This is seriously good news. I'm very glad that Microsoft is cracking down.

Go MS! In fact, it would be really choice if pirating Windows was no longer possible (sadly, I doubt this will be the case).

Consider: Microsoft should have the right to price themselves out of the OS market. This is good for everyone: either MS will dramatically lower the price of their OSs, or everyone will start to install a Linux distro.

It's a win/win for everyone - Microsoft gets their money, Users/Developers are driven to develop a easy-to-install-and-use Linux/BSD distro, and Windows market share tanks.

What's not to like? DRM is really our best friend here, as is anything that makes MS software unattractive.

Just ghost the first time you install. then you can just restore that install!

UPGRADE REALITY CHECK

Please name a feature in vista thats worth 2 cents for a TR person at home. And a majority of actual businesses. (emphasis on majority, that means >50%, also <5% = irrelevant for market share)

Just like all the clueless who jumped on XP when it first came out...except it wasn't worth a crap until SP2 and wasn't needed for any hardware until SLI. (and even that is more forced than anything)
Hell, 2k + $50 linux box that serves a few dozen PCs is better than SP2 for firewall purposes.

DX10 games...what DX 10 games? (how about drivers too) In '07...want to buy this nice bridge I have? Oh and DX10 exclusive games with reasons you might give a crap...um...'09, maybe?

At least 2k was a good upgrade at launch since very few were using NT and the guts of it were actually above 9x a good bit. Although around SP3-4 or so was the real polish.

/end URC

Why cant someone write a program to extract (from your xp disk) the XP files needed to be checked by vista and slap them on a boot disk to be installed before Vista???

It shouldnt add more than 5 minutes to the vista install process- infact if they could be slipstreamed as a runfirst package on the vista disk all the better.

Reply to flip-mode:

Who would pirate the upgradeversion when u can pirate the fullversion? :S

Pirates, I cheer for thee. /me wishes great luck to the pirates.

Meh just one more reason it will be a long long time until I DOWNGRADE to vista

Windows was successful in the past because it was easy to get into, hard to get out of.

Now MS is making it hard for legitimate users to install/use/activate Vista, at a time when alternative OSes are gaining ground (not least of which is OSX). Pirates have always found ways against copy protection, and no sane pirate would get/distribute/want an upgrade copy of Vista anyway, so this is nothing but a concerted effort to kick the legitimate user in the nads.

I think they're just digging their own grave, but it's their loss. :P

It just depends on what type of user you are. I surf the internet and play games thats it. So for me linux is pretty useless. I have tried different versions of it off and on over the years and it all comes down to the same thing. I ask myself "what can i use this for ? " The answer is always the same well i can surf the internet on it and thats it i cant play any games i like on it. Widows does that just fine for me so linux just isnt useful for me. For other people linux is great.

I just tried to install an upgrade version of XP Home that I bought in ~2000 and it won't install without finding a Windows 98 installation. So why is this such a shock that Vista Upgrade needs XP?

#36 you can install xp by just putting in the 98 long enough for xp to see that you own it. With vista you actually have to have xp installed and working on your hard drive before you can install vista.

The upgrade versions are 33-50% cheaper than the full retail ones, which might seem like a good deal ?!?!?! you have to pay for vista?

From what i've been able to gather from reading various different sites on the subject:

Upgrade requires you to install a fresh copy of Windows XP and activate it first, even if you are installing it on a new hard drive, you still need to install XP first.
However, during the upgrade process, there are some that think that you still have the ability to do a clean install; in that you will be able to wipe the underlying OS. While others think that all it will do is install Vista into another directory or rename the existing directory.

In either case, the KB article linked to in the story does not mention any Business or Ultimate editions. No one has been able to confirm why Ultimate edition is missing from the "Applies To" section.

Bauxite XP was a HUGE leap forward compared to win9x it was well worth the move the day it came out. Vista on the other hand is kind of meh who cares.

Operating systems from which an upgrade to Windows Vista is not supported
You cannot upgrade to Windows Vista from the following operating systems:
• Microsoft Windows XP Starter Edition
• Microsoft Windows 2000
• Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
• Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
• Microsoft Windows 98
• Microsoft Windows 95
• Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.11
• Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.1

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/918884/en-us

Why not just have to activate a valid windows XP key too, tying it to the system in question?

[QUOTE]It's the ones that have an illegitimate copy that they're going after and punishing those that are in legal compliance.[/QUOTE]

No, it's punishing average joe user too. Anyone using the upgrade is at a disadvantage. What if your hard drive fails? What if the OS crashes beyond repair, or there is a serious malware threat not worthwhile to remove and instead require a reformat.

If that were to happen, you would have to do a clean install of XP and then install the Vista "Upgrade". Most ppl getting the upgrade are casual users (DIY get the OEM), so when they take it to a fix it shop, they'll either have to pony up the dough for a retail key, or pay the cost of 2 installs.
This is a no win situation for anyone but microsoft.

I do not see what is exactly the big fuss.

MS Upgrades were always supposed to require a previous version of the software installed in order to work.

Microsoft is simply sealing up a long, old loophole.

what if its on a recovery cd/dvd like from dell, toshiba, ibm, etc. I guess they are screwed. LOL!

Next up?

Windows Upgrade for Realsyo Edition?

Won't it be great 2 or 3 years from now when people who upgraded have to format/rebuild their machines. Step 1. Find your now almost 10 year old XP disk and install that, hitting F6 to insert drivers for a storage controller that that released after Vista launch and never had XP drivers written for it. Step 2. Go buy a non-upgrade version of Vista.

So could a person have XP installed on drive C: and then install the Vista upgrade on drive D: ?

Either way, I agree this sucks!

That just sucks. Hell, I mean I can install 98se if I want and not worry about activation and all, but what a waste of time. This just screws the enthusiasts, makes life a bit more complicated.

And maybe it's the price all of us have to pay for all of those who pirated XP over the years, got the illegal keys and such. Aargh.

Oh, hmm...I never I knew that you could just insert the CD for the XP upgrades. Well, never known, never lost I guess.

Another reason to pirate this thing. I prefer the Enterprise edition activated to a personal KMS server. Of course i'm not not condoning piracy... :)

Adi