Your first step should be to check if our hardware fits the requirements for the Vista system. You can only look into your installation options once you are certain that you have met the hardware requirements for whatever Vista version you have.
Upgrade Installation
Upgrading from a previous Windows edition has both been a popular and a controversial issue. Some may advice an upgrade while others think it’s a bad idea. Those against it believe that an upgrade version provides less quality. The choice is ultimately yours. Before you upgrade, take a look at your operating system edition. The following non-clean installation upgrades will apply except for 64-bit versions:
· A Windows XP Home Edition can be upgraded to Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Business and Ultimate versions.
· Thirty-two bit Windows XP Professional can be upgraded to Vista Business and Ultimate versions.
· Windows XP Tablet PC Edition can be upgraded to Vista Business and Ultimate.
· Windows XP Media Center 2005 Edition can be upgraded to Windows Home Premium and Ultimate versions.
To upgrade, run Windows XP and simply put in your installation disc. With an upgrade you can still generally have your programs, files and settings after installation.
Clean Installation
If you do not qualify for an upgrade then you have to go for clean installation. This means, of course, that you need to create a back up copy of all your files first since you will loose all files and personal settings after installation.
Install by first inserting your Vista disc and then booting your computer. Make sure that the interactive setup is in running mode and then format your hard drive.
Dual-boot Installation
You may want to test Vista first if it will work for you or you may simply just want to keep your XP system around. In this case, you may go for a dual-boot installation. For dual booting, you need at least two partitions, one for XP and the other for Vista. Both partitions can only accommodate one system. If you only have one partition, you need a partitioning tool to help you out.
A dual boot installation will let you choose between your two operating systems every time you open your computer.
Virtual Computer Installation
You can also have access to both XP and Vista if you have a virtual window running Vista. This will be very convenient for you but it can also get complicated. You do need a very high end computer with a RAM capacity of 2 GB. You also need to download and install both a utility for a virtual set up and Vista beta.