Windows Vista Upgrade vs. Clean Install

by Mario Svaliega.
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If your PC currently runs Windows XP, the next big question is whether or not you should upgrade it to Windows Vista.

Upgrading the operating system retains all of your existing settings and data files. Your desktop colors and wallpaper all remain the same, as do some more important elements, including your Favorites list and the files in your Documents folder.

Sounds great, right? Who wouldn't want to avoid having to and redo all those preferred settings?

Unfortunately, in past version of Windows, upgrading from an older copy of Windows often brought along unwelcome baggage. Windows preserved outdated drivers, fragmented disk drives, and a clutter of unneeded registry settings when you upgraded. If all this artery-clogging gunk had already begun to slow down your computer, upgrading to a newer version of Windows only made things worse.

Microsoft says that it's drastically improved the upgrade process. "Upgrades to Windows Vista are no longer a merge with the old OS," writes the author of the setup software on his blog. "First, Windows Vista's setup gathers old OS settings, user settings, and data, and stores them. Then it wipes away the old OS and applies the new operating system image. Next, Setup applies stored settings and data to this clean install, which magically brings back your applications and data in a brand new OS. Your registry and file system are free of goo that is no longer needed by Windows Vista."

Even so, some caution is still justified. The upgrade of the operating system itself may go smoothly, but there's no telling what glitches this procedure may introduce in all your non-Microsoft programs. In general, such programs prefer to be installed fresh on the new operating system.

Actually, the decision may not be yours to make. If you're running any version of Windows besides XP, you'll have to backup everything and perform a clean install.

And even if you are running Windows XP, your Vista upgrade options depend on which version of XP you have now:

  • Windows XP Home. You can upgrade to the Home Basic, Home Premium, Business, or Ultimate versions of Vista.

  • Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Tablet PC. You can upgrade only to Business or Ultimate.

  • Windows XP Media Center. You can upgrade to either Home Premium or Ultimate.

Note: The Enterprise edition of Windows Vista isn't for sale to mere mortals. It's available only to corporations, whose system administrators will handle all the upgrading hassles without your involvement.

Buying Windows Vista

If you do decide to upgrade from Windows XP, you'll save some money, because the Upgrade version of Vista is less expensive than a Full version.

If you're not sure whether the Upgrade version will work on your machine, check this Web page: www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/upgradeinfo.mspx.

And remember: If your computer is currently running anything but Windows XP, you have to buy the Full version of Vista and perform a clean install.

Tip: As you shop, remember, too, that you can start now with one of the less expensive editionsand later, if you find your style cramped, upgrade your installed copy to a more powerful edition quickly and easily. For a price, every Vista DVD can be unlocked to unleash the full power of higher-priced Vista versions... all the way up to the Ultimate edition.To start this upgrade, choose Start->Control Panel. Click "System and Maintenance," and then click Windows Anytime Upgrade.

About the Clean Install

The alternative to an upgrade is the clean install of Windows Vista. During a clean install, you repartition and reformat your hard disk, wiping out everything on it. The overwhelming advantage of a clean install is that you wind up with a fresh system, 100 percent free of all of those creepy little glitches and inconsistencies that have been building up over the years. Ask any Windows veteran: the best way to boost the speed of a system that has grown sluggish is to perform a clean install of the operating system and start afresh.

Backing up

The drawback of a clean install, however, is the work it will take you to back up all of your files and settings before you begin. If your computer has a tape drive, DVD burner, or external hard drive, that's not much of a problem. Just perform a full backup (or simply drag and drop every last file that's important to you), test it to make sure that everything you need has been copied and is restorable, and you're ready to install Windows Vista.

Tip: One of the most convenient solutions is to install a new hard drive before you upgrade, and put your current hard drive in an external enclosure that you've bought off the Web. You can put it on a shelf for safe keeping, and plug it in every time you need to grab a file from your old installation.You can even do this with some laptops whose hard drives is user-replaceable: inexpensive USB or FireWire enclosures are available in both 2.5" (laptop hard drive) and 3.5" (desktop hard drive) size, and installation only takes a few minutes. Just be sure you know what kind of hard drive you have (Serial ATA or Parallel ATA, and in some cases, SCSI) before you choose either your new internal hard drive or your enclosure, because both of these must be compatible with whatever you're currently using.

If you have a second computer, you can also consider backing up your stuff on to it, via a network. In any of these cases, you'll probably want to use the new Windows Easy Transfer for this purpose.

Even having a full backup, however, doesn't mean that a clean install will be a walk in the park. After the installation, you still have to reinstall all of your programs, reconfigure all your personalized settings, re-create your network connections, and so on.

Tip: It's a good idea to spend a few days writing down the information you need as you're working on your computer. For example, if you're using dial-up Internet, copy down the phone number, user name, and password that you use to connect to your Internet service provider (ISP), and the user names and passwords you need for various Web sites you frequent.

Performing a clean install also means buying the Full Edition of Windows Vista. It's more expensive than the Upgrade Edition, but at least you can install it on a blank hard disk without having to install an old Windows version first or have your original installation CDs available.

Overall, a clean install is preferable to an upgrade. But if you don't have the time or the heart to back up your hard drive, wipe it clean and re-establish all of your settings, the upgrade option is always there for you.

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