This article describes how to troubleshoot issues that may stop the Windows Vista Setup program because a program that is installed on the computer is incompatible with Windows Vista.

When you try to install Windows Vista, the Setup program may indicate that a program that is installed on the computer is incompatible with Windows Vista. When this occurs you receive either a "hard block" or a "soft block."

Hard block

When a hard block occurs, the Setup program prevents you from continuing until the issue is resolved. A hard block occurs because the Setup program has discovered an issue with your computer that would leave Windows Vista in a damaged state if the Setup program continued. You cannot click Next to continue Windows Vista Setup. Your only option is to close the Setup program.

Soft block

When a soft block occurs, the Setup program has detected a program or computer hardware on your computer that will not work correctly after Windows Vista is installed. However, the program or the hardware that was detected will not leave the operating system in a damaged state. You can click Next to continue to install Windows Vista. However, it is likely that the program or the hardware that was detected will not function correctly after Windows Vista is installed.

To troubleshoot issues that may cause a hard block or a soft block, follow these steps.

Step 1: Run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor

When a hard block or a soft block occurs, we recommend that you stop the Setup program and then run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor. The Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor helps you determine the steps that you can take to resolve various blocking issues before you install Windows Vista. To obtain Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

Step 2: Contact the software vendor

If the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor detects a potential compatibility issue with a program, we recommend that you contact the software vendor of the program. Frequently, the software vendor will be able to resolve the compatibility issue by providing one of the following resolutions:

•	An update to make the current version of the program compatible with Windows Vista.
•	A version of the program that is compatible with Windows Vista.
•	Information about any configuration changes to make the program compatible with Windows Vista.

Step 3: Uninstall the program

If program causes a hard block during the Windows Vista Setup process, you must uninstall the program before you can continue to install Windows Vista.

Program reinstallation and activation

Be aware that, if you plan to reinstall the program after Windows Vista is installed, and after you have resolved the compatibility issue, you may have to activate the program again after it is reinstalled. Sometimes, activation may be unsuccessful if the software vendor prohibits the installation of the program on a new operating system.

Activation is a process that guarantees that the program that you are using is licensed to run on the computer where it is installed. Typically, activation requires that the software vendor’s Web site is contacted over the Internet to verify the validity of the program installation. Contact the software vendor if you have any questions about the activation process for the software vendor's program. For more information about Windows Vista and program compatibility issues, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: