OEM Dell Upgrade/In-place Install

[m2pmd70]

Here's the deal, I recently got an XPS420 swapped out with my POS computer at work. Nice upgrade for me, but the OS needed a reinstall.

Shortly after spending nearly two days (and getting behind in my work) installing all my stuff and getting the network and backup scripts and all working the hard drive came down with a bad case of the badsextors.

Being already behind I bought a new drive and cloned the bad one. I've had quite a few crashes and hangs since, presumably I copied corrupted files over from the bad drive. My first clue was my Computer Management MMC has gone AWOL.

SFC /scannow, right? Nope, finds corrupt files but apparently doesn't recognize the DVD source. Installing SP1 messed that up I guess (can't uninstall it either). So I slipstream an SP1 disk from my Dell OEM (using only MS's tools no vlite). Still no go. SP2 disk, same story.

So now I'm thinking repair install, which in Vistaese is called "Upgrade" and runs from within Windows. No go, SP0, 1 & 2 all have the option grayed out. I tried deleting the PID.TXT file from the disk (didn't find one in the WIM). Still grayed.

Which brings us (finally) to my question....

Is there some way to enable or force the upgrade option using a Dell Vista OEM disk (hopefully with SP2 integrated)?

[urie]

Did this dell machine come with vista originaly does it have SLIC 2.0 in bios you would be quicker if you could get hold of a Vista SP2 dvd and just make your own OEM SLP dvd.

[m2pmd70]

Did this dell machine come with vista originaly does it have SLIC 2.0 in bios you would be quicker if you could get hold of a Vista SP2 dvd and just make your own OEM SLP dvd.

Two acronyms I am uninformed about. Pardon me while I go educate myself about the aforementioned.

I just started messing with the whole Vista/WIM thing - have done a bunch of custom XP CDs tho.

The machine came with Vista Home Premium preinstalled, and I'm working from the DVD that came with it. I've read that there are various versions of Vista install media. All I know is my DVD allowed me to enter a key and/or choose what version to install after I deleted the PID.txt from /sources.

Would the "upgrade" option be grayed simply because I'm using an OEM key?

[Jadestar]

Did this dell machine come with vista originaly does it have SLIC 2.0 in bios you would be quicker if you could get hold of a Vista SP2 dvd and just make your own OEM SLP dvd.

Two acronyms I am uninformed about. Pardon me while I go educate myself about the aforementioned.

I just started messing with the whole Vista/WIM thing - have done a bunch of custom XP CDs tho.

The machine came with Vista Home Premium preinstalled, and I'm working from the DVD that came with it. I've read that there are various versions of Vista install media. All I know is my DVD allowed me to enter a key and/or choose what version to install after I deleted the PID.txt from /sources.

Would the "upgrade" option be grayed simply because I'm using an OEM key?

My first thought may be that the Dell image doesnt have the abiklity to upgrade. With a regular non-branded OEM, you can do upgrades with vista and windows 7 so i dont see why you shouldnt have that option. Try a generic oem disc

[urie]

There is also pid.txt file in boot.wim 2 on dell vista dvd also upgrade mean upgrading to say from premium to ultimate.

Edited February 12, 2010 by urie

[Jadestar]

Given all the issues you have been having. if i saw this pc in our shop for repair, we would reinstall windows fresh with a sp1 or sp2 disc. Doing an upgrade overtop a broken windows with possible bad sectors being copied from a failed drive and windows updates being broken, the upgrade will most likely cause more headaches than it fixes. Sometimes with vista, when windows updates break, it breaks bad. Doing a fresh install will also elimiate any ghost hardware caused by cloning a drive from a different pc