"mbvista" <mbvista@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:05D8F291-F20F-4768-ABDB-7999518B57BF@microsoft.com...
> Many thanks. I do have a genuine qualifying OS (XP MCE) that came
> with my new
> laptop, and that's the reason I am receiving the Home Premium
> upgrade.
> However, I replaced it on the day I received the laptop in December
> 2006 with
> RC2 Ultimate that I had downloaded from Microsoft in October 2006.
> Now
> looking at your "solutions", this seems to me like an unfair
> treatment by
> Microsoft for its customers, and I'd better look for some other OS
> in the
> future (free or from Apple) rather than buy a so-called "Ultimate"
> OS I don't
> need from you.


There is nothing unfair here - the upgrades are more tightly checking
that you qualify for the upgrade by only running from within a valid
genuine qualifying OS.
You chose to remove your OS and use a pre-release product that there
was never any guarantee that you would be able to upgrade from - that
is why they are usually marked for evaluation and testing and not for
production use etc.
Also you are in a situation that is well understood in all other
operating systems such as Windows XP or Windows Server 2003 etc in
that a downgrade to a lower spec SKU is never enabled except by a full
reinstall.

In future you need not look for another OS, you just have to have
little more understanding about using pre release test software on a
production machine that you are not willing to rebuild or loose data
from.

--

Mike Brannigan

"mbvista" <mbvista@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:05D8F291-F20F-4768-ABDB-7999518B57BF@microsoft.com...
> Many thanks. I do have a genuine qualifying OS (XP MCE) that came
> with my new
> laptop, and that's the reason I am receiving the Home Premium
> upgrade.
> However, I replaced it on the day I received the laptop in December
> 2006 with
> RC2 Ultimate that I had downloaded from Microsoft in October 2006.
> Now
> looking at your "solutions", this seems to me like an unfair
> treatment by
> Microsoft for its customers, and I'd better look for some other OS
> in the
> future (free or from Apple) rather than buy a so-called "Ultimate"
> OS I don't
> need from you.
>
> "Mike Brannigan" wrote:
>
>> "mbvista" <mbvista@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
>> news:2FDDFD51-F77B-4737-BF8A-A1B7666B2F61@microsoft.com...
>> >I hope this is possible. I am currently running RC2 Ultimate (but
>> >not
>> >using
>> > any of the Ultimate features), with many dozens of my
>> > work/research
>> > applications properly installed, configured, and running under
>> > it,
>> > and would
>> > like to upgrade to the final release, which I am about to receive
>> > from
>> > Moduslink https://upgradeweb.moduslink.com/Vista/ in a few weeks
>> > (this will
>> > be the Home Premium 32-bit edition). I hope the "upgrade" will be
>> > smooth,
>> > otherwise please let me know what are the necessary
>> > steps/measures
>> > to take to
>> > upgrade my existing RC2 and keep all installed applications? I
>> > don't
>> > won't to
>> > buy or upgrade to the final Ultimate edition. Home Premium is all
>> > what I
>> > want. Thanks.
>>
>> Firstly unless you have an installed copy of a qualifying OS such
>> as
>> Windows XP you will not be able to perform and upgrade (as an RC is
>> not a qualifying product), secondly you cannot down grade to a
>> lower
>> spec version of Windows so you will not be able to go from Ultimate
>> to
>> Home Premium.
>>
>> If you wish to use your upgrade DVD then you will have to start the
>> process from within a running valid, activated and genuine Windows
>> XP
>> install.
>>
>> Your only option to avoid reinstalling your apps is to buy a full
>> retail version of Ultimate and use that to perform and "upgrade".
>>
>> --
>>
>> Mike Brannigan
>>
>>
>>
>>