Get Windows Vista: Windows Anytime Upgrade Checklist

Windows Anytime Upgrade: Preparation checklist

Here are the things you should do before you buy and install the Windows Anytime Upgrade.

1. Determine which edition of Windows Vista you currently have

Click Start, right-click Computer, and then click Properties. Your edition of Windows Vista will be listed under Windows Edition.

2. Determine the edition you want

Review the edition comparison table.
Learn more about the different editions.

3. Make sure your PC is ready for the upgrade edition you want with the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor

The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor is a small program that you can download and run on your PC to ensure that it is ready for an upgrade. The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor will help you determine whether you have the hardware necessary to use specific features of a particular edition of Windows Vista.

4. Check your free hard disk drive space

To run the upgrade, you will need a minimum of 15 gigabytes of temporary storage. The temporary storage space is released after the upgrade process is complete.
The upgrade setup program checks your hard disk to ensure that you have enough free disk space. If you do not have enough hard disk space, the upgrade setup program exits so you can free up the appropriate amount of space. When you're ready to restart the upgrade, insert your Windows Anytime Upgrade disc and click setup.exe if prompted in the Autoplay window.
To check the available hard disk space on your PC, click Start, and then click Computer. The free disk space is displayed in the Hard Disk Drives section.

5. Update your PC with Vista Service Pack 2

You must install Windows Vista Service Pack 2 before installing Windows Anytime Upgrade with Service Pack 2. To ensure you have SP2 installed, please click Start, click All Programs, click Windows Update, select Check for updates, and install available updates. For more information, see Learn how to install Windows Vista Service Pack 2.

6. Save and close all your work

Before you upgrade, save and close all open files, and then close all open programs. The upgrade setup application will reboot your computer several times during the process, so any unsaved work will be lost.
Except for when upgrading to the Windows Vista N editions, the upgrade process preserves your settings, programs, and saved files. As a standard precaution, we recommend that you back up all of the data stored on your PC.
If you have a Windows Vista N edition, Windows Vista will be reinstalled during the upgrade. Your settings will be erased; however, your programs and files will be preserved. As a standard precaution, we recommend that you back up all of the data stored on your PC.

7. Check your permissions

You'll need administrator access to upgrade Windows Vista. To check your user access level, click Start, click Control Panel, click User Accounts and Family Safety, and then click User Accounts. Your level of access is indicated underneath your user name.
You should set Internet Explorer to use medium security to automatically download and install the file that prepares your computer to upgrade. If you run Internet Explorer with security set to high, the upgrade process may not work.

8. Allocate time

The actual process of purchasing a Windows Anytime Upgrade takes just a few minutes.
Running the actual upgrade process to your new edition can take between 60 and 90 minutes. You will not have access to your programs and files during the upgrade process.