Well, it’s 14:53, and my Windows Vista DVD has just arrived. I opted for the Home Premium version.
So – I have an eSys PC, 2GHz Celeron, with 1GB of RAM, 40GB HDD, a DVDRW drive, and a Radeon 9600 Graphics Card – the upgrade advisor says the PC will run Vista, as does the system requirements page on the Vista Website. The PC is also permenantly connected to my LAN, with a static IP assigned by the router. The PC currently has an OEM version of Windows XP Home installed on it – so, in theory I should have to format the PC, as this is also an OEM disk that I have purchased.
So, I put the DVD in the drive, and a pretty little box pops up asking what I want to do, and advises me to download the Upgrade Advisor to check that the PC is compatible (which I have done).
Now, it asks me do I want to upgrade – at this point, I think what the heck? It’s OEM – you aren’t supposed to be able to do that! I click YES anyway (I’ve got a few hours to waste if it decides half way through to say get lost)…
Anyway, the installer says it’s gonna download some updated files from the internet – I let it. It takes a few mins, and it’s onto the next bit… It’s asking for the Serial Number. So I enter it, and then untick the activation box below – I don’t want it automatically activating incase I end up installing it on my MacBook (if the PC isn’t up to it – it should be, but I’m being careful).
Ok, the install continues. It’s copied windows files (it’s ticked and now greyed out).
<WAIT>
It’s now “Gathering Files” … albeit slowly, but not painfully slow.
<WAIT>
It’s now 15:03, and it’s at 48% gathering files.
<WAIT>
I’ve just noticed at the bottom of the installer window:
“Your upgrade may take several hours to complete” 
<WAIT>
It’s now 15:07, and it’s completed Gathering Files – it’s now on Expanding Files 3%
15:10 – Ok, it’s just done something. I looked away from the screen (my eyes hurt), and the installer just quit.. it then has shown a End Program box, and it’s doing stuff on it’s own – the PC is now rebooting…
15:11 – Yes, it’s continuing with the installer. I’ve just seen a very black booting screen – I.E. No Vista Logo, but a scrolling bar below, in the same place the XP one would be.
15:12 – Yes, it’s now continuing to Expand Files (21%)
<WAIT>
Oh well, the fastness of the upgrade seems to have slowed right down – it’s now still at 21%, 3 mins later.
15:33 – 89%
15:36 – Installing features and updates … … …
15:37 – Thats just completed, and it’s also gone grey – also, the Completing upgrade has gone grey, and no tick next to this one yet… I wonder what it’s doing??
15:38 – It’s restarting now..
15:39 – A black screen, with white text on, and a white vista logo…. “Please wait a moment while Windows prepares to start for the first time … … …”
15:42 – The text has gone, and it looks like it’s loading the GUI, as i’ve just seen a pointer appear, and now it’s changed to a rotating circle.
It’s now continuing with the upgrade.
15:53 – Completing Upgrade (28%)
16:04 – (45%)
It looks like the graphics driver has just installed (16:09) – the percent is now 49…
Now, the screen has gone black, with just a pointer – I wonder what it’s doing again… the hdd activity light is flashing away.
Yup, just as I thought – another reboot!
16:11 – Ok, that was a bit scary – I thought it had bombed out then. It started a reboot, then the monitor went off and the light went orange (like it does when there’s no signal).. it came on about a min later…
It’s now continuing with the setup (64%)
<WAIT>
16:18 – 78%
16:21 – Just rebooted again
16:22 – It’s just asked me if I want to enable the security stuff – I chose standard. It’s now asking about timezone.
It then asks about Computer Current Location – I choose Home, as this is a home edition :doh!:
Then I get a nice big Thank you, with a start button.
I’ve just clicked the start button, and the dialog box has disappeared – I’m waiting now to see what it does. The hdd light is flashing away again… wait for a reboot lol
The mouse pointer has disappeared.
A few mins later (as it looked like it had locked before), it’s now got the usual speel on the screen… getting more done is fun etc… and it’s checking my computer’s performance.
16:36 – it’s got about 3/4 of the way through, and the screen has gone black and now shows the vista logo… it’s now preparing my desktop…
16:37 – Now, I started at 14:53.. the installer has finished! Now – Just to figure out how to use it!
Yup, the Vista OEM disk has upgraded my OEM install of XP
Edit:
Ok, well I’ve since well and truly broken my Vista install in two places.
I thought I’d go through my add remove programs and remove some legacy apps, like Windows Defender. I decided to do this, as I thought Vista had it built in.. now the built in Defender refuses to work or update, and it won’t let me reinstall it… The same goes for MSN Messenger. Bah!
At this point, I really can’t be arsed doing a repair, so now, 17:49, I’m doing a fresh install… wish me luck! Thank god I didn’t activate it!
Ok, the time is 18:30, and Vista has just finished installing from fresh – it’s certainly gone much quicker!
Just doing a vista ultimate OEM install, upgrading the RC1 Vista beta. Its sitting on 16% of “gathering files” while I sit here gathering dust… its been 30 mins.
Something tells me the time spent backing up for a fresh install might have been worth while, but Nooooo… I had to choose the upgrade path
Hi, im in the middle of installing vista and i gotscared when it was on 21% it stayed on there for about twenty minutes a least =/ but got past it, and so many reboots.
Congratulations that you got it installed!
I hope mine goes as smooth as yours (albeit a tad slow, but hey…)
Good luck with Vista
It doesn’t seem to be taking too long now – the moment when the screen went black was a bit of a worry, and it seemed a lifetime for it to come on (having a lot of dealings with windows in the past, its a thing i’ve experienced going belly up)
I feel for you. I will be doing this tonight. I just hope it goes a bit faster for me. It stops people from formating a lot though. Just imagine the wait!