Install Vista now, activate later

[nwrigley]

I'm helping a friend setup her new laptop. It came with Vista Home Basic and we're going to replace it with Ultimate, which she can get for $20 through her University. I'd like to go ahead and install it with a copy that I have and then activate it once she purchases her license.

My understanding is that after installing it everything will work as normal for 30 days. Is this correct?

 

[F1shF4t]

You'll have no issues if its an oem or retail version, as long as its the right version (ie Ultimate etc). And yes there is a 30 day trial.

Only issues with doing an install first is if you wanted to do a fresh install using the oem licence sticker, like the one which comes with oem machines. Or upgrade versions where you have to do an upgrade over the trial to get the key to work.