Cannot simply upgrade within vista??? First time issue ever posted!

CANNOT SIMPLY UPGRADE WITHIN VISTA??? FIRST TIME ISSUE EVER POSTED!

Hello. I have a question that I cannot make sense of. I NEED YOUR HELP! I have Windows Vista Home Basic with SP1 installed on my computer. I have a copy of a legit retail version of Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade SP1 DVD-ROM. I want to upgrade my current Vista Home Basic to Vista Ultimate. Sounds simple enough. I have read everywhere on the web and it can upgrade easily as long as you upgrade within Windows Vista and not a reboot installation. Okay, but when I get to a point in the Vista grade process, I CANNOT! During the installation process, when I get to the screen that states, "Which type of installation do you want?" AFTER INPUTTING THE VISTA ULTIMATE KEY CODE ON A PREVIOUS SCREEN, the option should be "Upgrade" ONLY and NOT "Custom (Advanced)" since the key code is set for upgrade option only. I GET THE TOTAL OPPOSITE!!! I only get the option "Custom (Advanced)" and the "Upgrade" option is grayed out. WHAT??? NO "Upgrade" option??? I SHOULD BE GETTING THE "Upgrade" OPTION!!! This does not make any sense!!! It states at the reason at the bottom of this screen, "Upgrade has been disabled. - The upgrade option cannot be started, to upgrade, cancel the installation and then choose to upgrade to a version of Windows that is more recent than the version you are currently running." This does not make any sense, does it??? I should be able to only upgrade since I only have an upgrade disc. I am upgrading from a lower edition of Vista to a higher edition of Vista, therefore I should ALSO have this feature to upgrade enabled too when it knows my CD key is a higher ("upgrade") edition. I have spent several hours searching and read around the web and cannot find my same or similar case scenario. A first time! People who have upgraded between different editions of Vista with either the Windows Anytime Upgrade retail package or (mine) the Windows Vista Ultimate Retail Upgrade box (includes the Windows Anytime Upgrade anyways on it) say it is a breeze! What is going on with me??? I should not be having any problems what-so-ever!

Let me add that I have Windows Vista Home Basic with the SP1 downloaded and installed from Windows Update. I have created a slipstreamed Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 DVD-ROM of my original version of Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade DVD-ROM Retail Upgrade and the Vista SP1 from download and installed Microsoft website. I am using this slipstreamed Windows Vista Ultimate SP1 DVD-ROM I created to do the upgrade. I have also tired the original Windows Vista Ultimate Upgrade DVD-ROM Retail Upgrade (non-SP1) to upgrade to Windows Vista Ultimate as well to see if that would give me the “Upgrade” option… …it does not either.

I have also tried NOT inputting in the CD key from my Vista Ultimate Retail Upgrade box when installing the Windows Vista Ultimate upgrade within the Windows Vista Home Basic environment and then selecting Windows Ultimate edition as my operating system from the choices to pick from... ...I also get the same case scenario as above with the "Upgrade" grayed-out and only "Custom (advanced)" as my only choice too. Again, knowing that I am going to a higher edition should trigger the “Upgrade” option, but is isn’t.

I NEED YOUR HELP!!!

Did you have an OEM copy of Home Basic? I have never seen Microsoft allow a OEM to Retail upgrade before. You can get a OEM Home Basic to Ultimate upgrade kit and license key from Microsoft.

Did you try to uninstall SP1 first, then the upgrade option should be proposed.

"Did you have an OEM copy of Home Basic? I have never seen Microsoft allow a OEM to Retail upgrade before. You can get a OEM Home Basic to Ultimate upgrade kit and license key from Microsoft."

No, I have both Retail Upgrade copies of each edition. I used that known "trick" to install a clean copy of Vista Home Basic from an upgrade version and then re-installed Home Basic with the CD key. Still shouldn't be a problem?!?

"Did you try to uninstall SP1 first, then the upgrade option should be proposed."

Oh, you think that SP1 has something to do with the "Upgrade" option being grayed-out???? REALLY???

Okay, let me elaborate on the issue... ...Since then, I have slipstreamed SP1 with Vista Home Basic and made a Vista Home Basic SP1 DVD too like my slipstreamed Vista Ultimate SP1 DVD. I have used the slipstreamed Vista Home Basic SP1 on top of (or did an "Upgrade" install) over my Vista Home Basic SP0 (orig. copy; after removing SP1 that I got from Windows Update). Why do that when you have SP1 installed already? I had some corruption on my Windows Vista SP1 (non-slipsreamed method) after installation. By re-installing the slipstreamed Home Basic SP1, it corrected the corruption. Still, I should be able to upgrade option using an Vista Ultimate SP1 slipstreamed disc and a higher edition CD key. Right??? The only problem is that you cannot remove SP1 now from the computer after you use a slipstreamed service pack DVD. Yes, it provides Vista SP1 in the listing ("Uninstall an update"), but when you attempt to remove it, it will not remove itself. I would really like to remove SP1 from Home Basic and give it a try to see if I get the upgrade option to Vista Ultimate, but I think I am stuck if you feel that SP1 is the bottom line reason for this issue. Any suggestions??? Am I right or wrong???

Do you have your original full OS CD that you used before the upgrades. You can put the original full OS CD in the drive when prompted for the validation scan. I had to do it when installing XP x64 upgrade. It will scan the hard drive and CD-ROM/DVD-ROM for the full CD. If its not detecting it on the hard drive, you have to insert the original full OS CD that you started with.

"Do you have your original full OS CD that you used before the upgrades. You can put the original full OS CD in the drive when prompted for the validation scan. I had to do it when installing XP x64 upgrade. It will scan the hard drive and CD-ROM/DVD-ROM for the full CD. If its not detecting it on the hard drive, you have to insert the original full OS CD that you started with."

When you say, "original full OS CD", do you do not mean an "Upgrade" copy??? I only have "Upgrade" retail copies of each operating system -- Vista Home Basic and Vista Ultimate.

Hi, it is a crazy common problem due to SP1, apparentely Vista when SP1 has been installed, thinks that even a higher version slipstreamed is older and therefore does not propose the upgrade option.
I have tried to trick it but i did not find so far all the checks made at install (on of the reason upgrade is made under Windows). I've seen few cases where the upgrade was enabled but do not know the reason.
Normally, just changing the key would allow Vista to upgrade, i did not try, maybe you could? (i am talking about changing the key in the general system information of the control panel)

"Hi, it is a crazy common problem due to SP1, apparentely Vista when SP1 has been installed, thinks that even a higher version slipstreamed is older and therefore does not propose the upgrade option.
I have tried to trick it but i did not find so far all the checks made at install (on of the reason upgrade is made under Windows). I've seen few cases where the upgrade was enabled but do not know the reason.
Normally, just changing the key would allow Vista to upgrade, i did not try, maybe you could? (i am talking about changing the key in the general system information of the control panel)"

Yes, that has crossed my mind too. Don't you have to go through the entire installation process in order to modify the os folders and files WITH the cd key TOO? I guess I am scared in doing that, for fear something migh go wrong?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!? A simple CD key change would REALLY change the entire edition????????????? Can't be that easy????? Boy, I am tempted to test it!!! Maybe if I have the guts, I will try it!!!
I hope it doesn't mess up the os!!!!!!!!!!!!

So it has to do with the SP1 thinking it is a higher version over any Vista edition, and never allowing it to upgrade! I think someone needs to talk with Microsoft about this!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Boy, wouldn't Microsoft be fixing this issue rather quickly or they will be losing $$$ for all of their customers wishing to upgrade their Vista OS!!!!!

Sid., I stand corrected... "...higher version streamlined is older" per the OS quirks is the issue. Sorry! Thanks!

My solutions: The only way to ever upgrade my current Windows Vista Home Basic, from what I understand, would to buy MICROSOFT FACTORY DVD and install the LATEST version of either Windows Vista Home Premium, Vista Business, or Vista Ultimate "WITH" the SP1 "ALREADY INSTALLED" (not slipstreamed) in order to upgrade or... ...have the "Upgrade Option". Since I cannot remove the SP1 from my current installation, this is the only way to trick my currrent Vista Home Basic installation?

Bottom line: You have to do your upgrading WITHIN VISTA OS "BEFORE" INSTALLING ANY service packs WITH SP SLIPSTREAMING!