I have a dead computer, it was a p4 winXP box 6+ years old. I will be assembling a new computer with 64 bit processor and SSD boot drive. I have a full XP license. I would prefer to buy an 'upgrade' version of Windows 7, but will I be able to install an upgrade version of windows 7 on a clean, blank drive? I would strongly prefer not to have to install XP and activate it just to reinstall windows 7. The additional factor is that some people have posted in forums that an 'upgrade' from a 32 bit os to 64 bit windows 7 does not work.
I would prefer to hear from someone who has actually done it and succeeded or failed, not 'it should work' or 'it should not work', because I can find people posting both ways theorizing that it should or should not.
I need to know if I can use a clean install disk for Windows 7 Ultimate to upgrade from Vista or if I have to use an Upgrade version?
I'm leaning towards buying the clean install disk so that if I should loose the hard drive at some future point I could just clean install Win 7 Ultimate from the disk without having to first install Vista and then upgrade.
Regardless of which type I purchase, am I better off to buy the OEM disk from the machine manufacturer (Toshiba) or just purchase any OEM disk? Of course, if I want Microsoft support then I need to purchase retail disks.
Just to let you all know that I have confirmed that you can do either a clean install, custom install, or upgrade install with a retail Upgrade version of Windows 7 and activate it on a clean unallocated (blank) drive or partition without any other OS installed or with one installed. It does not matter.
WARNING Â
Remember that you need a valid qualifying previous version of Windows to use a Upgrade Windows 7 copy legally. Microsoft only made doing a clean install from a upgrade Windows 7 possible to make it more convenient so you do not have to reinstall both the old Windows version (ex: Vista) and upgrade to Windows 7 everytime you needed or wanted to reinstall.
If you do not have a valid qualifying previous version of Windows, then you are violating the terms of Microsoft's Windows 7 End User License Agreement and could get your product key number invalidated by Microsoft. Plus, it is considered illegal.
For more about this, please see: Microsoft SMB Community Blog : Regardless of what any hack says, a Windows 7 Upgrade is an Upgrade. What you need to know.
My question is Can You Do A Custom Clean Install Using A Upgrade Version of Windows 7? I already have a valid OS installed on the hard drive. I am using Windows Vista Home Premium right now. I am wondering if I can do a custom clean install of Windows 7 from an upgrade disk of Windows 7 Home Premium? I don't want to upgrade because I am afraid I won't get the best performance and I want to have a 'fresh new OS'. It is cheaper to buy the upgrade then the full.
I would like to do a clean install of windows 7 on my laptop which currently has vista preinstalled. Am i able to wipe the HD of all traces of vista and do a clean install of windows 7 with an upgrade file? I am trying to find out if i am eligible for the student upgrade of windows 7 professional which im assuming would have to be downloaded first then installed over vista but i would rather delete vista altogether.
hey, i want to get 7 set on my computer before school starts, so if i download and install the rc, will i be able to upgrade to the final version without doing a clean reinstall of 7?
My question is can I do a clean install of Windows 7 home premium using the upgrade version?
I heard that you have to validate your old OS by inserting the vista dvd I have a vista re installation DVD that was provided to me by Dell when I bought this PC.Is this information correct and would the vista dvd I have work? or would it have to be a vista DVD I bought (not from dell).
Is it possible to do a clean install with upgrade version of home premium or ultimate? Meaning format everything first and then use the Windows 7 upgrade dvd to install it from scratch?
Due to an unstable HDD I will have to reinstall my windows 7 from scratch onto a new HDD. My version of W7 is an "upgrade". The Question is do I have to reinstall XP first then W7 or can W7 go straight in quoting the product key etc for XP. The thought of clean installing W7 is bad enough but XP as well is mind blowing.
I'm trying to install Windows 7 on my wife's PC that currently has Windows XP Pro SP3 32 bit. The PC is a year old and has AMD II X250 cpu's on an ASUSTeK Computer INC. M3N78-EM motherboard with 4 Gb RAM and a 500 Gb hard disk, a NVIDIA GeForce 8300 display adaptor and an Iiyama 17 " monitor. When it first failed I thought it was due to only having 1.85 Gb free of 60 Gb on drive C, so I used Easus to delete drive E with 437 Gb and increase drive C to be the whole 500 Gb. Still no joy, so I looked at the installation guides on the web and realised I had to change the boot sequence in the BIOS so that the CD drive came before the hard disk.
If I try to boot from the Windows 7 Home Premium family pack CD I get the option to boot from CD or DVD, which I accept by hitting a key. The screen then displays "Starting Windows" with a progress bar, after which the Microsoft logo is displayed and then finally the Windows 7 splash screen is displayed. After this, nothing further happens. The mouse cursor moves with the mouse but the keyboard doesn't appear to be active. The CD continues to spin for a while before it too gets bored and shuts down. If I start running XP and then use Windows Explorer to start the setup.exe on the CD I get an error message telling me that I have the incorrect version for the PC.
Downloaded the Student offer. (Pro x64 in my case) made an iso following this guide: Make bootable iso from student d/l Boot from DVD Choose Custom install when prompted. Go to Options, format the hard drive. Skip the CD-KEY Choose to NOT download updates Let the OS install Once done, Go activate Windows with your CD KEY Wait 5 mins. Tadam, Congratulations, your copy is activated.
That was tested on VMWare, after numerous other trials. Going to do that live now!
Does anyone know whether there is a difference in performance between doing a clean install of Windows 7 vs upgrading Vista? Any better stability? I'm just wondering whether it's worth the trouble of the clean install.
My computer has been running the Upgrade version of Windows 7 (from Vista) for two or three years. I want to perform a repair install, but wonder whether it would be possible from a new, current Windows 7 disk.
I have seen a lot on clean installs but all guides are from like 2009. Is clean install still a way to install windows 7 with upgrade disc on a new hdd? since i have a hdd with vista on it and i have the licence how do i install 7 with the licence and a black hdd?
I have a couple questions I have been trying to hunt the answers down for. Im super paranoid considering the not so easy to find rules and regulations Microsoft has for its software.I currently have an OEM version of Windows 7 Home on my laptop. I was wondering if:
1. I can upgrade from a Windows 7 Home (which was pre-installed on my laptop) to Windows 7 Professional using Windows Upgrade Anytime? If so,
2. Will problems that I have on my current windows transfer to the upgraded version? If not,Is it possible to do a 'clean install' of the upgrade?
As I will build a new computer, I need windows 7. (I only have Vista on my old)Is it, as described in this video, good enough to buy upgrade version for this?
Anyway, I am running build 7022 x86 and was planning on upgrading my maching and going with x64. First, is this possible as a simple upgrade? If so, are there any concerns or issues I should know about when attempting this? A clean install is not out of the question but obviously when testing these new builds, its nice to be able to just upgrade.
We already tried the link for the steps to do a clean install. Clean Install Windows 7 We still get 0xC004f061 The software licensing service determined that this specified product key can only be used for upgrading, not for clean installations.
We have a full older version & hoped sticking it in the hard drive would allow Windows 7 to find it. We really don't want to have to install the old one then the new one.
Problem with the detailed instructions was we got to the Activate window and we never got the Automatically activate Windows when I'm online checkbox. Just typed in key hit (Next) and it went through it's activation check & didn't like us.
Problem is we have been at it all day and this is like the 10th time we installed it. Computer had a virus. Took it a while to confirm the Bootable section of the hard drive was fried.. So we really don't want to take it down again, in order to install an old OS so the upgrade can "see" it.
I have an acer laptop which came with vista, i then upgraded it to 7 with the upgrade that acer sent me. I made an image of it which i had to use after getting a virus. I now want to install a clean installation of 7. After reading some of the other tutorials which said you can use the upgrade dvd to do this, i tried it but with no joy. I changed the BIOS to boot from DVD drive but the upgrade DVD does nothing.
I have the acer recovery discs but they were made when the machine had vista on it. i've used them but after i use them the "bootmgr is missing" and i have use my image again to get the computer up and running again.
Can you fresh install with an Upgrade version of Windows 7? I want to save some money by buying the Upgrade. However, if I have to install my old OS first then upgrade, that isn't really a clean install. I'm wondering if you simply have to prove you have an older Windows version so that you can upgrade, or if it literally has to be on the PC for it to work.
Second, does anyone know if the Upgrade trick works with Win 7? As in, you install the Upgrade without entering a key, then "upgrade" your upgrade?
What is the received wisdom on upgrading from Vista to Windows 7? I have always been in favor of clean installing but is there any advantage in reformatting and clean installing in this instance?
i like fresh installs on a Zeroed hard drive. i got win7 64bit but its an upgrade disk only. i have legit xp64bit right now. my question is this. the option that says " all information will be lost" or something like that is that a fresh install where it formats the drive and then installs a fresh windows 7 install? or does it just convert the old files and like a normal install?
i have 64 bit vista home premium and recently bought the full 7 os in case a clean install is the way to go, so for the best performance do i return the full os and get the upgrade or go with the clean install?
1. My sister has a Dell Dimension 5100 desktop computer with Windows XP from the factory. Can I put the Windows 7 UPGRADE version on a second hard drive in her machine? Is this OK or do I need the 'FULL' version?
2. Is this automatically going to create two options when booting the machine, giving her the options to boot either into XP or W7?