It's true that it can be time consuming and a bit intimidating to install Windows Vista but the most important thing is choosing the right way to install Windows Vista.
This article should help show you the right way to install Windows Vista and the simple, step-by-step guides I linked to will show you exactly how to install Windows Vista - quickly and painlessly.
Note: These guides work equally well in explaining how to install any version of Windows Vista like Windows Vista Premium, Business, Ultimate, etc.
Windows Vista Clean Install
After serious system problems it's often necessary to wipe your hard drive clean and install Windows Vista again from scratch.
A Windows Vista clean install will remove everything from the primary hard drive on your computer so a backup of the data you want to keep is absolutely necessary. Also, all of your software will need to be reinstalled after the clean install is complete.
The most frustrating and time consuming way to install Windows Vista is probably the Windows Vista clean install but it's almost always a certain fix for serious Windows problems.
Windows Vista New Install
If you're planning to install Windows Vista on a newly installed, empty hard drive then a Windows Vista new install is what you need to complete.
Important: The site I linked to here calls this type of Vista installation a "clean install" but it actually demonstrates a "new install" of Windows Vista. A clean install would include the deletion of a partition with an existing Windows installation, which this guide does not do.
Windows Vista Parallel Install
A less common way to install Windows Vista is in a way referred to as a "parallel install." A Windows Vista parallel install installs a second copy of Windows Vista on your PC.Important: To be clear, after a parallel install, you will have two separate and generally unrelated Windows Vista installations on your computer.
Outside of some rare troubleshooting reasons, there are few reasons you'd want to install Windows Vista in parallel to another installation of Vista.
Usually, a parallel install is created by accident when making key mistakes during a clean install. A parallel install of Vista with a different operating system makes sense if you'd like access to both Windows Vista and other OS. This is called dual booting.
Windows Vista Startup Repair
A Windows Vista Startup Repair doesn't seem like a way to install Windows Vista but with this tool, you are essentially reinstalling Windows Vista.
Like the old Windows XP Repair Install, which was a true "copy over" of Windows XP, a Windows Vista Startup Repair is valuable when you need to keep your programs and data in tact but need to restore the Windows Vista system files to their original state.
In other words, a Windows Vista Startup Repair can be thought of as the "Windows Vista Repair Install."
A Windows Vista Startup Repair is often an easy fix for startup issues in Windows Vista. It's best to try a Startup Repair before resorting to a clean install, described in the first link above.
