Most people will probably agree, the best way to install a new operating system which is replacing your current one is by formatting your hard drive and installing the new OS “clean”. While this process is very simple, it can be intimidating if you have never done it before.

If you are looking to move to Vista from an alternate OS, I would recommend a clean install. This article provides a very good step-by-step guide, complete with screenshots, to walk you through a clean Windows Vista installation.

Of course, before doing any formatting of your hard drive, make sure your data is backed up safely as once your hard drive is formatted, you cannot recover the it (easily at least).