Install Windows Vista in 20 minutes!

Whether you’re taking advantage of the Express Upgrade option or installing it from scratch, the task of getting Windows Vista up and running on your PC is both quick and simple to follow. It’s not quite so painless that you shouldn’t prepare for it, though.

The time to spot potential problems is before you start installing, and this can be done for you by the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. This will scan your system and let you know what issues may be waiting for you when you come to install your new version of Windows, and can be downloaded from here. It will even make sensible suggestions, whether that’s sourcing an update from the manufacturer or uninstalling the device or program to prevent it causing problems further down the line. Just click the More Details buttons after it has run, and choose Task List to see what you need to do.

After that, it should be plain sailing. I’ve been consistently impressed with how easy it is to get it installed: you just need to pick a location, tell it what language you need, and it should be done within 20 minutes. The only delays I’ve seen are if you’re installing it from within Windows XP (it can take a while to square the old files away) or if you hit problems with device drivers.

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Oh, and one last thing. If you’re running an Express Upgrade, it’s best to remove any system software you have installed (including security programs like Norton or McAfee), even if you’ve made sure it’s a compatible version. You can then reinstall it once you’ve got Windows Vista up and running.

Boot right

You may have to set your PC to boot from the DVD drive. This is done from the BIOS, accessed by pressing F1 or Delete as the PC boots up. Set First Boot Device to be your DVD drive, and save. Then restart with the Windows Vista Install disc in the drive.

Choose location

All you need to do is choose where you’re going to install to. It’s best to format the drive before you start, but it’s not essential. Any previous Windows installation will be moved to a new folder called Windows.old in your C:\ drive.

Keep Windows XP

If you want to keep your Windows XP installation alongside Windows Vista, you’ll need to install Windows Vista on a separate hard drive or partition, set up using software such as Norton PartitionMagic. You’ll need 15GB of space.

Add driver

If you’re told Windows can’t find an installation volume, go to your PC or motherboard maker’s website to find a Windows Vista driver for RAID or SATA. If you don’t know what hardware your PC has, run Upgrade Advisor and click See Details.

Load up

You’ll need to have the driver on a USB flash drive or floppy diskette. When you run the Windows Vista install CD, if the drive isn’t on the Where do you want to install Windows screen, click Load Driver and select the one you’ve downloaded.

Change settings

In computers with Gigabyte motherboards, you may need to go into the BIOS settings after the PC boots and change the SATA setting from IDE to RAID. Ignore the RAID screen and load the drivers. Once installed, return the settings to normal.

Force restart

If you’re unable to get Windows to start after installing a new driver or program, don’t panic. From the Windows Error Recovery menu that appears, choose Last Known Good Configuration to restore your system to working condition.

Final repair

If all else fails and you can’t start Windows Vista for any reason, you can launch System Restore or ‘fix start-up problems’ by booting from your Windows Vista DVD and selecting Repair your computer from the options that appear.

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