[Query] Just in case – Reverting to Vista

[charu.galande]

Hello All

I am now set to migrate to Server 2008 on my HP dv5t laptop. I have some queries before I take the dive, which were not answered by the pdf guide –

1)Vista currently resides on C:. Do I just select “upgrade” when I install Server 2008? If yes, I suppose my older copy of Vista and all its files will still be preserved. Do I delete those if I decide to stay with Server 2008?

2) If I decide to go back to Vista, is there a simple way to do it?

3) I have my recovery drive on D: which can normally be used to revert to the factory installation. Will that be preserved if I migrate to Server 2008?

Maybe I sound paranoic, but I have a busy research work schedules which will suffer if I cannot work. I need the extra performance boost, but slow work is better than no work. 🙂

Thanks in advance!

-Charu.

[Arris]

Hello,

You can’t do an update from Windows Vista to Windows Server 2008 so you have to create a new partition and make a dualboot. I expect that the Windows Server 2008 setup will automatically detect the currently installed bootloader and adds himself to it. In your case you now probably have two options: Windows Vista and System Recovery. Windows Server 2008 will be added to that list.

To resize a partition so you have space to create a new partition for Windows Server 2008, I think you can use the Disk Management Microsoft Management Console add-in (start -> run -> diskmgmt.msc). I personally always use Norton Partition Magic to do this, but probably diskmgmt.msc is also sufficient.

If you wan’t to go back to Vista, just delete the partition and remove the Windows Server 2008 entry from the bootloader program using the Vista-tool bcdedit. See Microsoft Technet: BCDEdit Command-Line Options for more information about that tool.

Good luck!

Arris

[Author]

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