Windows Vista Setup - Step by step to success!

Although Windows XP only required an installation CD with around 600 MB storage capacity, the installation takes around 30-40 minutes, even on modern PCs. Windows Vista, on the other hand, comes on a complete DVD and installs in just 20-35 minutes - on some test configurations, we found the installation time to be 50% shorter. This is due to the new "image" based installation. Simply put, a pre-configured and hardware-independent Windows Vista installation is copied to your hard disk. Only then is this installation adapted to your hardware - this is of course much quicker than copying individual files as with Windows XP.

We guide you step-by-step through the Vista installation process. Little tip: If you want to test Windows Vista first, you can also perform the installation on a "virtual computer" using Virtual PC 2007!

1. Start your computer or notebook and insert the Windows Vista installation DVD into the drive. In most cases, the message "Press any key to boot from DVD..." should appear. If not, you will need to enter the computer's "BIOS". To do this, (usually) press either the "Del" or "F2" key directly in the first few seconds of system startup. Switch to the "Boot" menu and set the CD/DVD drive as the boot drive. In some BIOS versions, for example, this option is called "Boot Priority" or "First Boot Device".

2. After around 30-60 seconds, you will be greeted by the welcome screen. Decide on the desired language and confirm by clicking on "Next".

3. To start the setup, click on "Install now".

4. You can now enter a product key. However, for the first time in the history of Windows, this is not mandatory for installation. If you leave the field blank and click "Continue," you will be asked if you want to enter the product key. If you answer "No," the setup will continue. Next, select the edition you want to install.

5. Select "The selection above corresponds to the Windows edition you have purchased" and click "Next". However, you must enter the product key within 30 days to activate Windows, otherwise you will no longer be able to use the operating system.

6. The next step takes you straight to the license terms (which you have read carefully, yes?), which you accept by clicking "I accept the license terms/continue".

7. You can now choose between an upgrade installation or a new installation. However, an upgrade from Windows XP is often fraught with errors due to the orphaned remnants. If you want to run Windows Vista with the highest possible stability, a new installation is recommended - in this case, select "Custom (extended)".

8. The setup now asks you "Where do you want to install Windows?". You will then see a table of all the partitions and hard drives. In most cases, Windows Vista will find the drivers for the hard drive controller; however, for more exotic SCSI or SATA controllers, you should have the drivers on a floppy disk, USB stick, or CD and be able to find them via "Load drivers".
If all the desired hard drives are in the list, you can create, format, expand, or delete a new partition in "Drive options (advanced)". When creating a partition, you will have the option to specify its size in detail.

Our recommendation: Split your hard drive into at least two parts. One for the operating system (drive C:) and one for your data or the backup files (drive D:) - but you will learn more about that in a separate article.

Now click on "Next".

9. The installation of Windows Vista will now start! The system will restart briefly in between, but you can leave the computer running for the next (min.) 20 minutes.

10. Now that you've had two coffees and tidied up your desk, most of the setup is over. Now enter a user name and password (if required).

11. Once you have (naturally) decided on the cat as the user account picture, click on "Next" to continue. In the next window, confirm the name of the computer - this is how it will appear later in the network overview. In my example, I use the terms "Living room" for the Media Center computer in the living room or "Office".

12. To ensure that Windows Vista updates itself automatically, you should always use "Use recommended settings". A large number of updates will be downloaded the first time you connect to the Internet. Once you have confirmed the time zone, date and time, you can almost start (after the obligatory click on "Next"): "Start"!

13. The computer's performance will now be checked, after which you can log in with your password for the first time!

Done! In this "Installation" section you will find further tips in the future that are very important immediately after installation.

Yours, Sandro Villinger