The Notebook Review forums were hosted by TechTarget, who shut down them down on January 31, 2022. This static read-only archive was pulled by NBR forum users between January 20 and January 31, 2022, in an effort to make sure that the valuable technical information that had been posted on the forums is preserved. For current discussions, many NBR forum users moved over to NotebookTalk.net after the shutdown.
Problems? See this thread at archive.org.

    Is Vista Express Upgrade DVD supposed to be bootable?

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by hendra, Nov 29, 2007.

  1. hendra

    hendra Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    157
    Messages:
    2,020
    Likes Received:
    6
    Trophy Points:
    56
    If you bought a new PC last year during 2006 Holiday Selling Season and your PC was preinstalled with XP, you might be eligible to get free Vista DVD upgrade when the OS was released to the public earlier this year. Microsoft called this special program as Windows Vista Express Upgrade Program.

    I got mine from Sony a few months ago. It works but the thing is it is not bootable and I wonder if my case is unique. If you got your Vista Express Upgrade DVD from another manufacturer (Dell, Gateway, Toshiba etc), have you checked whether your DVD is bootable?
     
    hendra, Nov 29, 2007
    #1
  2. orev

    orev Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    809
    Messages:
    2,829
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    56
    Are you sure it's the DVD that's not bootable? Could it be that you computer is not configured to boot from the DVD? Do you have another DVD that you know is bootable that you can try with? If not, download something like ubuntu linux and give it a try just to see if that boots from the disc.
     
    orev, Nov 29, 2007
    #2
  3. hendra

    hendra Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    157
    Messages:
    2,020
    Likes Received:
    6
    Trophy Points:
    56
    Yes, I am pretty sure that it's the DVD that is not bootable. I have Windows XP and some other CDs that boot from my machine without any problem.
     
    hendra, Nov 29, 2007
    #3
  4. miner

    miner Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    1,326
    Messages:
    7,137
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    The Vista express DVD's are certainly or atleast the ones provided by HP are bootable. I did a clean install from the HP provided Vista express DVD's. Infact the HP express DVD was no different than the regular retail DVD's except it shipped with an OEM product key and no support from Microsoft.

    Ofcourse Sony might have done their magic on the DVD and made it non bootable.
     
    miner, Nov 30, 2007
    #4
  5. orev

    orev Notebook Virtuoso

    Reputations:
    809
    Messages:
    2,829
    Likes Received:
    1
    Trophy Points:
    56
    Is there a difference between the "Express Upgrade" disc and the "Anytime Upgrade" disc? I figured that Express Upgrade was for people who bought Vista ready systems and were entitled to get it for free when it came out.
     
    orev, Nov 30, 2007
    #5
  6. miner

    miner Notebook Nobel Laureate

    Reputations:
    1,326
    Messages:
    7,137
    Likes Received:
    0
    Trophy Points:
    205
    Yes thats correct. They are no different(atleast the HP version) from any other retail Vista DVD.
     
    miner, Nov 30, 2007
    #6