how to install vista from download

I just purchased Vista Basic Upgrade from the MS online store.

It comes in 3 parts - an exe file and two .wim files - install.wim and
boot.wim

Unfortunately there seems to be no instructions included on how to handle
the files. I need to install it on my mini laptop and not the one I am
using now. So I was expecting it to be an ISO which I burn to DVD which I
can then use on the other machine.

Can anyone advise please on what I need to do? Do I run the exe on the
intended machine and it will compile it for me and install?

As a side note, if I need to install again in the future, can I run the
upgrade by itself without having to install XP first? IIRC with older
versions you could run the upgrade only and it will ask for your product key
for the previous os.

"Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
news:492ed7b7$0$33709$ anews.com...
>I just purchased Vista Basic Upgrade from the MS online store.
>
> It comes in 3 parts - an exe file and two .wim files - install.wim and
> boot.wim
>
> Unfortunately there seems to be no instructions included on how to handle
> the files. I need to install it on my mini laptop and not the one I am
> using now. So I was expecting it to be an ISO which I burn to DVD which I
> can then use on the other machine.
>
> Can anyone advise please on what I need to do? Do I run the exe on the
> intended machine and it will compile it for me and install?
>
> As a side note, if I need to install again in the future, can I run the
> upgrade by itself without having to install XP first? IIRC with older
> versions you could run the upgrade only and it will ask for your product
> key for the previous os.


Hello Beck,

First things first - make sure that you save those three files in a safe
place. Burn them as data to a DVD or copy them to an external USB drive.
You don't want to lose them.

Now, as you want to upgrade a different computer, you will need to get those
files copied over to your mini laptop. Are your computers networked
together? If they are, transfer the files over to the mini. If you don't
have a network, then do you have a spare USB port on the mini and an
external USB drive? Copy to the USB drive, plug into the mini, then copy to
the mini.

Once you have the files copied over to the mini, then you click on the exe
file and follow the prompts to upgrade.

Unlike earlier Windows operating systems, you will need to start the upgrade
from a running activated system - there is no choice to supply a qualifying
CD during the install. As you have found out, the Upgrade purchased online
does not create an ISO for burning. It must be installed from a running
system. (There is a tutorial floating around the internet somewhere that
claims to make a bootable ISO image from these files, but I have not tested
it out).

Before you start the upgrade, make sure that your mini has sufficient
diskspace - how big is the hard drive, and how much free space is there?

--
Jane, not plain 64 bit enabled :-)
Batteries not included. Braincell on vacation ;-)
MVP - Windows Desktop Experience

Jane C wrote:
> "Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
> news:492ed7b7$0$33709$ anews.com...
>> I just purchased Vista Basic Upgrade from the MS online store.
>>
>> It comes in 3 parts - an exe file and two .wim files - install.wim and
>> boot.wim
>>
>> Unfortunately there seems to be no instructions included on how to
>> handle the files. I need to install it on my mini laptop and not the
>> one I am using now. So I was expecting it to be an ISO which I burn
>> to DVD which I can then use on the other machine.
>>
>> Can anyone advise please on what I need to do? Do I run the exe on
>> the intended machine and it will compile it for me and install?
>>
>> As a side note, if I need to install again in the future, can I run
>> the upgrade by itself without having to install XP first? IIRC with
>> older versions you could run the upgrade only and it will ask for your
>> product key for the previous os.
>
>
> Hello Beck,
>
> First things first - make sure that you save those three files in a safe
> place. Burn them as data to a DVD or copy them to an external USB
> drive. You don't want to lose them.
>
> Now, as you want to upgrade a different computer, you will need to get
> those files copied over to your mini laptop. Are your computers
> networked together? If they are, transfer the files over to the mini.
> If you don't have a network, then do you have a spare USB port on the
> mini and an external USB drive? Copy to the USB drive, plug into the
> mini, then copy to the mini.
>
> Once you have the files copied over to the mini, then you click on the
> exe file and follow the prompts to upgrade.
>
> Unlike earlier Windows operating systems, you will need to start the
> upgrade from a running activated system - there is no choice to supply a
> qualifying CD during the install. As you have found out, the Upgrade
> purchased online does not create an ISO for burning. It must be
> installed from a running system. (There is a tutorial floating around
> the internet somewhere that claims to make a bootable ISO image from
> these files, but I have not tested it out).
>
> Before you start the upgrade, make sure that your mini has sufficient
> diskspace - how big is the hard drive, and how much free space is there?
>

And also how much RAM and how much it can be expanded? There's no
earthly use trying to update a machine to Vista that only has 512MB RAM
and no option to increase that value...

"Jane C" <> wrote in message
news:FC674B0F-1842-49CD-BCCD-...
> "Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
> news:492ed7b7$0$33709$ anews.com...
>>I just purchased Vista Basic Upgrade from the MS online store.
>>
>> It comes in 3 parts - an exe file and two .wim files - install.wim and
>> boot.wim
>>
>> Unfortunately there seems to be no instructions included on how to handle
>> the files. I need to install it on my mini laptop and not the one I am
>> using now. So I was expecting it to be an ISO which I burn to DVD which
>> I can then use on the other machine.
>>
>> Can anyone advise please on what I need to do? Do I run the exe on the
>> intended machine and it will compile it for me and install?
>>
>> As a side note, if I need to install again in the future, can I run the
>> upgrade by itself without having to install XP first? IIRC with older
>> versions you could run the upgrade only and it will ask for your product
>> key for the previous os.
>
>
> Hello Beck,
>
> First things first - make sure that you save those three files in a safe
> place. Burn them as data to a DVD or copy them to an external USB drive.
> You don't want to lose them.
>
> Now, as you want to upgrade a different computer, you will need to get
> those files copied over to your mini laptop. Are your computers networked
> together? If they are, transfer the files over to the mini. If you don't
> have a network, then do you have a spare USB port on the mini and an
> external USB drive? Copy to the USB drive, plug into the mini, then copy
> to the mini.
>
> Once you have the files copied over to the mini, then you click on the exe
> file and follow the prompts to upgrade.
>
> Unlike earlier Windows operating systems, you will need to start the
> upgrade from a running activated system - there is no choice to supply a
> qualifying CD during the install. As you have found out, the Upgrade
> purchased online does not create an ISO for burning. It must be installed
> from a running system. (There is a tutorial floating around the internet
> somewhere that claims to make a bootable ISO image from these files, but I
> have not tested it out).
>
> Before you start the upgrade, make sure that your mini has sufficient
> diskspace - how big is the hard drive, and how much free space is there?

Hello Jane,

Thansk for the reply. I am having problems. I transferred the files to the
mini laptop onto the desktop. I run the exe file and get the start of the
install and it asks for product key. I enter my product key then after a
few moments I get an error.

windows cannot open the required file install.wim make sure all files
required for installation are available.
error code 0x8007000D

I have tried 3-4 times now and it always returns the same error. I also
tried running the setup in the folder that the exe extracted, but I get the
same result.

My laptop is an Advent 4312 subnote. It has a 1.6ghtz atom processor, 120gb
hdd, 1gb ram. I have run the upgrade advisor and it tells me all is well.

"Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
news:492f02da$0$67979$ anews.com...
>
> "Jane C" <> wrote in message
> news:FC674B0F-1842-49CD-BCCD-...
>> "Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
>> news:492ed7b7$0$33709$ anews.com...
>>>I just purchased Vista Basic Upgrade from the MS online store.
>>>
>>> It comes in 3 parts - an exe file and two .wim files - install.wim and
>>> boot.wim
>>>
>>> Unfortunately there seems to be no instructions included on how to
>>> handle the files. I need to install it on my mini laptop and not the
>>> one I am using now. So I was expecting it to be an ISO which I burn to
>>> DVD which I can then use on the other machine.
>>>
>>> Can anyone advise please on what I need to do? Do I run the exe on the
>>> intended machine and it will compile it for me and install?
>>>
>>> As a side note, if I need to install again in the future, can I run the
>>> upgrade by itself without having to install XP first? IIRC with older
>>> versions you could run the upgrade only and it will ask for your product
>>> key for the previous os.
>>
>>
>> Hello Beck,
>>
>> First things first - make sure that you save those three files in a safe
>> place. Burn them as data to a DVD or copy them to an external USB drive.
>> You don't want to lose them.
>>
>> Now, as you want to upgrade a different computer, you will need to get
>> those files copied over to your mini laptop. Are your computers
>> networked together? If they are, transfer the files over to the mini.
>> If you don't have a network, then do you have a spare USB port on the
>> mini and an external USB drive? Copy to the USB drive, plug into the
>> mini, then copy to the mini.
>>
>> Once you have the files copied over to the mini, then you click on the
>> exe file and follow the prompts to upgrade.
>>
>> Unlike earlier Windows operating systems, you will need to start the
>> upgrade from a running activated system - there is no choice to supply a
>> qualifying CD during the install. As you have found out, the Upgrade
>> purchased online does not create an ISO for burning. It must be
>> installed from a running system. (There is a tutorial floating around
>> the internet somewhere that claims to make a bootable ISO image from
>> these files, but I have not tested it out).
>>
>> Before you start the upgrade, make sure that your mini has sufficient
>> diskspace - how big is the hard drive, and how much free space is there?
>
> Hello Jane,
>
> Thansk for the reply. I am having problems. I transferred the files to
> the mini laptop onto the desktop. I run the exe file and get the start of
> the install and it asks for product key. I enter my product key then
> after a few moments I get an error.
>
> windows cannot open the required file install.wim make sure all files
> required for installation are available.
> error code 0x8007000D
>
> I have tried 3-4 times now and it always returns the same error. I also
> tried running the setup in the folder that the exe extracted, but I get
> the same result.
>
> My laptop is an Advent 4312 subnote. It has a 1.6ghtz atom processor,
> 120gb hdd, 1gb ram. I have run the upgrade advisor and it tells me all is
> well.

Oh stop press!
Originally I transferred it over with an external hdd. So I decided to try
a thumbstick instead.
Install has now got past the problem part is checking compatibility.
Fingers crossed...

"Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
news:492f0cb0$0$33689$ anews.com...
> > Oh stop press!
> Originally I transferred it over with an external hdd. So I decided to
> try a thumbstick instead.
> Install has now got past the problem part is checking compatibility.
> Fingers crossed...

Balls! Windows could not update the computers boot configuration.
Installation cannot proceed.
Seeing as I have yet to install this damned thing is there any way I can get
a refund?
I am not sure it is worth the hassle.

"Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
news:492f10dc$0$33693$ anews.com...
>
> "Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
> news:492f0cb0$0$33689$ anews.com...
>> > Oh stop press!
>> Originally I transferred it over with an external hdd. So I decided to
>> try a thumbstick instead.
>> Install has now got past the problem part is checking compatibility.
>> Fingers crossed...
>
> Balls! Windows could not update the computers boot configuration.
> Installation cannot proceed.
> Seeing as I have yet to install this damned thing is there any way I can
> get a refund?
> I am not sure it is worth the hassle.

Have you got the latest BIOS flashed?

"Gordon" <> wrote in message
news:...
>
>
> "Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
> news:492f10dc$0$33693$ anews.com...
>>
>> "Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
>> news:492f0cb0$0$33689$ anews.com...
>>> > Oh stop press!
>>> Originally I transferred it over with an external hdd. So I decided to
>>> try a thumbstick instead.
>>> Install has now got past the problem part is checking compatibility.
>>> Fingers crossed...
>>
>> Balls! Windows could not update the computers boot configuration.
>> Installation cannot proceed.
>> Seeing as I have yet to install this damned thing is there any way I can
>> get a refund?
>> I am not sure it is worth the hassle.
>
> Have you got the latest BIOS flashed?

I have no idea whether I have the latest bios, but it is somethign I do not
wish to try as it is a brand new computer and I do not wish to brick it.

"Beck" <beck@none> wrote in message
news:492fead4$0$33703$ anews.com...
>
> I have no idea whether I have the latest bios, but it is somethign I do
> not wish to try as it is a brand new computer and I do not wish to brick
> it.

If it's a brand new computer, what OS did it come with?

How To Make Vista Bootable DVD with WIM Downloaded Files
http://www.mydigitallife.info/2007/0...nloaded-files/

On Thu, 27 Nov 2008 17:23:46 -0000, "Beck" <beck@none> wrote:

>I just purchased Vista Basic Upgrade from the MS online store.
>
>It comes in 3 parts - an exe file and two .wim files - install.wim and
>boot.wim
>
>Unfortunately there seems to be no instructions included on how to handle
>the files. I need to install it on my mini laptop and not the one I am
>using now. So I was expecting it to be an ISO which I burn to DVD which I
>can then use on the other machine.
>
>Can anyone advise please on what I need to do? Do I run the exe on the
>intended machine and it will compile it for me and install?
>
>As a side note, if I need to install again in the future, can I run the
>upgrade by itself without having to install XP first? IIRC with older
>versions you could run the upgrade only and it will ask for your product key
>for the previous os.