If you’ve had Windows XP SP2 running on your machine for a while, you may not want to backup everything and perform a clean install - it’s much easier to simply upgrade your operating system to Windows Vista. This article will guide you through it. The upgrade can take a long time to complete, as little as 35 minutes but as long as 12 hours and it is a very hefty but visually simple process, so make sure you do this when you’re not so busy.

 Ensure you have a backup on external disks of everything you have just to be safe.
 When you see this icon, there is a screenshot which will open up on-screen.

1. Insert your Windows Vista DVD disk (or set it up using the final ISO image in a virtual emulator).
2. At the  initial setup screen, click on Install now. If you wish to read more information about the setup process, you can click the What to know before installing Windows link at the bottom.
3. The first screen you should see is the  Installation Update screen. Firstly, click the I want to help make Windows installation better checkbox, as this helps the setup process get better for future versions of Windows. If you have no Internet connection, click the second option, but if you have an active broadband connection, select the first option. This ensures you have the latest updates and files before Windows Vista is installed for the first time.
4. Enter in your product key in the  Product Key screen then select Next. If you don’t have a product key yet, you can actually skip this stage without entering anything in - if so, ensure you select the correct version of Windows Vista at the next screen.
5. Scroll down and read the  Terms and Conditions of using Windows. Click the I accept the license terms then select Next.
6. When selecting the  type of installation, select the Upgrade option. This lets you keep your files and settings for when Windows Vista first starts up.
    Not everything will appear the same once the upgrade is complete - new themes will be applied depending on your system specification, but application settings and software as well as your files should remain intact once the upgrade has finished.
   
7. The next screen should be the  Compatibilty Report. This screen will tell you which drivers are not compatible with Windows Vista and will help you take steps to rectify problems once the operating system has finished upgrading.
8. The next step is the  installing phase where this part could take hours to complete, so go and get a cup of coffee and relax for a bit.
    The computer will restart, the installing phase will continue for a little while longer. Eventually a black and grey screen will appear with the text “Please wait a moment while Windows prepares to start for the first time…”
   
9. The  Out of Box Experience program will begin, and you’ll be asked for your country and region, your computer’s language, and your keyboard layout. Select them from the lists given, then hit Next.
10. Choose your  username and password at the next screen - type in your desired username, enter your new password twice and then a password hint if you wish to. From here you can also select the display picture of that user account. Once you’ve done, click Next.
11. The next screen allows you to  change your computer name and your user account’s wallpaper. Your computer name should be something simple but tells other computers in the house or on the network which computer it is - I’ve named this machine VISTARTM because it is! Choose your wallpaper (you’ll see it previewed in the background) then click Next to continue.
12. A simple option to  configure your Automatic Updates - it is highly advised you select the top option Use recommended settings as this will automatically fix your firewall, set your Internet settings, update and install programs automatically and check for solutions to problems straight away.
13. The next stage is to  set your computer clock and your time zone. Simply select your timezone from the list, alter your clock accordingly then select Next to continue.
14.  That’s it - you’ve completed the configuration stages!
     The Out of Box Experience is not quite over yet - the system will perform some final configuration tasks and will take a little longer. The computer may restart, but eventually you’ll get to the login screen. Type in your username and password, and you’re using Windows Vista
    

Some screenshots courtesy of ActiveWin - thanks for the permission Bob.