Re: vista install oddities

[Avi Kivity <avi-atKUWr5tajBWk0Htik3J/w@public.gmane.org>]

Wayde Milas wrote:
> This is a weird one. Using kvm27. I am able to install and run winxp 32 
> bit perfectly. The problem arises when I try and run my Vista Ultimate 
> upgrade. You cannot cold boot the upgrade and install on a blank drive 
> because when you enter the activation code, the software checks to make 
> sure there is a valid version of windows already installed.
>
> Let me outline the way it works:
>
> Base metal:
> * Empty drive, vista installer will gripe that there is no windows 
> installed and that the key entered is for upgrade only.
> * Windows installed installer will upgrade.
>
> kvm/quem
> * Empty drive, vista installer will gripe that it cannot verify the 
> entered key. Note that its not saying that its a bad key.
> * Windows installed installer grips that it cannot verify the entered key.
>
> I'm at a loss on how to debug this one. It obviously has something to do 
> with kvm/quem since the process works when running native.
>   

This is probably some kind of copy protection device, it's making sure
you're upgrading to the same machine and not to a different one.  So
most likely this is by design.
  
> Oh also something else to note.. the upgrader refuses to even get to the 
> key activation screen if the ACPI in XP has been disabled... (Ie the 
> ACPI workaround). It says it needs an ACPI capable machine to install. 
> Switching the driver back to ACPI fixes this.
>   

The acpi workaround is only for Windows XP and Windows 2000.  Windows
Vista won't work without acpi (but on the other hand, seems to suffer
much less from it).

-- 
Do not meddle in the internals of kernels, for they are subtle and quick to panic.


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