Questions about Vista - Dual booting and more

S

SleeplessIncubus

Gawd
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Messages
582
Ok, I got some questions about Vista and heres my story.

I had gotten a 30 day trial of Ultimate that had all the versions of the disc before it was officially released. I installed the x64 version of Ultimate and everything I had ran fine with it. When vista came out I went and bought a full retail version of home premium x86. Before I opened the package I remembered that I forgot to hook up my printer and scanner with the trial version of vista....so I installed it again and ran the Home Premium. Sure enough the drivers werent supported and my scanner and printer dont work. It also says there is an issue with my sound driver but the sound works fine. There was also a device on my mb that was unrecognized but i dont recall what it was - not a big deal.

I figured that I would run the trial for the 30 days and if the drivers didnt come out by then I would just return the software and get it at a later time. If I was to keep it then how do I go about dual booting? Can I just partition my primary drive and install XP and Vista on it...or should I install Vista on the primary and XP on my secondary (storage) drive? Also, which order is preferred - vista first and xp second?
 
I started out on XP and then installed Vista. I just used PartitionMagic to create a new primary partition, which I installed Vista on. Really easy. I'm guessing you'd be able to do the same thing in reverse order with the same ease.
 
well, i was screwing around in the bios and i accidentally changed the date to 2006 (forgot it was 2007) and now im locked out of vista because my trial expired. i changed the date back to 2007 in the bios and im still locked out.

the desktop is black and all i can do is access IE7. theres really nothing else i can do because its not a retail trial version...i believe it was a beta trial...think it was either build 5000 or 6000 cant recall exactly now.

is there any way to restore it or do i basically have to format again and re-install the trial?
 
Not even sure if a reinstall is gonna help, but it's worth a try. You should have activated a beta, and you would have gotten until June1st 2007 I 've moved a activated beta a few times, and never had a reactivation message.Good luck
 
First error: there is no "30 day trial edition of Vista" - it sure would be nice if people stop spreading that flat out lie, please.

With the situation you currently have, your best course of action is to simply start nice and clean but put XP on first. If you have an older version of Windows you want to use in a dual boot configuration with Vista, the advice is to always install the older version first, then add Vista. That way the older version will be seen by Vista and added to the Vista bootloader at boot time.

Vista will be the default OS - meaning if you don't hit a key before the time runs out, that's the OS that loads. But this is still the recommended "path" to installing both for any dual boot with multiple versions of Windows.
 
What remains to be seen here is, if they will even reactivate a beta key that wasn't activated before RTM. Please let us know what happens. ;) :D
 
i actually booted the machine from the disc and did a clean install with it.

i have no idea what kind of disc it is beta/trial whatever. there was just a thing that popped up and said i have 30 days to evaluate the copy.

i did have to put in a code or anything for it....i also have not opened my retail vista yet and didnt do an upgrade from my xp. i just popped in the dvd, booted from it, deleted the partition and installed vista on it.

i guess i can take a photo of what it is showing....but that will be later on tonight
 
bbz_Ghost said:
First error: there is no "30 day trial edition of Vista" - it sure would be nice if people stop spreading that flat out lie, please.

With the situation you currently have, your best course of action is to simply start nice and clean but put XP on first. If you have an older version of Windows you want to use in a dual boot configuration with Vista, the advice is to always install the older version first, then add Vista. That way the older version will be seen by Vista and added to the Vista bootloader at boot time.

Vista will be the default OS - meaning if you don't hit a key before the time runs out, that's the OS that loads. But this is still the recommended "path" to installing both for any dual boot with multiple versions of Windows.
Click to expand...

can i just partition my main drive into 2....then install xp and then vista. is that good or are people having problems with that?
 
Every Vista DVD is the same: they all have the same stuff on them, meaning:

Home Basic
Home Basic N
Home Premium
Business
Business N
Ultimate

The key you enter (if you enter it when requested) is what determines the edition that gets installed. If you don't enter the key, you can pick and choose any of them, and get that 30 day period, but it's not a "trial" period for just anyone, mind you. The only people that are supposed to have Vista are beta testers given a free copy, MSDN subscribers, or people that paid for it or got it free from some promotion like the PowerTogether deal back in November.

No need to take pictures, we've all seen it many times probably.

You can split the drive in two using the XP installer, sure. No need for third party tools to do it, just use the XP setup to delete the partitions on the drive, make a small(er) one for XP then leave the rest of the space unassigned and unpartitioned. After XP is up and running, install Vista as you'd planned to do, and point it to the unassigned/unpartitioned space.

My only suggestion is: once you crack the seal on your Retail Vista edition, don't activate it till you're 100% sure it's working properly. In that respect, you have a 30 day "grace" period to verify all your hardware is working and you've got time to get the proper drivers before you have to commit to the activation.

So always, always, save activation till the last moment if possible. You can always start over again as much or as often as you want, but once you activate it, you're going to be tying the key to that specific hardware - the mobo primarily - so don't do that last step until it's 100% solid and running Vista the way you want.

Hope this helps...
 
bbz thanks!

yeah the copy was given to me by a friend who does networking for a big company. he said he didnt need or want it. like i said in the OP i installed it once just to see how i liked it and if most of the software i had worked ok with it....and it all did except for the fact i forgot about my printer and scanner.

so i installed it clean about a week ago to see if the printer and scanner worked and they did not. i also purchased a retail copy from CC the same day but havent opened it yet.

do u think its a good idea to dual boot it with this beta software? i mean im not sure if i am going to stick with vista if my printer and scanner dont work with it. i was thinking about getting a new multifunction printer that was designed for vista but i dont feel like dropping 150-200 on that as well.

what would u suggest?
 
That's all up to you. I don't know what your intentions are (and you really don't need to go into those details). Helping with dual boot situations is easy, offering personal advice on what you should do with your money, that's a tough call and I'd prefer not to go there. :)

I would say if you've got the retail edition of Vista now - and you said you bought it - work with that from now on. You don't need a key to install it - save that for later when you're finally situated with the hardware, etc. Anything you do till then are basically test installs to get everything supported and workable.

When it's all taken care of, install it, get it set up, and when you're satisfied it's working, activate it with the retail key you purchased.
 
bbz_Ghost said:
That's all up to you. I don't know what your intentions are (and you really don't need to go into those details). Helping with dual boot situations is easy, offering personal advice on what you should do with your money, that's a tough call and I'd prefer not to go there. :)

I would say if you've got the retail edition of Vista now - and you said you bought it - work with that from now on. You don't need a key to install it - save that for later when you're finally situated with the hardware, etc. Anything you do till then are basically test installs to get everything supported and workable.

When it's all taken care of, install it, get it set up, and when you're satisfied it's working, activate it with the retail key you purchased.
Click to expand...

the only problem with installing the retail version is that once its opened it cant be returned. it was $260 and if i cant my stuff working with it correctly then i dont really want it right now. that was really the reason why i installed the beta so that i could atleast keep it for 30 days and if the drivers didnt come out by the time it expired i could return the retail copy.
 
Right, but the problem with that is you were using the 64 bit version of Vista previously - the so-called trial version - and you bought the 32 bit version, sooo...

I guess you need to figure out which one you want to run, 32 or 64 bit, and go from there. If your intention is to get the machine fully working in 64 bit mode, then you already have your answer - continue using what you've already got and do your best to make it all work. Most of the time, at least in my experience, if you can find XP x64 drivers they'll work for Vista as well - mind you that's my experience and no one elses. The only way to know for sure for your hardware is to get the 64 bit drivers for XP x64 if you can find them and give 'em a whirl with Vista x64. You might get lucky.

If your plan is to stick with 32 bit all the way, then you also have your answer since you can't do anything with Vista in terms of 32 bits unless you open that box.
 
bbz_Ghost said:
Right, but the problem with that is you were using the 64 bit version of Vista previously - the so-called trial version - and you bought the 32 bit version, sooo...

I guess you need to figure out which one you want to run, 32 or 64 bit, and go from there. If your intention is to get the machine fully working in 64 bit mode, then you already have your answer - continue using what you've already got and do your best to make it all work. Most of the time, at least in my experience, if you can find XP x64 drivers they'll work for Vista as well - mind you that's my experience and no one elses. The only way to know for sure for your hardware is to get the 64 bit drivers for XP x64 if you can find them and give 'em a whirl with Vista x64. You might get lucky.

If your plan is to stick with 32 bit all the way, then you also have your answer since you can't do anything with Vista in terms of 32 bits unless you open that box.
Click to expand...

actually the first time i installed x64 then when i realized i was going to buy a retail version and not an upgrade i installed the home premium x86 beta and that was running up until i screwed up in the bios.

i was planning on running the x86 version and sending away for the x64 version and when more and more drivers released then switch to that but in the meantime just run the x86 vista home.

now that my scanner and printer dont work as well as something else on the mb....i really dont know what to do.
 
The "something else on the mobo" could be something as innocuous as the notorious SMB driver that typically never seems to get resolved.

Personally I'd say you're better off using Vista to get accustomed to it than not using it. But again, that's my personal advice, and I'm leery of offering such advice because it smacks of me "telling you what to do" and I don't like doing that.

You're going to have to decide what you want to do and then go from there, that's all there is to it. Hell, I had a $24 printer from Wal-Mart that worked in 64 bit Vista using the XP x64 drivers, no issues. I haven't owned a scanner in 10 years so that's not even something I can offer advice or suggestions about anyway.

Do some research, find a device or devices that suit your needs, try to get a good price, and go get 'em. Or screw 'em for the time being and just use Vista anyway. :)

You can always dual boot with XP or 2K if those OSes properly support your printer/scanner, you know. Always an option...
 
bbz_Ghost said:
The "something else on the mobo" could be something as innocuous as the notorious SMB driver that typically never seems to get resolved.

Personally I'd say you're better off using Vista to get accustomed to it than not using it. But again, that's my personal advice, and I'm leery of offering such advice because it smacks of me "telling you what to do" and I don't like doing that.

You're going to have to decide what you want to do and then go from there, that's all there is to it. Hell, I had a $24 printer from Wal-Mart that worked in 64 bit Vista using the XP x64 drivers, no issues. I haven't owned a scanner in 10 years so that's not even something I can offer advice or suggestions about anyway.

Do some research, find a device or devices that suit your needs, try to get a good price, and go get 'em. Or screw 'em for the time being and just use Vista anyway. :)

You can always dual boot with XP or 2K if those OSes properly support your printer/scanner, you know. Always an option...
Click to expand...

yeah thats kinda what i was leaning towards. dual booting my vista home premium and xp pro oem.

anyone know if there is any multifunction printer that is designed for vista and works ok with it?
 
$79 for an Epson 3in1 CX5000 at Compusa, that works with Vista. Also try to visit the MFG website, there are drivers starting to show up for Vista on thier sites.As a matter of fact ,ALL thier printers had Vista ready stickers on them.
 
Also, check manufacturer websites regularly for 'non-supported' printers, scanners etc. Suitable drivers are showing up with more frequency. My printer driver arrived on the Epson website a few days ago.
 
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