Error message when you try to upgrade a computer to Windows Vista: "The upgrade cannot be started because the content on your installation disk is written in a different language than the language on your computer"

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SYMPTOMS

When you try to upgrade a computer to Windows Vista, you cannot select the Upgrade option. Also, you receive the following error message in the Install Windows dialog box:

Upgrade has been disabled
- The upgrade cannot be started because the content on your installation disk is written in a different language than the language on your computer. To fix this, get an installation disk that uses the same language as your computer.

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CAUSE

This problem may occur if you try to upgrade a computer to a version of Windows Vista in which the language differs from the language of the current operating system.

For more information about the versions of Microsoft Windows XP that you cannot upgrade to Windows Vista because of language pack issues between the two products, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

932856 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932856/ ) You cannot upgrade certain language versions of Windows XP to Windows Vista

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RESOLUTION

To resolve this problem, use one of the following methods.

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Method 1: Upgrade to the same language version of Windows Vista

Obtain installation disks for the language version of Windows Vista that matches the language version of the current operating system. Then, upgrade your computer by using these disks.

To make sure that your computer is ready for the edition of Windows Vista that you want, run the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor utility. To obtain the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor utility, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx (http://www.microsoft.com/windows/products/windowsvista/buyorupgrade/upgradeadvisor.mspx)

To find upgrades for different languages, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/wwlist.aspx?displaylang=en (http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/wwlist.aspx?displaylang=en)

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Method 2: Perform a custom installation of Windows Vista

Perform a custom (clean) installation of Windows Vista.

Note This kind of installation does not preserve the programs that you have installed. After you install Windows Vista, you must install these programs again. Before you install Windows Vista, back up all the data. Then, restore the data to Windows Vista. For more information about installation choices for consumer versions of Windows Vista, click the following article numbers to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

932616 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932616/ ) Installation choices for consumer versions of Windows Vista (32-bit only)

932795 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932795/ ) Installation choices for 64-bit consumer versions of Windows Vista

For more information about how to restore your programs and personal data, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

932912 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/932912/ ) How to restore your personal files after you perform a custom installation of Windows Vista

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