Windows Vista Customer Preview Program
Thank you for your interest in Windows Vista. The Customer Preview Program is now closed. We have reached our program capacity and no new orders are being accepted. We apologize for any inconvenience.
The information on this page is intended for Customer Preview Program participants. Participants will receive an e-mail message with additional information when Windows Vista Release Candidate 1 (RC1) is available later this year. Thank you for testing Windows Vista.
Important information for Customer Preview Program participants
- System Requirements
You can view system requirements and information on Windows Vista Capable and Premium Ready PCs here.
- Release Notes
You can view the Release Notes for Windows Vista Beta 2 here (available in English only).
- Upgrade limitations
You may not be able to upgrade your installation of Windows Vista Beta 2 (or RC1) to the final, commercially available edition of Windows Vista. To upgrade you will need to acquire the final edition of Windows Vista and you may have to do a clean installation.
- Time-limited software
Windows Vista Beta 2 (and RC1) is time-limited, pre-release software that will expire on June 1, 2007.
- Beta support policy
This is pre-release (beta) software distributed for trial and testing purposes only. Microsoft does not provide technical support for beta releases. Although formal support is not offered for this beta, we have provided newsgroups to help answer questions you may have related to the installation and use of Windows Vista Beta 2 (and RC1). To join or read postings in these newsgroups, please visit http://windowshelp.microsoft.com.
- Antivirus support
As part of a sensible approach to helping prevent malware, Microsoft recommends that you use an antivirus application with Windows Vista Beta 2. Information about available antivirus programs can be found on the Microsoft Security At Home website.
- Installation limitations
There are two installation scenarios for Windows Vista Beta 2 (and RC1):
- You can do a clean installation. This process will overwrite any data that you have on your hard disk or on your installation partition. The overwritten data will be lost and unrecoverable.
- You can upgrade an existing installation of Windows XP.
No other installation scenarios are supported. Upgrading to this beta from any other edition of Windows requires a clean installation, as described in option 1. In addition, once you install Windows Vista Beta 2 (or RC1) you cannot roll back to the previous operating system installation—you will either have to acquire and install the final released edition of Windows Vista or reinstall a previous edition of Windows. Before installing Windows Vista Beta 2 on any computer, please remember to back up all your files.
Note: Please close any open applications before beginning an upgrade. During installation we recommend you have an active Internet connection and choose to “Go online to get the latest updates for installation.”
DVD burning instructions
After completing the download, you will need to burn the ISO file to a DVD. This means you’ll need a DVD burner with appropriate software. If you are unsure if your DVD burning software will support burning an ISO file, please refer to your DVD burning software program and search “Help” for instructions on creating a disc from an ISO file. If you are still unsure about burning your own DVD, ordering the Windows Vista Beta 2 DVD kit might be a better option for you.
Here’s a summary of how to download, burn, and install Windows Vista Beta 2:
- Download the ISO image file from the location indicated in the e-mail message you receive after registering, and save the file to your hard disk. (If the download prematurely terminates you can resume the download process from where you left off using the download manager.)
- Using a DVD burner and software, burn the ISO image of Windows Vista Beta 2 to a new blank DVD. We recommend burning at the lowest speed supported by your DVD burner (1X or 2X) to ensure the highest quality. Most DVD burning software will recognize an ISO file. If your software does not automatically recognize this format, refer to the software’s “Help” section for instructions.
- Insert the DVD on which you burned the software into the DVD drive of the computer on which you want to install Windows Vista Beta 2.
- The installation process should start automatically. If it does not, run Setup from the DVD to begin installation and follow the step-by-step instructions that appear on the screen.
Tell us what you think
If there's something that you like or dislike in this pre-release edition of Windows, we want to hear from you. Please use this feedback form to share your opinions.
To help you explore Windows Vista, we have created a list of tasks for you to try. To access the list and provide feedback on your experience, visit the Windows Vista Scenario Voting site.
