Vista installation...but that's not all?

Question

Okay, I have an ISO image of windows vista ultimate (x86) for a 32bit processing system. I also have recently aquired a second hard drive (E:), which I have already put files and programs into. I have PowerISO on the second HD (E:), and I want to not only install Windows Vista, but switch my HDs and install vista on my second hard drive (E:) (well, actually, it will be my primary). I am basically aiming for installing vista by using PowerISO to mount the ISO image of Vista, moving all the files in my second drive (E:) to my first drive (C:), and switching my HDs so that my (E:) drive is now my master drive, and my (C:) drive is my back-up or secondary drive.

Note: my HDs are IDE interface, so the master/slave jumper configurations would be nice.

Basically what I'm asking is: is it possible to install Vista by mounting the image and restarting the computer?

Also, I need to know what to do about XPsp2, because I have heard that I cannot put vista on my computer while XP is on.TY

I cannot burn it, because I do not have a drive that burns DVDs...

PLEASE READ : MORE TO THE QUESTION

If installing Vista isn't the best thing to do, is there a way to trick the computer into THINKING it's a vista so I can play Vista games (like Halo 2)?

Answer 1

You are running a very big risk, I highly advise that you not pursue this line of installation. The problem is that your hard drives could very well have different designations after boot that they do before the boot process. This is a very easy thing to have happen to people that are not very well skilled in understanding drive assignments. I can only assume that you do not have a DVD burner by asking this question. Instead, why don't you just extract the contents of the ISO image to the drive directly then run the install program from the extracted source ? I have done it both ways, your way and my way, your way is just too risky, my way eliminates the possibility that drive letters can change - You are better off buying a DVD burner and installing that way. also, changing jumpers is simple and easy, drives are labeled master/slave/cable select/single. look at your drive to see what they are currently configured to function as. your C drive should be configured to work as the master ( this may also be hard drive 0- zero) and your E drive should be configured as a slave (harddrive 1), and as you can now tell, there is a gap between the C and E drive, what happened to the D drive ? it was changed by the OS to report E drive instead of D drive. and I will also bet that power ISO either Can or is using D as its drive letter. this is what I was describing above about changing drive assignments around. the C drive does not HAVE to be hard drive 0 or master drive, the C drive CAN be hard drive 1 or the slave drive. I strongly urge you spend time learning what I am saying here by practicing installing and OS as a test install changing how the hard drives are labeled (master/slave) and also try to install to drive 1(in setup ) to see that where ever you install an OS to - it will become the C drive , even if you have 4 drives and you instruct it to install to the 3rd drive. this assumes that all drives are formatted, if some of the drivers are not formatted already, then drive letters will be changed again. your best bet is to burn ALL your data to a CD, then try to install Win2K or XP several times until you are sure you have your drive configurations set the way you really want them, then install vista. you do not want to practice with Vista !!!! better yet, wait for at least 2 years and 2 service packs to come out. vista is a horror, I have beta tested for M$FT for over 15 years, Vista is the worst thing I have ever seen come out of Redmond, and I never plan to use it. (I'm still using W2K - and refuse to use XP, it sucks too)
Your best bet is to go with an XBOX 360 and play H3 on a console since and Xbox is cheaper than Vista. AND, if you do manage to get Vista installed over XP, Vista will de-activate XP and you will NEVER be able to use XP legally again. bet you didn't know that ! nope, you can't even install it on another computer.

Answer 2

You cant install vista from a virtual drive. The virtual drives only exist when the operating system is running, so when you reboot they go away until windows starts again, at which point its too late to boot from the disk. You have to burn the iso to a disk to install it.

As for jumper settings, if the drives are on the same IDE cable set the jumper of one you want as a main drive to 'master' and the secondary drive to 'slave'. It should say where the jumpers should be for the settings on the stickers on the drive.

It shouldnt be a problem to have both XP and vista on the same computer, when the computer starts you just need to select which OS to boot. I know several people that have done this successfully. When I tried it though it compleatly screwed up my XP installation and I had to reinstall it to make it work again.

Response to your updates: Get a DVD burner, they only cost about $30.

If all your interested in is playing vista only games then its definatly not worth installing vista for. Many of the vista only games still use DX9, and I think its likely that someone will come up with some kind of crack to let them play on XP. Multiplayer wont work for the games though because only vista will be able to connect to the windows live service (which is a pay service anyway).

Wait for the games to actually come out before worrying about it.

Answer 3

Hi,
I did the installation exactly as you described. Yes, you can run the vista setup from a mounted "virtual" drive. After you mounted the ISO, go into the virtual drive and click the setup file. This will bring up the setup screen. You can then tell setup where to install, so if you like drive E:\, it will do.

Since vista installation files are a complete compressed windows itself that will unpack, you dont need to worry about restart. Setup will copy all needed files to E:\ (if you chose E:\) and do the rest.

As for XP, vista will rename it into windows.old, but it is still accessible. You cant probably use XP anymore but browse the files.

Answer 4

Wow! that is ambitious but I hate to have to tell you this but I don't think that it can't be done.
Without using migration Vista will detect that it is not the original hard drive and fail to boot.
Vista runs a check sum on your hard drives as well as other hardware on every boot to make sure that it is on the same machine and hasn't been moved.
Stay with XP and don't bother with Vista is the best solution because you will lose a lot of functionality with Vista that you presently have with XP.
As far as games, there are no games that are exclusively for Vista and there are not going to be any either because Vista is not very popular.
No game company is going to take that kind of risk to make games exclusivly for Vista, so they will make games that are compatible with 2K, XP and Vista so that they get a return on their development costs.
Besides XP will be supported long after Vista dies and the new Windows is released in late 2008 or early 2009.
There is absolutely no reason to upgrade to Vista.

Answer 5

Personally, I would burn the Vista ISO to a CD or DVD, depanding on how large it is (700MB-CD, 4.6GB - DVD) and swap your hard drives around o whay you are using as E: is C: and vice versa. I would then format what is now E: and install vista on that, if it is an upgrade version of Vista, you may have to install Win 2000 or XP on it first. I am not sure it will work if you have it installed on what is currently C:, it may only install over the top. Also, another idea is to install Vista on top of XP or 2000, whatever you are using, and use Norton Ghost, or similar, to copy the drive, swap them aroung and format the second one or use it for documents, etc.

Answer 6

this can be done but not in virtual, but i wouldn't do it. if you want to try vista, then use a drive by itself with nothing on it. in the end you'll not like the results because lots of things don't work with vista and i know once you install vista, you'll be back here asking why this and that doesn't work. don't do it. wait another 7 or 8 months when programs and drivers are written for it. you can also switch drive letters with the HDD without having to change the jumper settings.

Answer 7

No, it is not possible to install Vista this way. An installation is very different that an ISO or even the original CD. Files structure, compression, etc will all be different, not to mention the files themselves are separated into different .cab files.

This would be like keeping the windows CD in your tray at all times and trying to use it as your OS.

Answer 8

well, it is possible to dual boot them but i recommend burning the iso image so that the system will recognize it when you reboot, i use poweriso but i don't think you can boot from virtual drive

Answer 9

NO.