Clean install requires Vista re-activation?

Read posts that it's best to clean install 5582 instead of 5160 upgrade.

When I do that, do I need to re-install Vista that was originally installed on 5160 and re-activate?

Will Microsoft allow re-activating Vista a 2nd time?

 

Hi ibmdell,

I was running Build 5571 with XP Pro VM. I also had Vista Ultimate installed under Boot Camp (2.0 - Leopard).

I did a clean install of 5582 and I was not required to re-activate XP Pro or Vista.

I created a VM of Vista from my Boot Camp partition and I can now run Vista under Parallels VM or under Boot Camp. The procedure for creating the Boot Camp VM is contained in the help files for Parallels.

If you clean install, suggest you use Parallels recommended procedure rather than the Uninstaller. The procedure follows:

In Terminal run:
• sudo rm /System/Library/Extensions/vmmain.kext
• sudo rm /System/Library/Extensions/hypervisor.kext
• sudo rm /System/Library/Extensions/helper.kext
• sudo rm /System/Library/Extensions/ConnectUSB.kext
• sudo rm /System/Library/Extensions/Pvsnet.kext
• sudo rm –rf ~/Library/Parallels/
Note: move your VM's to another folder if they are located in
/Home/Users/<user name>/Library/Parallels
• sudo rm –rf /Library/Parallels/
• sudo rm –rf ~/Library/Preferences/com.parallels
Reinstall Parallels Desktop, Build 5582.

You will need to reactivate Parallels using your original serial number after following this procedure.

Hope this helps.

 

Thanks for the response; will keep it handy.

I was too impatient and did not wait and went ahead and followed forum instructions posted elsewhere to do a clean uninstall. Then I installed new build. When I launched Parallels Desktop, it found the Vista install I had before so Vista loaded up fine.

However, despite I had activated Vista before under the 5160 build, it messaged that I need to activate; which I tried to do online, but it referred me to call-in. Fortunately after answering some questions from the guy at the call center, I was able to get re-activation code.

Everything is working great. I get shared folders b/t Mac and Win, network connections are fine, printing is good, and full screen works great.

Thanks to all posters on this forum, it's a great info source.

 

If you are using your old VM which was previously activated, then you should not be required to reactivate Vista. Even if you do and you are using the same computer, Vista should reactivate over the Internet. Apparently, the reactivation program looks at your HD and other computer parameters to determine if it is the same computer as that originally activated.

 

Have to recant on what I said - a window popped up this morning telling me to reactivate Vista. In trying to reactivate over the internet, message said that Vista installed on another computer.

Had to ring the 1800 number and explain that I had Vista installed on only one computer and that I was using Parallels and Boot Camp. No issues in end - given new activation code over the phone.