registering product key

Going from XP Pro to Vista Home is not an allowed upgrade path.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/pro...radepaths.mspx
--
Paul


"David Townend" wrote:

> Help you guys. Newbie trying to register Vista Home Premium Upgrade. I
> installed this upgrade over XP Pro and when I try to enter the product key
> to register this system it rejects it on the grounds that it is a new
> installation and not an upgrade. It was installed over XP and all my old
> files are still there under winsdows old. What is the story? Do I have to go
> out and buy another copy of Home Premium and load it over the one I now have
> running or do I have to start all over again? If this question is in the
> wrong group please advise where I should post this question. Regards to all.
> David
>

You can upgrade it from itself by not loading in the product key the first
time.
--
Paul


"David Townend" wrote:

> Help you guys. Newbie trying to register Vista Home Premium Upgrade. I
> installed this upgrade over XP Pro and when I try to enter the product key
> to register this system it rejects it on the grounds that it is a new
> installation and not an upgrade. It was installed over XP and all my old
> files are still there under winsdows old. What is the story? Do I have to go
> out and buy another copy of Home Premium and load it over the one I now have
> running or do I have to start all over again? If this question is in the
> wrong group please advise where I should post this question. Regards to all.
> David
>

Hi,

Sounds like you did a clean install without the Product Key? You can't
upgrade from XP Pro to Vista Home, so it's being viewed as a clean
installation. What you should have done was begin from within XP Pro and do
a custom install (upgrade would not have been available) and used your
Product Key at that time. What you need to do now is actually "upgrade" your
Vista Home installation to Vista Home (sounds silly, but this will work).
Boot into the installation, insert your Vista disk and follow the prompts to
upgrade the existing installation. Enter your Product Key when prompted and
follow the upgrade to completion where you will be able to activate your
Product Key.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/
Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

"David Townend" <> wrote in message
news:37FC32D2-D95B-45AF-AD73-...
> Help you guys. Newbie trying to register Vista Home Premium Upgrade. I
> installed this upgrade over XP Pro and when I try to enter the product key
> to register this system it rejects it on the grounds that it is a new
> installation and not an upgrade. It was installed over XP and all my old
> files are still there under winsdows old. What is the story? Do I have to
> go out and buy another copy of Home Premium and load it over the one I now
> have running or do I have to start all over again? If this question is in
> the wrong group please advise where I should post this question. Regards
> to all. David

Help you guys. Newbie trying to register Vista Home Premium Upgrade. I
installed this upgrade over XP Pro and when I try to enter the product key
to register this system it rejects it on the grounds that it is a new
installation and not an upgrade. It was installed over XP and all my old
files are still there under winsdows old. What is the story? Do I have to go
out and buy another copy of Home Premium and load it over the one I now have
running or do I have to start all over again? If this question is in the
wrong group please advise where I should post this question. Regards to all.
David