This section discusses the procedure for upgrading your current installation of Windows XP Home Edition to Windows Vista. When you upgrade, the installation procedure copies the settings from your current version of Windows XP Home Edition and applies them to the installation of Windows Vista. To upgrade Windows XP Home Edition to Windows Vista, take the following steps.

1. Close any programs you’re running.

2. Insert the Windows Vista DVD, and then click the Install Now link on the introductory screen that appears. If the introductory screen doesn’t appear, choose Start My Computer, right-click the DVD drive, and then choose AutoPlay from the context menu. Windows displays the Install Windows: Get Important Updates for Installation screen, as shown here.

3.If you want to send general information about the upgrade process to Microsoft to help the company improve installation in future versions of Windows, select the I Want to Help Make Windows Installation Better check box.

4. If you have a fast Internet connection, click the Go Online to Get the Latest Updates for Installation button. Windows searches for updates and downloads them Otherwise, click the Do Not Get the Latest Updates for Installation button.

5. When Windows displays the Type Your Product Key for Activation screen, type the product key from the Windows packaging. Leave out the hyphens- Windows automatically inserts them for you. While Windows offers you the option of entering the key later, it’s best to enter it right away.

6. If you want Windows to activate itself automatically as soon as your computer goes online, select the Automatically Activate Windows When I’m Online check box. You may prefer to clear this check box and then activate Windows manually when you’ve made sure that the upgrade has been successful.

7. Click the Next button. Windows displays the license agreement.

8. Read the terms, select the I Accept the License Terms check box if you can accept them, and then click the Next button. Windows displays the Which Type of Installation Do You Want? screen, as shown here.

9. Click the Upgrade button. If Windows displays a Compatibility Report dialog box, as shown here, that lists issues you must resolve before upgrading, click the Close button, resolve the issues, and then restart installation. Otherwise, wait while Windows Setup upgrades Windows XP to Windows Vista which involves one or more reboots, and then log on to Windows Vista.

Performing a New Installation or Clean Installation of Windows Vista

This section shows you how to perform either a new installation of Windows Vista creating a dual-boot setup of Windows Vista alongside your existing version of Windows or adding Windows Vista to an existing dual-boot setup or a clean installation. If you decide you want to perform a new or clean installation of Windows Vista, follow these steps:

1. Make enough space on your computer’s hard disk to install Windows Vista on a separate partition of 16GB or more:

• If you have unused free space or an unused partition, you’re all set.

• If you need to create a new partition by shrinking one or more existing partitions, use a tool such as PartitionMagic from Symantec http://www.symantec.com.

• If you’re performing a clean installation on a new hard disk, or if you’ll overwrite the existing operating system, you just need to make sure the disk has a 16GB or larger partition.

2. For a new installation, back up your files in case anything goes wrong with creating the dualboot or multiboot setup.

3. Set up your computer to include the optical drive in the boot sequence before the hard drive. The steps involved depend on your computer’s BIOS basic input/output system, but typically you press a particular key such as Delete or F2 during bootup to access the BIOS screens, and then use the arrow keys and the Page Up and Page Down keys to navigate among settings.

4.Insert the Windows Vista DVD, and then restart your computer. When your computer invites you to press the spacebar to boot from the DVD, press the spacebar. The Windows Vista installation routine launches itself, as shown here.

5. In the Language to Install drop-down list, choose your language- for example, English.

6. In the Time and Currency Format drop-down list, choose your location- for example, English United States.

7. In the Keyboard or Input Method drop-down list, choose the keyboard layout you’re using- for example, US.

8. Click the Next button. Windows displays a screen with an Install Now button, as shown here.

9. Click the Install Now button. Windows displays the Type Your Product Key for Activation screen.

10. Type the product key from the Windows packaging. Leave out the hyphens- Windows automatically inserts them for you. While Windows offers you the option of entering the key later, it’s best to enter it right away.

11.If you want Windows to activate itself automatically as soon as your computer goes online, select the Automatically Activate Windows When I’m Online check box. You may prefer to clear this check box and then activate Windows manually when you’ve made sure that the installation has been successful.

12. Click the Next button. Windows displays the license agreement.

13. Read the terms, select the I Accept the License Terms check box if you can accept them, and then click the Next button. Windows displays the Which Type of Installation Do You Want? screen, as shown here. When you boot from the DVD, the Upgrade item is disabled, as in this example. When you launch the installation from Windows XP, the Upgrade item is enabled.

14. Click the Custom button. Windows displays the Where Do You Want to Install Windows? screen, which lists the disks and partitions available on your computer. Click the Drive Options Advancedlink if you want to see the commands for manipulating partitions, as shown here.

Loading Drivers and Refreshing the View

If any of your drives or partitions don’t appear in the list, click the Load Driver button to force Windows to scan the hardware again.

If Windows doesn’t update the list of drives and partitions to reflect changes you make, click the Refresh button.

15.If you have already prepared a suitable partition, go to the next step. If you need to delete a partition, format a partition, or create a new partition, click the Drive Options Advanced link, and then work as follows.

Delete a Partition Click the partition in the list, click the Delete button, and then click the OK button in the Install Windows dialog box that appears, as shown here. Windows deletes the partition, and then lists it as Unallocated Space.

Format a Partition Click the partition in the list, click the Format button, and then click the OK button in the Install Windows dialog box that appears, as shown here.

Create a Partition In the list box, click the unallocated space that you want to turn into a partition, and then click the New button. Windows displays a Size box with spinner controls, an Apply button, and a Cancel button, as shown here. Use the Size box to specify the partition size, and then click the Apply button.

Extend a Partition To extend an existing partition by adding unallocated space that appears after it, click the partition in the list box, click the Extend button, and then work with the controls that Windows displays. Windows allows you to extend a partition only once.

16. Select the partition in the list box, and then click the Next button. Windows copies files, expands them, and then installs the operating system, displaying a progress readout as shown here while it does so.

17. When Windows has finished installing, it reboots your computer, mulls its existence for a few minutes, and then displays the Set Up Windows Wizard discussed in the next section.

Completing Setup and Creating Your User Account

When completing an installation of Windows, or when setting up a preinstalled version of Windows Vista for the first time, you use the Set Up Windows Wizard. Take the following steps:

1. The wizard first displays the Choose a User Name and Picture screen, shown here with information entered.

2. Type the username, a password twice, and a password hint if you want to use one. The password hint is available to anyone who tries to log on to your computer, so it’s best not to create one. In the Choose a Picture for Your User Account area, click the picture you want to assign to your account for the time being. You can change the picture later.

3. Click the Next button. The wizard displays the Type a Computer Name and Choose a Desktop Background screen, as shown here.

4.Type a name for the computer, using letters, numbers, and hyphens or accept the suggested name based on the username you chose. Click one of the desktop backgrounds to use for the time being. You can change the desktop background later too. 5. Click the Next button. The wizard displays the Help Protect Windows Automatically screen, as shown here. 6. Click the appropriate button:

Use Recommended Settings Click this button if you want to install all important critical updates, recommended noncritical updates, turn on Internet safety features, and check online for solutions to Windows problems. If you have an always-on Internet connection, this is the best choice.

Install Important Updates Only Click this button if you want to install all critical updates but not recommended updates. You can check manually for other updates.

Ask Me Later Click this button if you want to postpone the decision. Because Windows doesn’t install critical updates, your computer may remain open to recently developed malware or other security threats.

7. The wizard displays the Review Your Time and Date Settings screen.

8. Choose your time zone in the Time Zone drop-down list, and select the Automatically Adjust Clock for Daylight Saving Time check box if appropriate.

9. Use the date picker to change the date if necessary, and the time text box to change the time.

10. Click the Next button. The wizard displays the You’re Ready to Start screen.

11. Click the Start button. Windows starts and displays the logon screen.

12. Click your username, type your password if you assigned one, and then click the arrow button. Windows logs you on and displays the Welcome Center window, which displays brief details about your computer and provides links for getting started with Windows Vista and learning about Windows-related offers from Microsoft such as downloading Windows Live Messenger or signing up for Windows Live OneCare antivirus software.