Advice on switching out the HDD and (re)installing Windows

So I'm currently searching around for a laptop with the help of some of the folks over in the 'What should I buy?' section and I think I'm getting pretty close to making up my mind (finally).
This leads me to a few supplemental questions, mostly regarding my plans to swap out the stock HDD for an SSD I have going spare and subsequently installing Windows onto it.


The actual physical act of swapping the two drives isn't really a problem, I should be able to do that in my sleep. What I'm wondering about is getting Windows installed.
Also, the laptop I'll be getting will have an optical drive, which immediately bypasses one of the biggest obstacles for some laptops, so it's not anything to do with that either.

What it is is that there's a significant chance that the laptop I'd be getting would have Vista on it, which I would then be upgrading to Win7.
I've never upgraded a copy of Windows before, so I am clueless as to the ins-and-outs and the MS page about the free upgrades wasn't exactly helpful.

So what I'm wondering is how exactly does the upgrade work and what possible problems will it cause me if I'm going to be trying to install onto a fresh drive?
I mean, after I've upgraded, does the Vista activation key then behave as a Win7 key, allowing me just to do a fresh install using it? Or, indeed, will I be sent a new licence key for Win7 that would allow me to install from scratch? Alternatively, will I be forced install Vista onto the SSD first then install Win7 over the top of that?
Because if it's the last option, then that would be a significant inconvenience, not to mention slightly farcical as it would show an utter lack of foresight in case an upgrading customer would ever have to do a fresh install further down the line, which you would hope MS would have accounted for but...


Ideally, I don't want to have to pay an unnecessary premium to have Win7 pre-installed if I have the option of a 'free' upgrade.
However, if upgrading would cause me problems when it came to installing Win7 onto the SSD, I would be tempted to pay a premium for a laptop that ships with Win7, so I know I have a proper licence key to use in future.



Any/all information would be a great help, thanks.

 

For the upgrade you need to have Vista pre-installed. Most laptop manufactors don't ship vista or 7 disc with the laptop. Your best bet is to get the laptop with windows 7 and download the Windows 7 RTM x64 (if you have 4 Gigs of Ram, if not get the x32 [aka x 86]). follow the guide and then swap out the ssd. Use the windows 7 code off the bottom of your laptop.

 

The upgrade disc is user friendly. It' will guide you through the process step-by-step.

You could lose all of your data. That's why making a copy is recommended.

You lost me on that one, so I'll pass there.

A cumbersome process that would be. Seems like you would want to upgrade first, then copy to the new drive?

Okay, you answered your own question there.

If you have an upgrade disc then you have everything you need.

I'd perform an clean install. Unless I had an awful lot of data I needed to preserves.

 

@cloudbyday: damnit, I hoped that wouldn't be the case.
Thanks for the quick response.



@Krane: I think cloudbyday grasped what I was trying to say a little more succinctly.

 

Did you see my post? Get a laptop with windows 7, burn the windows 7 rtm on a dvd, swap out the hard drive, and re-install windows 7 with the code on the bottom of the laptop.

 

Yeah, I did see your post.

I already knew I could do that if I purchased a laptop with Win7 pre-loaded, I was just hoping that I wouldn't have to do that as it looks like I'm going to have to pay a premium for the privilege.

 

Why would you have to pay a premium?

 

Because the laptops I'm looking at are available cheaper for the same spec with Vista pre-installed.
If I want to get it with Win7 pre-installed, it's going to cost me more.

 

Okay, I see what you are saying. Then you could get vista pre-loaded and get the windows 7 upgrade (I am assuming that they still have the incentive program up). You still would have to burn the Windows 7 RTM (the windows 7 upgrade disc will have the COA on it) because you can't install the upgrade disc without vista.

 

Yeah, the 'free' (+ P&P) upgrade program runs 'til the end of this month, which is the only reason why I'mm even countenancing the possibility of purchasing Vista - I've spent this long avoiding it and I don't intend on being saddled with it now.

Hang on, so if I get the upgrade, I'll get a licence key that would work with a standard Win7 installation disc?

Because that's what I was asking about - whether after upgrading I'd be able, by any means, to perform a fresh Win7 install or if I would only be provided with the means ( not just in terms of a disc but also licence/activation keys etc) to install Win7 on top of Vista.

 

Yea, they discussed it in the thread I posted above. The cd key will work with the RTM or upgrade disc.

 

Right, sorry, thank you.
I was aware of the thread but it hadn't occurred to me to search through it to see if the answer to my question was there *facepalm*


As I said before, I have never upgraded a copy of Windows before, so I'm utterly clueless.
I didn't even know if I would be sent a Win7 licence key with the upgrade disc, which is why I started this thread.

I suppose I should've just been simpler and more 'to the point' with my first post.