oh and another thing I forgot to mention. I also tried installing Vista without a key, and then booting, and formating but it DOES NOT work. You can only do a clean install on the same partition (leaving remains and the drive is very fragmented after installation).

So my XP method is the best I know of so far for having a perfect clean install, just like retail. :cool:

I beg to differ, put your upgrade DVD in drive and boot to it, once loaded choose fresh install and don't use a product key ( this will give you 30 days to activate .. but is irrelevant right now ) now once Vista has finished installing load the DVD from within Windows Vista, put in your key and install again.. now you will have a fresh install :) forget to mention now you can activate :D :D

[zanzabar]

i have an upgrade disk for my laptop i had to clean install when i meesed it up on vista so the 2nd time i had to install it i had to reinstall it was on a clean drive, and i put the key in the n it prompted me to put my original windows cd in, then it said to reinsert the vista disk then it went