Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade [DVD] - Old Version

by Microsoft

Product Features

• User-friendly software combines the features of Windows Vista Home Basic with even more impressive and user-friendly capabilities
• Features Windows Aero, an efficient and visually stunning interface that makes it easier to accomplish multiple tasks at once..
• Includes Windows Tablet and Touch Technology:
• Upgrade from your current edition of Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 2000 (including Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Home, Windows XP Media Center, Windows XP Tablet PC, Windows XP Professional x64, Windows 2000)
• Includes Windows Tablet and Touch Technology that enables you to interact with your Tablet PC-compatible computer with a digital pen or your fingertip instead of having to use a keyboard
• By integrating search throughout the operating system, helps you quickly find and organize large collections of documents, pictures, movies, videos, and music
• Features Windows Aero, an efficient and visually stunning interface that makes it easier to accomplish multiple tasks at once by providing a three-dimensional, real-time, animated view of all of your open applications, and documents

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 6 x 2 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000HCZ9BG
• Item model number: 66I-00003
• Date first available at Amazon.com: July 7, 2004
• Average Customer Review: 2.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (281 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,093 in Software (See Top 100 in Software)
  • #8 in Software > Operating Systems > Microsoft Windows > Windows Vista

Product Description

Amazon.com

The Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade DVD-ROM makes finding information, staying connected, and interacting with your PC easier and more secure. Whether you use your PC organizing and sharing photos, watching videos and TV programs, balancing your checkbook, doing homework, or listening to music, Windows Vista Home Premium makes it easy to enjoy your computing time. An ideal operating system for homes with advanced computer needs, Windows Vista Home Premium combines the features of Windows Vista Home Basic with even more impressive and user-friendly capabilities. It will help you use your laptop or desktop PC more effectively as well as enable you to take advantage of cutting-edge digital entertainment experiences--all with the benefit of added security and reliability.

Windows Sidebar gives you quick access to gadgets like picture slide shows, Windows Media Player controls, or news headlines. You pick the gadgets you want to see in Windows Sidebar. View larger.

Use Flip 3D to navigate through open windows using the scroll wheel on your mouse. View larger.

Compare Windows Vista editions.

Use Instant Search to quickly find the information you need. View larger.

Windows Vista Aero provides spectacular visual effects such as glass-like interface elements that you can see through.

The redesigned Windows Media Center in Windows Vista lets you enjoy your media throughout your home, even on your Xbox 360. View larger.

Update Eligibility
You can upgrade from your current edition of Microsoft Windows XP or Windows 2000 (including Windows XP Professional, Windows XP Home, Windows XP Media Center, Windows XP Tablet PC, Windows XP Professional x64, Windows 2000) to a corresponding or better edition of Windows Vista by purchasing and installing this upgrade copy of Windows Vista. Depending on which edition of Windows you are running and the edition of Windows Vista you would like to install, you have two options for the installation process: You can upgrade in-place, which means you can install Windows Vista and retain your applications, files, and settings as they were in your previous edition of Windows or you can do a clean install. If you are currently using Windows 2000 Professional or Windows XP Professional x64, you are eligible for an upgrade copy to a corresponding or better edition of Windows Vista, but a clean install is required. For versions of Windows earlier than Windows 2000, upgrade copies are not available. These earlier versions of Windows require you to install a full copy of Windows Vista.

Breakthrough Windows Vista Experience
Designed to help you feel confident in your ability to view, find, and organize information and to control your computing experience, all editions of Windows Vista introduce a breakthrough user experience. The visual sophistication of Windows Vista helps streamline your computing experience by refining common window elements so you can better focus on the content on the screen rather than on how to access it. The desktop experience is more informative, intuitive, and helpful. And new tools bring better clarity to the information on your computer, so you can see what your files contain without opening them, find applications and files instantly, navigate efficiently among open windows, and use wizards and dialog boxes more confidently.

Innovative User Interface
Windows Vista Home Premium has a new user interface named Windows Aero, which is both efficient and visually stunning. This new interface makes it easier than ever before to find your way around the operating system; it even makes it a snap to accomplish multiple tasks at once by providing a three-dimensional, real-time, animated view of all of your open applications and documents. Additionally, Windows Vista Home Premium helps you quickly find and organize large collections of documents, pictures, movies, videos, and music. By integrating search throughout the operating system, this software helps you quickly find exactly what you are looking for.

Improved Mobility
Windows Vista Home Premium makes it easy to take your home computing experience with you wherever you go. For example, the system includes Windows Tablet and Touch Technology that enables you to interact with your Tablet PC-compatible computer with a digital pen or your fingertip instead of having to use a keyboard. Computers that include Windows Vista Home Premium and an auxiliary Windows SideShow display will also allow you to access key data even when your computer is off. You'll even be able to share files between other PCs in your household and to manage your laptop computer settings to more securely connect to your favorite Wi-Fi hotspot.

More Entertainment Options
Windows Vista Home Premium has the power to improve every aspect of your digital entertainment experiences, including viewing and sharing photos, video, TV, movies, music, games, and more. For example, you can create your own DVDs and edit your own high-definition movies. The most exciting news, however, is that Windows Vista Home Premium includes all of the Windows Media Center capabilities for turning your PC into an all-in-one home entertainment center so you can enjoy your music, photos, and DVD movies. You can also use Windows Media Center to record and watch your favorite TV shows (even HDTV) and to access new kinds of online entertainment content. You will also be able to connect Windows Vista Home Premium to your Microsoft Xbox 360 to extend your Media Center experience to multiple rooms in your home.

Product Description

Windows Vista Home Premium makes finding information, staying connected, and interacting with your PC easier and more secure. Using, organizing, and sharing photos, video, TV programs, and music becomes a part of your everyday life. With Windows Vista Home Premium, balancing your checkbook, doing homework, watching a movie, listening to music, or playing a game is a better and more enjoyable experience.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

258 of 286 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Yikes., February 5, 2007

By 

D. E. Helfrich (Ann Arbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade [DVD] - Old Version (DVD-ROM)

Wow, I don't even know where to begin. Here's the horrifying details (so far)...

1. Installation. I heard the rumors about long installations. I can't tell you how long mine took because it finished sometime after I went to bed, about six hours after I had started.

2. Internet. This one almost brought me to tears. Vista kept setting up two network connections, one to my wireless network, and one to a mysterious "unidentified network." The troubleshooter told me Vista had two active connections and that was causing the problem. Simple right? Disable the "unidentified network" connection. Poof, there went my wireless with it. Enable my wireless, back comes the mystery network. I actually knocked out wireless to my entire house at one point in this circle of doom. Finally, as a stab in the dark, I manually disabled all network adapters on my machine except the wireless adapter. And that's why I'm able to write this review now...

3. Incompatibility. I knew there would be problems. Norton Ghost was good as gone, but I knew that. Then my antivirus turned out to be a no go. A few other applications would surely need upgrades. But ITUNES??? Come on! I could also list the games that used to run but no more, but this review is already getting long enough.

4. Hiding my stuff. I no longer own my My Music folder. I mean, Vista security TELLS me I'm the owner, but "permission is denied." I found a workaround on Microsoft's website "...sometimes you may lose access to your My Music folder during the upgrade." Oh that's lovely. By digging into the deep hidden folders per their instructions I found my music, and copied it to the desktop. At one point the file copy dialog box said "Moving files, 44,519 days remaining." I wish I was making that up. Fortunately Vista was over-estimating that a little.

5. New Features that don't work. I paid the extra dough and bought the premium version of Vista. The aero look is very cool. For about 3 minutes. Then I get a message saying "The desktop manager has stopped working." And I'm back to Vista Basic. That extra $50 may not have been money well spent.

6. The new Media Player won't play my newly rescued songs. It tells me it thinks many of my songs are on the I: drive. (I don't have an I: drive)

7. Things can get awful slow. My machine is four months old. It's dual-core, 2 Gig of memory, dual graphics cards, top of the line mobo. Under XP it flew. It wasn't broke. So I upgraded to Vista, you know, to break it.

Okay, that's enough. You get the idea. I had a few small XP gripes so I thought I'd try Vista. Bad mistake. Big ugly bad mistake. Vista may be great someday, but for me it's been 72 hours of hell.

At least I can uninstall, can't I... I can't? D'OH!!!

(And yes, I used the Vista Upgrade Advisor)

122 of 140 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I Did My Best, February 3, 2007

By 

M. Gerrish - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade [DVD] - Old Version (DVD-ROM)

I made this comment (now edited) to someone else's review, but for potential buyers, seems like it ought to be a review of its own:

For me, upgrading to Vista from the factory installed Windows XP Media Center Edition didn't work as promised. My system is compulsively up-to-date. I ran the Upgrade Advisor from Microsoft AND from Sony, and both said my system was fine, good-to-go. Upgrade away.

So I inserted the Vista Home Premium Upgrade version disc, but it wouldn't install, kept shutting down, requiring that I input the Product ID over and over and over, not getting past 21% of the Expanding Files section. A post on one of the Amazon boards mentioned NOT inserting the Product ID until after the installation and selecting the Custom instead of Upgrade option. Oddly, that worked. Vista installed.

It is a beautiful thing. I want it. Someday I hope to have it.

But it wouldn't activate, said I had to have the full version Vista Home Premium, not the upgrade version. After scanning my system, it couldn't tell me that during the "Advisor" stage? Resigned to a quagmire, I took the upgrade version back to the store (CompUSA). They wouldn't accept it (no returns of open software). Bright light of hope, the tech manager PROMISED that the Home Premium Upgrade already in my hands would, in fact, work fine on the factory installed XP system. (His name is Abel, but I think maybe he isn't.)

All I had to do? Restore my computer to factory condition (Sony VIAO desktop RA910G) then reinstall the Vista. Since all the updates, drivers and files were current, with documents securely backed up, I decided, what the heck -- worst thing that happens is my computer is fresh and new.

Not exactly. Same boat. And on top of the Vista STILL not installing, I have my computer back to factory condition, meaning that years of security and software updates are re-required. The snazzy Windows Media Player 11 that once managed all my music and videos won't upgrade beyond Media Player 10, ergo, the music download company I use (URGE) won't install into my system, ergo, aaaaargh, I have a cramp.

I haven't even reloaded Photoshop or my working software yet. I'm feeling another day of headache (going on 18 hours of actual involvement at this point with more to come).

I hope someone can offer a helpful solution. I can't find one at Microsoft's site or via Google. Although my computer is more or less in working order, Windows Media Player is downgraded and Media Center doesn't open at all. My entire system is less than it was and that's unacceptable.

In the meantime, I agree with others that although this is a very beautiful product, the WOW factor could be described in less enthusiastic terms and late in the evening, in more colorfully expressed four-letter terms.

UPDATE: It finally works, a lengthy and frightening experience all around, but with so much trial and error, I found the combination that worked for my system and maybe yours, if you're having the same problem described above. See INSTALLATION & ACTIVATION: FINALLY in the Customer Discussion area for this product.

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Big Brother has decided I'm not the Administrator, May 1, 2007

By 

R. Merrill (Ft Lauderdale, Florida USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Upgrade [DVD] - Old Version (DVD-ROM)

1. I had massive headaches doing my original install. I wanted to combine partitions as part of doing a clean install. Followed the instructions to boot from the DVD (duh). Suddenly, the system wouldn't recognize the product ID as valid because the only way it would be valid is if it's launched from within Windows. Ok, having deleted and combined partitions, that was now a non-starter. After Microsoft support flailed for 5 hours ... I tried to run my HP recovery disks. Ran into an incompatibility between the recovery disks and Vista (which will install without a product ID as a "feature" but then no-one at Microsoft can help you activate the product if you do so). Fortunately, I had a copy of XP Pro from my older Dell desktop. Installed that but, of course, couldn't upgrade from that version because the Home Premium Vista required XP Home Edition. But thankfully now my HP recovery disks worked, after which I was able to upgrade.

2. But the saga's not over. After 2 months of computing "bliss", suddenly my CD and DVD stops working. After some troubleshooting, I confirmed it was a corrupt driver file. After vain attempts to uninstall and force the system to re-install using device manager, I decided to do it manually. That's when I discovered that I could not access, delete, or correct the problem because although I'm a member of the administrator group, that group doesn't have full control rights. On my own computer! Yes, I tried the much vaunted recovery tool ... but it did not refresh my files and detected no problem. So ... as you've probably guessed by now, I had to use my HP recovery disks to put XP Home back onto my computer, then re-upgrade my system. Oh, and by the way, the upgrade requires that XP be of service pack 2 ... so not only did I have to re-install XP, I had to update it to service pack 2 before doing the Vista upgrade all over again!

... so I'm back computing with "bliss" with both CD and DVD again ... but this Vista version has caused countless hours, literally at least 40.

Stick with XP until they stop supporting it. Then buy an Apple or maybe by then Microsoft will have regained their senses.