Clean Install Is the Way to Go with Vista

We turned next to performing a clean install of Vista. We installed Build 5600, the RC1 release of Vista, on the ThinkPad that we had upgraded. We transferred files and settings to this system from an identically configured Windows XP-powered Lenovo T41.

As with the clean installs weve performed with builds 5536 and 5568, RC1 took about 30 minutes to install. After wed finished the install process, we checked Windows Update. As with our XP-to-Vista upgrade, we found four updates available for our T41—new drivers for our video and wireless adapters, a ThinkPad power management driver and updated signatures for Windows Defender.

OEMs reveal their Vista upgrade plans. Click here to read more.

After applying the updates, we set out to transfer files and settings from the Windows XP machine. We launched the Windows Easy Transfer application, copied a small migration application to a USB key and ran that application on our Windows XP machine.

Both machines were connected to the same network, and we instructed the transfer application to connect the two machines directly over the network.

The transfer application prompted us to create new users on our destination machine to receive the user-specific settings from our host Windows XP system. We had to create new passwords for these users once we returned to our clean-installed Vista box.

The version of Windows Easy Transfer that ships with Vista RC1 does not transfer applications. Microsoft officials have said that the final version of this utility will offer this feature.

Advanced Technologies Analyst Jason Brooks can be reached at jason_brooks@ziffdavis.com.

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