Windows Vista secrets –Want to Save $’s ?
Microsoft’s Windows Vista has been released to
the world wide customers. The operating system is said
to be more stable, secured among Windows family of operating
systems which has been released so far. Microsoft also
has been successful in implementing strict anti-piracy
measures in a Windows family of operating system which
was launched almost nearly two years ago. The anti-piracy
measures taken by the company require one to activate
the product before they make use of it. Microsoft has
given 30 days grace period for activation of Windows
Vista, after which Vista will function in a reduced
functionality mode. This makes the customer to strictly
go for genuine software. Microsoft has done a great
job by introducing Windows Genuine Advantage program
which is aimed at curbing pirated software and encourages
people to buy the original ones, there by increasing
company’s revenues.
Many new features in Windows Vista
The operating system also has introduced many new features
such as Windows Aero, Internet Explorer 7, Windows Media
Player 11, and Side bar etc. It also includes features
like 3D, translucent effects to windows using Aero,
Tabbed Browsing and Anti-phishing filter in internet
Explorer 7.0, and many other features.
Major technical blunder
However, Microsoft itself has committed a major technical
blunder in Windows Vista, allowing the user to save
their dollars, which in turn causes huge revenue loss
to the world famous corporate. Microsoft has confirmed
some reports circulating on the internet that, the installation
program has got a hidden major flaw which allows upgrade
copy of Windows Vista into a computer without the need
of Windows XP or Windows 2000, which is needed for any
normal upgrade! This saves about $140 to $150 to every
customer who wants to install Windows Vista to a computer
that was running without Windows XP or Windows 2000
preinstalled in it! This would certainly fool Microsoft,
and in addition can cause huge revenue losses for the
company, but at the same time indirectly gifted the
full version customer with a huge rebate!
The process of installation will be done with an upgrade
copy of Windows Vista Home Premium edition. One can
also tryout by using any other editions of Windows Vista.
The installation process has to be carried out in two
stages by using the upgrade DVD product of Windows Vista.
The upgrade DVD product costs about $140 lesser than
the Full Version DVD product.
The first stage is of installing Windows Vista, which
is followed by the next stage, i.e. upgrading Windows
Vista.
Stage 1: Install Windows Vista:
Boot the system using the Windows Vista Upgrade DVD.
Click the "Install Now" button, when it
appears on the screen to continue install Windows Vista.
In the next screen, one will be prompted to provide
the product key. One needs to play a trick here. The
setup allows one to skip entering the product key and
allows the install media to perform a clean install
of any vista editions. Simply leave the product key
field blank and deselect the option "Automatically
activate Windows when I’m Online" and simply
press next to go to the next screen. Windows Vista setup
will however ask you again whether you want enter the
product key, for which one has to select just no.
The next screen will prompt the user to select the
product edition owned. Select the correct edition and
click next to move to the next screen. Before, moving
to the next screen, you will be prompted with a message
to confirm the edition selected. The next screen will
display the End User License Agreement (EULA). Click
next to continue to select the type of install. Choose
Custom (Advanced) here. The next screen enables one
to select the partition to which Windows Vista needs
to be installed. Here, one needs to be careful. Do not
select the partition where you have kept data. You can
format the partition or the disk by selecting Drive
Options (Advanced) to do so and continue.
Now, the setup program will format if selected, copies
the install image in to the PC, expands it, and installs
Windows Vista into the computer. This process will take
about 15 to 30 minutes to complete. One will be asked
to reboot the system after copying and installation
process gets over. Now, after reboot, the setup enters
into its final stage and prompts one to set user name
and password, computer name, date and time settings.
After collecting the information, setup finally runs
a performance test. One will get the Welcome screen
at the end of performance test. You need to login using
the user name and password which you had provided just
before the performance test, to get new vista desktop
screen.
The first stage completes here itself. Whatever installed
till now is virtually temporary. One will get 30 days,
during which they can run this not activated version
of Windows Vista. However, the activation process will
fail because, the installation process is clean install
and the product contains only the upgrade key. One may
think, what to do next... what to do... The
solution lies in the next stage.
Stage 2: Upgrade:
We just installed Windows Vista by using upgrade DVD.
At the end of this stage, one will get activatable version
of Windows Vista which one can activate later using
internet later.
One needs to run the Windows Vista setup again using
the Upgrade DVD from Windows Vista itself, to begin
stage 2 and obtain activatable Windows Vista. The final
surgery begins with clicking Install Now button in the
setup and continues with clicking "Do not get the
latest updates for installation" in the next screen.
The immediate next screen prompts the user to enter
the product key. Now, since this is virtual stage 2,
enter the product key. The product key will be printed
on the back of pull out Vista packaging. Now, also one
can select the option to automatically activate the
copy of Windows Vista. In the next screen one need to
accept the End User License Agreement (EULA). Choose
Upgrade option. Windows Vista will get installed as
before, but, it will take little more time to complete
this process. On completion of this process, setup will
reboot the computer.
This time, on reboot, you will not be prompted to enter
user name and password and other information. Instead
the setup process directly jumps to welcome screen on
completion of performance test.
Now, login to Windows Vista desktop by providing the
user name and password which was earlier entered. The
activation process will work from now. You need to activate
installed Vista within 30 days (Unless one selects to
do so during setup). Activate Windows Vista any time
but, within 30 days, by opening start menu, right click
Computer and Choose Properties. At the bottom of resultant
System window, select the link titled "Activate
Windows Now". You will get the product activated.
You can enjoy the product from now on.
Finally, is it Legal or Illegal?
Whether it is legal or not, this is perhaps the tough
question to be answered at this point. Some people will
say that the process is legal because they used licensed
legal copy of Windows Vista to complete the process.
They may argue that, it is the fault of Microsoft allowing
such tactics, in the final product. They may say that,
the company has not tested thoroughly the setup process
of upgrade package, which will not perform the test
for presence of Windows XP or Windows 2000 in the system
before the actual process of installation begins from
the upgrade DVD. But, if you think from Microsoft point
of view, this process seems to be illegal. As Microsoft
gives this upgrade copy for upgrading the computers
which has got Windows XP or Windows 2000 already in
it, the tricky process explained here becomes illegal,
when one installs the product to a computer system which
has got no operating system got installed, which is
certainly violating the EULA and could cause huge revenue
loss to the company. However, you can proceed under
your own risk to continue installing using the original
upgrade DVD. The company may take legal action against
those customers who installed Windows Vista in this
tricky way.
What ever, the thing might be, this seems to be very
interesting, as poor customer will get benefited by
this process of installing Windows Vista in to their
systems. More over, this major fault is likely to be
an eye opener to Microsoft for strengthening the QA
(Quality Assurance) and QT (Quality Testing) departments
in the near future in these areas. Is it not so? |
