Repair A Vista Installation Using The Upgrade Option Of The Vista DVD
The two most obvious repair option for a Windows Vista installation is either re-installing (and losing all your data and programs) or using the repair options available on the Windows Vista DVD.
However, what if the repair options don't work? Do you really want to re-install the operating system and lose everything on your hard drive? Probably not!
Well there is a third option and that is to actually 'upgrade' the copy of Vista you already have using your Vista DVD. By doing this you can re-install Vista over the top of your original copy without losing any programs or data you already have on your PC.
While upgrading should, in theory, not disturb what applications/documents you already have on your hard drive it would be far wiser to actually backup any important files/documents prior to attempting this upgrade.
To repair your Vista installation using the upgrade option proceed as follows:
1/ To begin with you must proceed as if you were upgrading to Windows Vista from another operating system. Therefore, before you start go through the Upgrading To Windows Vista instructions first to see what is involved
2/ Once you have read the upgrade instructions then begin the upgrade. You should be aware that the upgrade may take several hours
3/ After the upgrade has completed the following instruction will be found useful
4/ Because you have upgraded the system you will, after the upgrade has finished, be prompted to activate your copy of Windows Vista
5/ Select the Activate Online Now option
6/ At the next screen, if you are unable to get an internet connection, Choose the 'Create new internet connection option'
7/ When the Create New Internet Connection window opens, Select the connection that you had created in the 'old' copy of Vista and then Type in your user name, Password, etc
8/ Once connected to the Internet the activation process should proceed
9/ If the activation is unsuccessful you will need to call the automated activation line. The toll free number is available when you Click the Activate by Phone option
10/ Once activation has completed the desktop will continue to set up and then, finally, you will be presented with the Welcome Center screen
11/ Close the Welcome Center screen
12/ If you now look in the bottom Right hand corner of your screen you may see a message "Windows Vista, Build xxxxxx. This copy of Windows is not genuine"
13/ To get this far your activation must have been successful. This indicates that the copy of vista you are using is Genuine. So once you get to this stage simply reboot your PC
14/ Once the PC re-boots the 'This copy of windows is not genuine' message should have disappeared.
15/ If the message doesn't disappear, then try validating your copy of Windows Vista by visiting http://www.microsoft.com/genuine
16/ When the site opens, just Click the Validate Now button