do lost my file if install vista beta 2

if i just install the vista beta 2 directly, do i lost my existing file and the XP?
Any help is fine.

Explain 'directly'??? Are you going to upgrade or clean install? Are you going to install to the same drive/partition as xp? I really wouldn't recommend an upgrade because the beta version of Vista will expire leaving you with no OS. After an upgrdae you cannot uninstall or upgrade to another version of Vista, so you'd be stuck.
I recommend dual boot or don't install unless you don't mind a format in the future. Besides, it's beta, it'd be pretty dumb to upgrade a working copy of XP to a beta OS with many known issues..
"MarkLaw" wrote in message

if i just install the vista beta 2 directly, do i lost my existing file and the XP?
Any help is fine.

If I understand correctly:
Under no circumstance should you install Vista on a computer you actually intend to use.
If you upgrade Windows XP to Windows x86 Vista Beta 2, you will not lose your document files. It is still absolutely a must that you back these files up to another hard-drive or burn them to dvd's or something before ou even think about upgrading. There is a significant chance of your existing OS being compromised during the Vista installation which would result in the loss of your files. Once you upgrade, there is no way to uninstall Vista; to go back to XP you must re-install XP and then you may lose everything. That's why the back-up of your files.
A better option is to add a new hard-drive or make a partition on your hard-drive and install Vista there instead of upgrading. If you want instructions for this, search the forum since it has been discussed 82 different places. Then you will have the ability to "dual-boot" XP and Vista. (There has been talk of duel-boot systems, but swords ave always scared me!)
Windows x64 Beta 2 can only be installed by reformatting, either your entire hard-drive or into a new hard-drive or empty partition.
Hope this helps.
"MarkLaw" wrote:

if i just install the vista beta 2 directly, do i lost my existing file and the XP?
Any help is fine.

Vista Beta 2 is not for production use and should not be used to replace the XP you have been regularly using. Also, there is no rollback available so you would have to do a clean installation of XP to get it back. If you have a second drive available, you can install Vista on it and you will have a dual boot machine.
"MarkLaw" wrote in message

if i just install the vista beta 2 directly, do i lost my existing file and the XP?
Any help is fine.