Dell Vista upgrade didn't go so well

Well I got my Dell Vista upgrade.

FYI..
It comes with 2 discs.
1. A Dell Upgrade Assistant
2. Vista Upgrade

I load #1 and it updates some drivers, updates some apps, then it shuts down some apps and drivers for the install of Vista..

I load #2 and it loads, unpacks (forever), expands, installs..

System reboots, reboots, reboots, reboots, reboots..

Uh Oh

Each time it gives me a momentary choice of what to load, ie.. rollback OS, or Vista.

So I rollback.
Then once back in XP I boot to the Vista disc and just start from scratch.
Took like 1/4 of the time to just load fresh.

Oh well, Vista is pretty though

Take Care,

 

Thanks for posting your experience. My buddy will be updating soon when his get to him. Using the fresh install of vista that they sent you did it install any extra dell crap?

 

When you booted from the disc, did you do a clean install (reformat and install it fresh)? Did you need to enter a product key?

 

Clean installs are always the better way to go IMO. Especially on a Dell, you'll be able to get rid of a lot of the crapware that comes preloaded. But upgrading can present a lot of incompatibilities and headaches, not to mention it takes forever.

 

No it didn't load any bloatware..

And Yes I blew out the partitions, changed sizes a litte.
And Yes I entered the Key.

Funny thing about the key.
You don't have to put the key in if you don't want but it says it will turn you off after so much time.
I put it in and even though this was a vista upgrade it took the key even as a clean install.
Once in windows under computer information it told me how long until it was going to transmit my key for activation (2 days I think), and I just told it to do it then..

System is working nicely though.
I tried a game or two and I just don't really see a difference in performance.

 

Oh jeez you actually put the Dell disc in before the Vista install disc? You know that's just Dell covering their bloatwares' butts to make sure they work in Vista right?

Personally, I would wipe everything and go with a clean, fresh install of Vista. You don't want any of that nasty Dell bloat on your OS.

 

Well thats what happened Gator..

When the Dell upgrade failed I ended up booting to Vista disc and wiping the HDD clean.

Thus when the system came up to running status there wasn't anything bloaty about it (except of course all the Microsoft stuff)

Not a big deal anyway.. I'm one of those people that get a brand new computer and blow out the HDD once I know the systems works.

I once worked for Gateway, and from experience, the warranty on a computer is 1 to 3 years but the warranty on the software is usually 30 days.

You may as well find out if it works while you can still get it replaced..