Vista - Clean Install with a Full Version of Vista

hmmm well I guess I'll let it run a bit longer and see if the time changes but so far I have 2 days and 18 hours, Otherwise I just might cancel and go get some different one.

My question is if theres a corruption in the files wouldnt it remain on the saved/copied version?

Unless the Vista installation DVD is corrupted you should be fine. Sometimes it shows a long time left, then all of a sudden it drops in time.

Did you format the hard drive before you started?

No you said just drop it into the blank dvd, and I did that. how do you format it? If I cancel the copying can I format and then use the same DVD?

LOL, no not copy your entire hard drive to DVD. No wonder why it said it would take that long. I would go ahead and cancel it, but the DVD will be trash now.

You would only copy the latest driver installation files that you have downloaded from the manufacturer's website to a blank DVD. For example, the Video, Audio, and Network drivers.

Afterwards, use you Vista installation DVD to reinstall Vista, then install your drivers from the other DVD.

The only reason Im a junior member is because I ask soo many question, other wise Im still a newbie. Well good thing I have a few DVD's, Canceling takes a while too. So let me just be sure of this to format will I just right click on the OS drive and click the format button? Or do I double click on OS and then look at the files and folders and copy those that are most recent, and then how recent is recent?

Since that DVD is toast anyway, you can hit the reset button on the computer if you do not feel like waiting.

I would just boot from your OEM Vista Recovery DVD. It will take care of the formatting for you when you select the restore factory default installation option. This would be the easiest way to do a clean install.

Step 5 6 & 7 did not appear, For step 10 I clicked on the os (there were two other options one was recovery and I dont remember the other). I missed the driver advance option, so should I wait for everything to load and start over.

Yep, you got it. Start or restart the computer with the DVD in the drive, then press a key (8 seconds to do so) to start from the DVD when prompted.

Since you are not real familiar with all of this, then I would recommend that you do not do this alone and have someone with you that can help you in case something goes wrong.

Well I had to change my BIOS first actually so afterwards will I need to change it back? I am in middle of doing it, (besides the IT guys at the stores theres no one else really advance to help me. You may not believe this but Im the most advance at computers in my direct family and friends (well actually not with friends but the advance friends all hate vista their MAC users.)) OH and it also said it would store all the files from my computer in a file called window.old or something like that. Is that uh normal for them to do?

No problem. I just didn't want you stuck if something went wrong and you had not internet access.

Na, there's no need to change the boot order back. It can come in handy if you need to boot from the DVD again, and it will boot to the hard drive anyway without a DVD in the drive.

If you are doing a Upgrade install instead of a clean install, then this is normal to have the previously installed Vista files stored to C:\Windows.old.