A clean install lets you start fresh, erasing all of the 'buildup' since you got the computer. Plus, in the case of XP to Vista, you don't have the leftover XP files taking up space. Going from Vista to Vista, though means the latter doesn't really apply. Personally, I'd just upgrade to save the hassle of copying out your personal files and reinstalling all your software, but that does depend on the copy of Home Premium you bought...if it's OEM you can only clean-install, and conversely if it's an Upgrader's license you can't clean-install.
John
I have a Vista Basic (Acer Aspire 3690) laptop. Here are my specs:
Celeron CPU 1.73 GHz.
1.5 GB of RAM (I upgraded it from 512 MB!)
80 GB Hard Drive
DVD/CD-R Player
And an Intel 945 GM Chipset w/ Intel GMA 950 graphics
So here are my questions. I bought Windows Vista Home Premium the month after it came out. It didn't work on one of my old computers, and I just bought this laptop. I upgraded the RAM on the laptop to 1.5 GB so I could upgrade it, and my Windows Experience Index shows that my laptop can run Aero with no problem. But, should I do a clean install? I've heard that clean installs are better for your computer, is this true? And, what are the advantages of doing a clean install?

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