Hi, I was wondering if anyone know when microsoft will put a stop into the clean install using Vista upgrade disc. I heard it will be included in Windows Vista SP1, but wondering from other sources for a better accurate answer. Will Microsoft put a stop to this walk-around. If so, will the millions of copies already sold be affected by the patch, or only recent ones after SP1. I want to do the walk-around as I have a upgrade disc in March of 2008, but wanna make sure that would be possible at that time. Thanks!

Today at work we tried the workaround with a Windows Anytime Upgrade disk - and it wouldn't work until Vista Home Premium was activated - then we were able to complete the upgrade to Ultimate. It didn't work within Windows or when booting from the DVD. We ended up doing the upgrade (rather than the clean install) to preserve the Windows.old directory on his hard drive - but the option to do the Custom install was available after activation.

OTOH - one of the techs still uses this method to install Vista at home (he reformats rather than removing the malware he gets) and doesn't have any issues with it.

When Windows was activated? Aren't you required to install trial version and upgrade from that? What do you mean it doesn't work? I'm a home user and I wanting to upgrade (yet clean install) to Vista Home Premium. Is the workaround still possible or did microsoft fixed it. Do you believe that they'll fix it from SP1? Thanks for the info, but I might of not understand, or confused myself.

I believe that the workaround is just that, an unintended and undocumented consequence of how Microsoft designed the OS. As there's no documentation, the only way to get info on it would be from people who've tried it.

I have no clue if this is a peculiarity of the Anytime Upgrade disk - or if it applies to Vista in general.