I apparently cannot change the product key from a Windows 7 Ultimate eval copy 7100 to a retail Ultimate product key and have it activate properly. The process tells me my key is not valid...is that correct? I do not see anywhere an activation phone number to call.
View 3 Repliescan i somehow use my vista disc at some point to allow the Windows 7 retail install to upgrade the Windows 7 RC AND NOT HAVE TO REINSTALL MY PROGRAMS?
i currently have vista 32 bit home premium. i have the install discs for it too.
i want to create another partition and put Windows 7 RC 64 bit on it (dual boot).
i have Windows 7 home premium pre ordered.
i want to upgrade Windows 7 RC to the retail when it comes out, WITHOUT REINSTALLING MY PROGRAMS.
i read the Windows 7 retail discs will allow you to upgrade the Windows 7 RC, but you will have to reinstall programs.
i am wondering if using the vista disc will allow me to upgrade and keep my programs.
I was looking at getting windows 7 and hoping to do clean installs on a couple of machines and don't know which version to choose. I was looking at the w7 professional upgrade because I read that you can do a clean install with the upgrade disc and it's cheaper but I was not sure because I have an xp pro upgrade disc which says in the manual you can do a clean install but I could not (tried to put it on my laptop and do a clean install over vista but wouldn't let me.)
If you can do that, what is the difference between an upgrade clean install and the regular install disc? My other question is, if I buy the full retail version how many machines can I install it on and will they go into non genuine mode after the product key is used once?
will windows seven retail upgrade over windows seven RC ?
View 8 Replies View RelatedI made an ISO of my genuine Windows 7 Professional upgrade DVD and then downloaded a genuine Windows 7 Ultimate ISO. While I was deleting the ei.cfg file, I noticed that the folders and files are all the same. So is there any difference between the upgrade DVD and the retail DVD?
View 1 Replies View RelatedAre all the pre-order deals for upgrade software rather the full retail versions?
I have shelled out quite a bit on WinXP over the past few years and more recently due to both desktop and laptop falling over at the same time.
I want to be able to install any new operating system I buy on new hardware when that becomes necessary.
I have to be very sure. I am not wasting any more dosh on OEM versions.
It seems to me that just because you get a full version rather than an upgrade, that is something different to the license being OEM or Retail.
Full or upgrade version is not really the issue (although full is obviously better). For me it is about the license to install on new hardware as I upgrade that without buying a new copy of windows.
Does 'full' also mean that the install will not be tied to a previous copy of windows being installed first (or having the key for that version to hand)?
so I'm confused with upgrading to windows 7. i am currently running the windows 7 RC and for upgrading to the full version I'm unsure if i need to buy the retail version of windows 7 or if i can use the upgrade disk for windows 7.
View 5 Replies View Relatedi use xp pro sp2 retail on my main well gaming rig. i ordered the Windows 7 hp upgrade and will ship 10-22-09.
if i read right. when i upgrade to Windows 7 my key for my retail xp pro sp2 will be no more good. i will not be able to install or use my retail xp again. is this right?
well. a bud sent me a oem sp3 copy of xp pro some months ago. its still sealed and i never opened the package. i am afraid of sp3 is why i have not used it yet. so.. but. my question is and if i will lose my retail xp key if i upgrade to Windows 7. should i upgrade to Windows 7 using my oem xp sp3 disc. and keep my retail key etc.
so. id guess first i need to back up and save what i need to keep. files etc. then nuke reformat and install my oem xp. just basic install and i guess register it. and then upgrade fresh install Windows 7. if this will work im fine with it. yes its the extra steps to first install the oem xp version maybe. but id like to save my retail xp key. i do have another computer i guess i could use xp on for a while to come. i have not been using my second pc. ive been afraid to install or use xp sp3.. so i have not used my oem xp sp3 yet.
I have purchased 2 retail copies of Windows 7 Pro for 29.99 with my student discount. If you have questions as to how I achieve this go to this thread
Full Retail Version of Pro For Students only 29.99
I now have another computer that I want to put Windows 7 pro on. I am thinking about purchasing an upgrade key and just using the retail version to install so I don't have to reinstall Vista in order to do the upgrade.
Anyways, do you think I could purchase an upgrade key, install with my retail disk without filling out the product key and then activate with the upgrade key?
I was just consulted on by a teacher who had a student that purchased Windows 7 and just received it in the mail. It was an upgrade, he couldn't find a product key. He was wondering if your current os's product key doubled as your 7 key. I would assume it wouldn't, and he just over looked Microsoft's master of disguise product keys.
View 9 Replies View RelatedI have bought an Windows7 Ultimate on ebay and I can't get it activated. I tried the automatic service with the telephone, but I keep getting a notification that my windows can't be activated in my region.If I try to get help from microsoft I have to pay 70� to get support.
View 9 Replies View RelatedI have Vista x64 right now and I keep wanting to install the 7100 build beta that I downloaded a while back. I plan to buy the 3 pack of Windows 7 when it comes out but I am wondering if installing the beta build now will make upgrading harder down the road. Doing a clean install is just way to hard considering all the terrabytes of programs and data that I would have to either re-install or manually try to put back into it's original places.
I know a lot of people preach that doing clean installs is so much better. In my experience this has never really helped. I have on numerous occasions done clean installs and they never did seem to work any better or any faster than the upgrades that I have had installed for years. The only time I think you need to do a clean install is if you have stability issues with your hardware causing your OS to go flaky or if you neglect your OS and leave all kinds of crap floating around on it. We have one machine running Windows 2000 since 2000 and it is used daily without any problems or corruption whatsoever.
Is the in-place upgrade to Windows 7 possible with
a) retail versions
b) OEM / OSB / SB version?
Or do I have to buy this special "upgrade version"?
I only get contradictorily information (very frustrating!) and need advice from your side.
P.S. Yes, I know about the pros and cons in general regarding in-place upgrade vs. clean installation.
is it in any way possible to:
1) install windows 7 RC as the home premium version (not ultimate). i heard you can edit some file to allow this.
2) when the retail version of windows 7 home premium upgrade comes out, use that to upgrade my RC installation AND KEEP MY INSTALLED PROGRAMS?
i heard you can do a custom install which makes a windows.old folder. i am looking to NOT do that.
My question involves upgrading a home desktop to Windows 7 Ultimate. I have a copy of Windows XP Professional and Windows Vista Ultimate which are Academic versions I purchased at a discount from my university. (I already purchased the Student Windows 7 edition for my laptop).
**Are the academic versions of Windows Vista Ultimate or Windows XP Professional eligible for the Windows 7 Ultimate Retail Box Upgrade?**
I do not want to purchase the Upgrade retail box version to then learn the Academic version of XP and Vista are not eligible for the Upgrade version of Windows 7 Ultimate. Or will I need to purchase the Full Retail Box version to upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate?
what is the difference between upgrade and full retail version of windows 7.
View 3 Replies View RelatedI am waiting to be approved by my school for msdnaa access but am not sure what it offers is what I need. Is what they offer equivalent to a retail version of windows 7, oem or upgrade?
View 1 Replies View RelatedFor people that brought computers with Vista but promised a Windows 7 upgrade, did you get a OEM disk, or you got a retail one with a serial number?
I'm curious because I want to upgrade my desktop (Vista HP x64) to Windows 7 instead of my laptop. Is that possible?
whats the difference between upgrade and full retail of win 7?
View 5 Replies View RelatedHaving read some threads I am under the impression I won't have to purchase another copy of windows but I was wondering what I will have to do in order to continue using the same copy of windows.
Some people have indicated that I will need to contact Microsoft but I couldn't determine if they meant the automated phone number used to activate Windows or if was another number?
Can i use win 7 pro full retail to upgrade from vista business I do not want to have to GO AND INSTALL ALL THE PROGRAMS PUN WITH VISTA?
View 1 Replies View RelatedI bought the full retail Win 7 Ultimate and trying to upgrade Windows Vista Ultimate to Win 7 Ultimate, both 32bit. I get to the Expanding Windows files to 21% and nothing. The program is still running and stuck at 21% but after waiting 3 hours I shut power off and Vista was reinstated. Why can't I get past 21% Expanding Windows files? I want to use the upgrade because I have a ton of programs on my Vista and don't want to spend days reinstalling them.
View 9 Replies View RelatedI've tried to upgrade from Vista Ultimate 32 bit to 7 Ultimate 32 bit numerous times now, all with the same result: a BSOD during the install process, which I get during (what I think is) the final step called "Transferring files, settings and programs."
The installation compatibility test warns me about my Nvidia drivers, which I've attempted to both remove and upgrade to the latest version, but that doesn't seem to make a difference (I still get the warning during the compatibility check, and I still get the blue screen). I'm not sure that's even the problem, either. I can't (easily) remove/replace the video card, since my mobo doesn't have onboard video, so I'd hopefully be able to avoid having to do that.
The error in the blue screen is a nebulous "REFERENCE_BY_POINTER" message. The technical information is "STOP: 0x00000018 (0x00000000, 0x86478030, 0x00000002, 0xFFFFFFFF)."
As a zip file, I've attached the setup log, error log, compatibility report, and what I think is the setup dump file, all of which I found in C:$WINDOWS.~BTSourcesPanther (I believe that's the right place to look). The logs complain about BthMig problems, which I think has something to do with bluetooth, but I don't have any bluetooth peripherals. I've uninstalled things that I thought might have some bluetooth things in it, like MS Intellitype (maybe a stretch), but again, no difference.
System specs: AMD Athlon 64 X2 6000+, on an Asus M2N SLI Deluxe, with 4 GB of ram, and an Nvidia GeForce 8800 GT. The hard drive I'm installing (upgrading) on has about 100 GB free.
I'm trying to upgrade a computer from Vista Ultimate (32 bit) to 7 Ultimate (32 bit) and I keep receiving this error message:
"This installation disc isn't compatible with your version of Windows. To upgrade, you need the correct installation disc. For more information, check your computer's system information. To install a new copy of Windows, restart (boot) your computer using the installation disc, and then select Custom (advanced)."
Now, I double-checked all the system requirements and the system is compatible with 7.
I'm trying to update as shown in the thread title. However, when i click upgrade, setup tells me the following
"You can't upgrade from Win 7 64bit to Win 7 32bit"
"You can't upgrade from Win 7 32bit to Win 7 64 bit"
I have Win 7 x64, and i'm trying to install Win 7 x64. The only thing i have done is change one of the .ini files on the install to allow me to update from the RC version.
Today I began installing windows 7 ultimate on my laptop. However, I grabbed my ultimate N disk instead of my Ultimate disk. is there a way to upgrade to normal ultimate version. I have setup windows media center on every tv in my house and would like to have it on my laptop lol. I would realy rather not wipe and reinstall so i dont have to install all the drivers and anitvirus again...
View 3 Replies View Relatedsay one were to install the windows 7 RTM unactivated. could a "upgrade" retail key activate it? or would it require a "full" retail key?
View 9 Replies View RelatedI have a Dell XPS 410 Desktop with Windows XP Pro SP3. Specifications of the machine are: Windows XP Professional SP3, 4GB DDR2 SDRAM, 768MB nvidia 8800GTX video card, 500GB hard drive (2 x 250GB as RAID1)
I would like to know if I can upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate without doing clean install or dual boot. Is there an easier way to do this or do I have to do Clean Install.
I've got a code that allows me to upgrade to Ultimate, just wondering I am current running Home premium 64-bit, if I upgrade will it delete any of my files or restore to factory settings or do a master reboot ? or will it upgrade and be the same as before just running Ultimate instead ?And Is ultimate worth upgrading to ? does it make my computer better ?
View 8 Replies View RelatedI have a pretty basic laptop (5-year-old Dell Vostro 1000). I use it only for web surfing, e-mail, and "tinkering." I recently upgraded RAM to 2GB (all it will hold), replaced the hard drive with an SSD, and upgraded from XP to Win 7 Home Premium (32 bit) just to see what would happen. There were obvious performance improvements, and I'd probably see more if I had faster internet service (only thing available here is 768K DSL). I know it's like putting lipstick on a pig, but now I'm curious to know if I could upgrade Win 7 to the Ultimate version (as I said, I like to tinker). Is there a 32-bit version of Ultimate? Windows Upgrade Advisor says this machine will not support 64- bit, though I'm awfully tempted to try it anyway. What would Ultimate get me that I don't already have? Is this a wacky idea I should just forget about?
View 7 Replies View RelatedI just got my windows 7 ultimate. I was able to successful install it on a new hard drive on another computer. It was pretty good so i decide to upgrade my vista home premium. When ever i tried to upgrade my vista home premium i would get an error. I use the windows 7 upgrade advisor and it says i can upgrade to win 7 ultimate. Im on vista home premium x64
View 4 Replies View Related