download windows vista

Is the Vista server down? I can't finish downloading it due to the error on my download manager: Server busy.
Is the Vista not available for download now?
I would order it, but I don't have any credit card, to pay it with. And they don't have any other payment options.
Can anyone send me a copy on any form, eg, a cd, or another download of the prodcut? I will apreciate it a lot.
Thank you for your help. -- Stuserver

Hi All May sound like a dumb question BUT can i download Vista bata and test it ? I have tested the bata (live messenger, desktop mail , and IE 7. Just wondering if i can try Windows Vista also. Retired here with nothing better to do at this time. Thanks Carl G

Yes, It.s available go to http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/default.aspx
Jeff
"Carl G" wrote in message news:Omy2uSrmGHA.40 52@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

Hi All May sound like a dumb question BUT can i download Vista bata and test it ? I have tested the bata (live messenger, desktop mail , and IE 7. Just wondering if i can try Windows Vista also. Retired here with nothing better to do at this time. Thanks Carl G

For information on downloading the beta, please go to:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/
I highly recommend you read through these forums first to get a very good idea on the risks involved before you do it.
General recommendations:
- Install Windows Vista to another partition on your hard drive or to a second internal hard drive - Do not upgrade from XP to Vista - there is no way to go back
- JB

"Carl G" wrote in message

Hi All May sound like a dumb question BUT can i download Vista bata and test it ?

Yes you can.

I have tested the bata (live messenger, desktop mail , and IE 7. Just wondering if i can try Windows Vista also. Retired here with nothing better to do at this time.

If you have a spare machine or a spare hard drive, go for it.
If you are thinking of upgrading your primary machine to from XP to Vista, don't do it.
Stratagies for testing Vista on your primary machine:
1) do an image of your current operating system, so that when you are finished looking at Vista you can restore the image, and be back to exactly where you were. Then do a clean install of Vista. If you're not exactly sure how to do an image, don't do it. All too often users find that after making an image, they can't restore it. I blame the companies that market so called backup software that can't be relied on, and that misleads a user into thinking he has a good backup when he doesn't. If you decide to do an image, you should also backup your data by copying it to a DVD as well in case the image doesn't work.
2) Get a new hard drive. I got a new 200GB maxtor hard drive for $45 after rebates. Look around, you can find similar deals. I used the MaxBlast software that was included in the box to copy my operating system to the new hard drive. You can also download software from the drive manufacturers site. After verifying that it worked, I removed the new hard drive from the system, reinstalled the old hard drive as the secondary master, and did a clean install of Vista. Then I reinstalled the new hard drive as the primary master. Now I use the BIOS to select the hard drive to boot from.
3) as Colin and Travis mentioned, if you have enough free space on your hard drive, you can use third party partitioning software to split your hard drive into two partitions, and install Vista on the second partition. I would prefer to do 1 or 2. Given the chances of getting an unusable image, I'd really prefer 2.
Be carefull.
Todd

Thanks Carl G

Read the next thread down, "How do I get XP back" to get an idea of what you can get into if your computer is not set up for beta testing. I use a test machine that I never use as my primary computer. Others use a second or third hard drive on their primary computer or at least another partition on thier primary drive. If you only have one computer with one drive and one partition, do not try Vista. Vista is not yet ready for consumer preview or early adoption.
If you are set up for beta testing, then start at http://www.microsoft.com/windowsvista/getready/preview.mspx and read the information as you go (some just skip to the links to the software).
"Carl G" wrote in message

Hi All May sound like a dumb question BUT can i download Vista bata and test it ? I have tested the bata (live messenger, desktop mail , and IE 7. Just wondering if i can try Windows Vista also. Retired here with nothing better to do at this time. Thanks Carl G

Hi Guys Thanks for all the info. I have an empty 80 gig sata drive in my machine now,which i will use,I have 4 sata drives in my machine now,3 in use , one empty. Well i guess i will go download it and see if i can figure out how to burn it to bootable DVD. I did make a bootable xp with SP2.all went well , but i don't know if i remember how. So i will go do some readeing at Microsoft Vista site. Thanks again. "Carl G" wrote in message

Hi All May sound like a dumb question BUT can i download Vista bata and test it ? I have tested the bata (live messenger, desktop mail , and IE 7. Just wondering if i can try Windows Vista also. Retired here with nothing better to do at this time. Thanks Carl G

Don't burn it to a bootable dvd. The image is bootable and all you have to do is "burn image to disc" or whatever the command is in your software. MS advises to burn at the slowest speed available in your software. They are attributing almost all file copy errors during installation to dvd's burned too fast.
"Carl G" wrote in message

Hi Guys Thanks for all the info. I have an empty 80 gig sata drive in my machine now,which i will use,I have 4 sata drives in my machine now,3 in use , one empty. Well i guess i will go download it and see if i can figure out how to burn it to bootable DVD. I did make a bootable xp with SP2.all went well , but i don't know if i remember how. So i will go do some readeing at Microsoft Vista site. Thanks again. "Carl G" wrote in message Hi All May sound like a dumb question BUT can i download Vista bata and test it ? I have tested the bata (live messenger, desktop mail , and IE 7. Just wondering if i can try Windows Vista also. Retired here with nothing better to do at this time. Thanks Carl G

Thanks Colin I will give it a try. Carl G "Colin Barnhorst" wrote in message

Don't burn it to a bootable dvd. The image is bootable and all you have to do is "burn image to disc" or whatever the command is in your software. MS advises to burn at the slowest speed available in your software. They are attributing almost all file copy errors during installation to dvd's burned too fast.
"Carl G" wrote in message Hi Guys Thanks for all the info. I have an empty 80 gig sata drive in my machine now,which i will use,I have 4 sata drives in my machine now,3 in use , one empty. Well i guess i will go download it and see if i can figure out how to burn it to bootable DVD. I did make a bootable xp with SP2.all went well , but i don't know if i remember how. So i will go do some readeing at Microsoft Vista site. Thanks again. "Carl G" wrote in message Hi All May sound like a dumb question BUT can i download Vista bata and test it ? I have tested the bata (live messenger, desktop mail , and IE 7. Just wondering if i can try Windows Vista also. Retired here with nothing better to do at this time. Thanks Carl G