How to Install Windows Vista

This step-by-step guide demonstrates how to install Windows Vista.

The best way to install Windows Vista is to do a clean install. It is not difficult to perform a clean installation. Before you perform the installation I recommend that you check Windows Vista System Requirements list to ensure that your hardware is supported by Vista. If you don't have Windows Vista drivers for all your hardware, it is a good idea to download all the drivers from the hardware manufacturers website and save all the necessary drivers on a CD-R before you start the installation.

Windows Vista DVD is bootable. In order to boot from the DVD you need to set the boot sequence. Look for the boot sequence under your BIOS setup and make sure that the first boot device is set to CD-ROM/DVD-ROM.

Step 1 - Place Windows Vista DVD in your dvd-rom drive and start your PC. Windows Vista will start to boot up and you will get the following progress bar.

Step 2 - The next screen allows you to setup your language, time and currency format, keyboard or input method. Choose your required settings and click next to continue.

Step 3 - The next screen allows you to install or repair Windows Vista. Since we are doing a fresh install we will click on "install now".

Step 4 - You can now type the product key that came with your Windows vista.

Step 5 - If you do not enter the product key you can still proceed with the installation in which case Windows will ask you which version of Vista you have purchased. Windows Vista Home Basic, Home Premium, Ultimate, Business etc. Select the version you have purchased and click next.

Please note, although you can select any version of Windows and proceed to next stage. It is not good idea to select a different version to the one you have purchased because you will not be able to activate Windows at a later stage. Windows Vista can detect which version you have purchased once you enter your product key.

Step 6 - Tick "I accept the licence terms" and press next.

Step 7 - Choose the type of installation you want to perform. You will notice that upgrade option is disabled as we have booted from the DVD-R. Therefore we can only select Custom (advanced) option which basically installs a clean copy of Windows from scratch.

Step 8 - Choose where you would like to install Windows Vista. If you have a new unpartitioned hard drive you would get your hard drive listed as shown on the image below. If have have an old hard drive with data or other partitions it will show up as logical drives. You can select the drive options (advanced) to format, delete, or create new partitions. Because I am using a single new hard drive I will select next to continue. Windows will create a partition and format it using NTFS files system.

Step 9 - Windows starts the installation process and starts copying all the necessary files to your hard drive as shown on the image below. It will go through various stages of the setup and will reboot your system few times. When your PC reboots it attempts to boot from CD as its the first boot device. Do not press any key during the boot prompt so Windows Vista will continue with the installation by booting from your hard drive.

Step 10 - After installation copy process is complete you are presented with the Setup Windows dialogue box as show below. At this stage you need to choose a user name, password and a picture for your user account. The account you create here is the Administrator account which is the main account for your Windows Vista that has all the privileges. Click next continue.

Step 11 - Now you need to choose your computer name and desktop background. Click next to continue.

Step 12 - Choose whether your want to Help protect Windows automatically. Select "Use recommenced settings" to continue.

Step 13 - Review your time and date settings. Select your time zone, correct the date and time and click next to continue.

Next screen presents you to select your computers current location. You can choose between home, work, public location. Choose home to continue. You will finally get a "Thank you" screen which confirms the end of the interactive installation process. This is not the end of the setup process. There are still many after installation configuration to be done. Click next to continue

Step 14 - Windows now runs a benchmark type of application which checks the performance of your system. You will see a status bar at bottom which shows the progress. Once the process is complete you will be presented with the logon screen.

Step 15 - Finally you have the logon screen. Just type your password and press enter or click on the arrow to logon to Windows Vista for the first time.

Step 16 - Soon as you logon you will be presented with welcome center. You can use the welcome center to configure, customize, and update Windows vista.

Step 17 - Finally you need to check if all your hardware has been detected correctly. You can do so by checking your device manager. To access device manager click Start menu -> Control panel -> System -> Device manager. You will see all your hardware listed as shown below. You need to check if you have any yellow exclamation marks next to the name of the device similar to "USB 10/100 LAN" on image below. This indicates the driver has not been installed for this device.

At this stage you need to install Windows Vista drivers by double clicking on "USB 10/100 LAN" or your device. The properties dialog box will appear. Click on Reinstall Driver. Then you can choose whether you want to install the driver from the internet (if available) or install manually from a CD or other media

Once you have removed all the yellow exclamation marks from the device manager your Windows Vista configuration would be fully complete.