Beware!!! Microsoft is not playing nice with Win 7 upgrade!

I just got off the phone with Microsoft technical support and they confirmed that you must have a qualifying OS installed each and every time you use the upgrade disc. Granted I could image a clean Vista install and use it each and every time I want to perform a clean install of Win 7, but this is pain in the ().

How do you feel? Is it worth keeping your Win 7 pre-purchase upgrade?

 

Umm, what's so different about this as compared to every other iteration of the WinOS? If you're doing a clean install from an upgrade disk, you've always had to have a qualifying OS already installed that the upgrade disk could recognize (at least since XP, that is).

 

That's why the Upgrade version is always cheaper than the full. If they allowed you to clean-install the Upgrade version of Windows on a newly formatted HD, why would anyone get the full version then? And as Shyster1 said, that’s always been the case; nothing’s changed.

 

You can give it to me if you don't want to keep it. I'll trade you with an unused genuine Windows XP given to me by a Mod here.

 

Heck, I'll go one better; I've got a full OEM version of Win2k Professional that's unused that I'll trade you for that Win7 upgrade!

 

Thats cold blooded shyster.... just cold blooded

And yeah its an upgrade dics, not an OS. Thats why it was insanely cheap. If you want the real thing then you have to buy the complete OS (i have to get 3 at the minimum) It sucks but its a one time expense once ever few years.

You can mitigate it greatly though by buying new laptops with Win7 Preinstalled... then you get the OS free. But i doubt it will be the really nice professional/ultimate versions

 

Upgrade operating systems are the same as their retail counterpart, and the proof of qualifying OS is your original CD (OEM or retail, doesn't matter) if you want a clean install, the big question here is what is going to happen with those that have pre installed OS and burn a CD as a backup, are they allow to use this burned CD as a proof of qualifying OS???

 

I would think that an image of an XP install would be better, as you must do a clean install over XP...

 

Not already installed. You can do an install of XP Professional Upgrade on an unformatted disc, it just asks you to insert your qualified OS disc during the install. Not sure about XP Home Upgrade.

 

Really? Doesn't work that way with the XP Pro upgrade disk I have.

 

If you can image a clean Vista install, then why can't you create an image of a clean Windows 7 install and just image your machine from that? It seems like you're inserting a whole extra step here that isn't necessary.

 

My XP upgrade lets me do a clean install. I just pop in my Win98SE CD when it asks, and it verifies it's genuine, and then completes installation.

I did the same for someone else with a Vista upgrade, using an XP disk of course.

 

Maybe there are different versions of the disc out there. The few I've seen all behave as htwingnut described.

 

I talked to Microsoft about a week ago. I currently have Vista x86 installed. They confirmed that I would be able to perform a clean install of Windows 7 x64. I will have to "get around" the licensing issue by "upgrading" from Windows 7 x64 to Windows 7 x64 when booting from the Windows 7 DVD. I will also be able to format my HD and perform more clean installs if need be. Hope this helps. As far as I know, the upgrade DVDs won't work exactly like an OEM disc, but it will be close (you'll have to "upgrade").

 

One of the big gripes when Vista came out was the upgrade didn't allow this.

http://www.pchell.com/support/installingwindowsvistaupgrade.shtml

 

if you don't like this, then partition properly(60GB for OS), install OS and drivers and applications, then backup/clone the OS partition to an external HDD or another partition... easiest way to reinstall... with storage prices low, you should be able to get another HDD

 

The clean install of Windows 7 could be imaged to one or two DVDs using built-in tools in the Backup and Restore Center. The images can be restored to a drive using the Windows DVD.

I just wonder who reinstalls so often that this is a big issue. It has been over a year since my initial installation of Vista x64, and I'm seeing no issues.

 

From another forum:

Nice cube, paper wastage. V-cubes ftw!

Also, OF COURSE Microsoft is not going to condone it, and at best, they're not going to directly answer the question. They'll just keep citing that you need an activated OS, etc. etc.

 

That's my experience with Vista Upgrade too. I have no idea how some are reporting that during the Vista Upgrade process it asks for a Windows disk.

In fact I recall asking this question on the TechNet user group a long time ago and two MSFT MVPs confirmed that MSFT changed this in Vista because the old disk-in-drive verification process was flawed (duh...) but they did confirm that the double install process works fine (as described in your link). And AFAIK that process is still available in 7.

 

So if I was to get an SSD in order to use the Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade disc I'd have to

1) Install Vista on it
2) Then use the Upgrade disc and install Windows 7 clean (it would delete Vista completely and install the new OS)

Do I have it right now?

 

Technically, if it works the same as it did for Vista, you use the install disc to install W7 as a full copy without activating it with a product key, then you insert the disc again and go through the upgrade process. When it asks for the key this time, you type it in, and choose to activate it, and voila, full clean install of your respective version.

Link above is more elaborate.

 

That's always been my experience with the upgrade releases too.

 

I would try a Vista upgrade on a virtual PC but don't have an upgrade version available. TechNet Plus is all full versions.

 

you will not need vista. you simply install win7 without a lic key. let it finish. then reinstall it again from a boot not from within windows and this time put the upgrade key in. and let it install. done.. not sure why everyone thinks thats so hard to do??

 

I'm not sure about Windows 7.
When Vista first came out, I got a new Pavilion for my cousin which came with a vista upgrade disk. I thought I'd give it a try so I installed it using the key on the bottom my cousin's HP. Of course it wasn't activated by that key, but I used that key to call microsoft and activated via the phone! Voila!
I'm incline to think that it would be the case with windows 7.

One thing to note, the upgrade disk actually comes with all the version of windows. What determines which version you get is the key. At least that was the case with vista.

 

You can download the Win7 image when it is released and use the Win7 upgrade CD-key

 

I like such winings. What do you expect? it's an upgrade. so it should want to .. upgrade?

yep. you always get what you pay for. no free lunch.

 

Keys on the bottom of OEM machines are worthless for a an install on anything but the OEM restore media. You have to extract the OEM key from your OEM installed OS (yes, it's different), and that is the key you will use.

 

I know that. But did you read my entire post? I said I activated windows via the phone.

 

God bless Microsoft for giving the EU full retail discs for £46

 

A very shrew move from the part of Microsoft. Why bother getting themselves in trouble over pricing when they are still resisting to bundle other browsers EU Commission got caught good this time.

cheers ...

 

In the past, you can install Windows XP Upgrade version without installing previous OS version first. All you have to do is putting in previous version of Windows CD when asked. Within a second after verifying that you have previous Windows CD, setup will ask you to put Windows XP Upgrade CD back in. This way, you can have clean Windows installation. Similar mechanism is also common for any Microsoft software before they introduced product activation.

 

were for £46 , all i can find is £79

 

@ OP

Its an upgrade disk, not a "cheap full version disk" why is MS doing something wrong?

You can still do the full clean install you just need to upgrade it from a prior OS install. Plus its not out yet so nobody can say how its going to work, it could be just like the Vista disk where it can upgrade over itself. You spoke with a MS rep right? They are not going to just openly advertise that fact.

Plus work smarter not harder, you mentioned image software, why not install Win 7 just that one time and then save an image of it. Walla! no more pain in the anything steps to install it, just put your image back on if you had too, and it wont take any time at all.

Also just how often do you have to re-install your OS??? I only do it about 1 time a year for the sake of it, and so whats 20 minutes of installing Vista first one time a year?

 

im sure in the past ive used an upgrade of xp to do a clean installation

 

sadly they sold out within 8 hours!! But i've got my 2 copies )

 

Just have to wait for people to start selling their free ones on ebay.

 

This thread was confusing, lets just wait till it comes out because many will have questions regarding upgrading there Windows XP or Windows Vista to Windows 7. Also what was not mentioned in this thread was how many people may upgrade from bootleg copies to legal copies those upgrading from bootleg copies to bootleg copies won't have much of a problem.

 

Try http://www.pcworld.co.uk/martprd/product/457250 or

http://www.staples.co.uk/ENG/Catalog...affixedcode=WW

Although i would warn you that PC World are well known to take too many orders for the stock they have. Everywhere else is now £79.99 (ish)

The good thing is we are getting full retail versions in Europe for this price, albeit without IE8.... but who cares about that

 

The guy with no spare machine to download it from

On the other hand, our E versions we're paying upgrade price for is at least a full retail kit, rather than an upgrade.

 

I'd like to point out that "clean install disks" while useful are not as necessary anymore. (yes, I understand why everyone here would want them... yes, most of us have completely legit reasons as to why...)

Win7 installs pretty quickly on a fresh install and quite frankly doesn't require frequent reloads like previous (XP and before) windows versions.

Vista 64 and Win7 64 tend to keep their integrity even after quite a bit of use and abuse.

I am not going to be that upset about my retail win7 copy requiring a little annoyance to install if I have to spend considerably less time and annoyance later.

 

So are these considered retail, so we can transfer from notebook to notebook , say you install it and return the notebook as faulty and buy another make and install it on that.

 

My understanding is that that will be the case

 

Except we've been getting that "free lunch" for years now by installing upgrade Windows releases with no previously installed OS.

 

yes, sure, and that didn't change.

 

Basically, this is how I see it if you are upgrading Windows XP 32 <to> Windows 7 64 you have to do a clean installation, there is no way around it. If you are upgrading from Windows Vista 32\64 <to> Windows 7 you have to upgrade leaving residue of Windows Vista on your system.

There has been so much said on this topic I believe it's really confusing the flying pigs out of people. When the time comes people are just going to assume one method or another, and there not going to read the endless forums on the subject within the past 6 months. Which is why I suggest someone put it straight forward with a disclaimer that other methods are available etc.

 

Microsoft released the official upgrade paths on 20 July. The link has been posted several times in a few Windows 7 threads on this board.

 

I know this already and so do probably others, that is not what I was stating.

 

I pre-ordered the upgrade disk for Windows 7 for $50. If I were to get a new HDD, would I be able to install Win 7 or no? And if I decided to keep my current HDD, can I still do a clean install of Windows 7 with the upgrade version of Win 7 that I bought?

Thanks

 

You would be able to install Windows 7, as a clean install if you do decide to keep your current HDD. You have to upgrade from Vista and a clean install from XP. Who knows really in the end those who run Windows Vista could do a clean install as well, my suggestion is install Windows 7 on a XP machine by doing a clean install, first then if you have to install on a Vista machine try a clean install as well. Maybe someone here who ran the RC or is running the RC can clear this up on there experience and be honest about it.