Installing Vista Beta 2

If i chose to upgrade from xp to vista beta 2 will it delte my documents and other files?
please help here..on standby to install..lol

 

I'm not sure, but I don't recommend upgrading. I would do it as a seperate install. Make a partition (10gb should be ok) and install it on that.

 

Actually, if you do the upgrade it will create a different partition, look at the programs you have running under XP, then install Vista on the new partition with the programs it finds that are compatable. After numerous restarts you will be up and going. Neat thing is that when you boot from a machine that is turned off it will offer you a choice for either Windows (Vista) or Windows (XP) termed "previous installation". Up it comes just as if you never installed Vista. Works fine too. Your mileage may vary of course depending upon the system you install on and the hardware profile Vista finds. Aero is nice, but it takes a toll for system speed. Enjoy!

 

Does anyone know why the options (when you dual boot XP/Vista) are simply "windows" and "previous windows installation"? It would be nice if the installations identified themselves with the actual OS name instead of the generic reference. I went into system properties/advanced/startup and recovery but that only lets you set the amount of time to display both OSs....not change their names.

Maybe this will be resolved by the time the real Vista is released. I also don't see any kind of graphic when Vista is starting up.

 

There is no boot screen in the betas

 

SO can someone help me create a new partition?i have absolutely no clue how to do it. Also let me confirm..upgrading will keep both xp and vista and i can do a dual boot.correct?

 

partition magic ?

 

Actually you can install Beta 2 as an upgrade and it will create a partition for the Vista and leave your XP alone. It will port over the executables for those programs that it considers "compatible" and those program icons will appear on the Vista desktop. Whenever you boot the system after the Vista install, it will give you a splash screen that will ask if you want "windows" (Vista in this case) or the "previous windows installation" (XP) Don't know why they labeled them that way but it does work just fine.

 

In my copy of Beta, it shows "MS Windows" or "Earlier verision of Windows"

You can edit what these say by opening the boot.ini file in your root folder, which is a protected hidden system file, so you have to enable the viewing of hidden protected system operating files/folder in Folder Options/View. I'd make a backup of that file first, then edit it by opening it up in Notepad.
Where it says "....partition(#a)\..."Earlier Version of Windows" you can make it say XP, and then where it says "Windows" on the next line below, you can make it say "Vista". Save and in the rootfolder of drive C as boot.ini and you're in business.




Alcyon is not responsible for any mistakes you make editing your boot.ini file.