Windows 7 Retail Disc Clean Install Using Lenovo Upgrade Key

Hi,

I'm thinking of using a digital river download copy of Windows 7 Professional to install a clean copy of windows on my X301.

Will I be able to use the key from my Windows 7 Professional Lenovo upgrade disc when it arrives to activate the windows installation that was installed using the retail disc?

Thanks

 

no.   the upgrade media comes with a pre-installed and activated OEM volume license key.   even if you installed the upgrade media just to copy the key, the key won't work with retail media.

 

Would it be possible to do this

- install the upgrade,
- export the licence,
- install clean copy of windows using retail disc, and
- import licence and activate ?

Thanks

 

Does this not come with its own COA?

I took the Lenovo upgrade from XP to Vista on my T60, and they sent the recovery disc (didn't use it), and a COA sticker to affix to the system (it has an XP Pro and Vista Business sticker on the bottom now).

 

I actually have a doubt about this, because the Lenovo upgrade kit has 2 discs : one for windows 7, one for the Lenovo drivers and apps. It seems to me like the windows upgrade disc is a regular OEM upgrade disc, which would come without the volume license key. Actually, there is a regular "product key" sticker on the DVD paper bag, like a normal OEM disc.

So it may work with a clean OEM install from a Digital River DVD. However I also have read around here that the DVD had some integrated optimization from Lenovo. I'd say it's going to work, since you can apply the OEM volume license on a retail media (if you know how to apply the certificate and the key after installation, but it's not the point here), but it's everyone guess until someone tries it.

 

Do you have any more info on what these optimisations are?

The reason im looking at doing a clean install with retail media is that Ive heard that the Lenovo upgrade disc installs a recovery partition which Im not keen on.

 

Nope unfortunately, because I have a clean install too eventhough I received my upgrade discs from Lenovo. But frankly I'm not so sure about the recovery partition thing, because the DVD is not much different from the original DVD from Microsoft, especially the size.

 

the lenovo upgrade media does not include the "enhanced experience" optimizations.   only EE-certified systems purchased with windows 7 after october 22nd include these optimizations.

the windows 7 key included with the upgrade media will not work with retail media.   i've tested they key included with my X200T EE build and it did not work with retail windows 7.

 

What exactly the heck are these "enhanced experience" optimizations? Some registry tweaks? They put back the QuickLaunch toolbar perhaps?

 

I would like to know this as well.

 

@OP : What do you want to do exactly ?
If you want to just enter the upgrade key during the installation, then Erik is right. It's not going to work as it is, because the volume license key is not going to be accepted.

However, if you plan to make a clean install without entering the key, then you can add the certificate and the volume license key later. This is possible with a few command lines, assuming you have a backup of your lenovo certificate and volume license key. And in that case, you would have a clean install activated. I know this works, since this is what I have on my thinkpad.

@Erik : What I had in mind was for the OP to change his retail disc into an upgrade disc. It's quite easy to do, since it involves the modification of a single file in the ISO. After this, the upgrade key written on the sticker at the back of Lenovo's upgrade disc may work. I haven't tried, but I think there is a possibility.