Windows 7 Upgrade with XP CD

O

Oswald_

Weaksauce
Joined
Apr 21, 2005
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In the past you could do a clean install using upgrade media, provided you fed the system a disc proving that you owned the previous version of windows.

Is this option available with Windows 7 upgrade?
 
This would be nice to know seeing that it is recommended if you have a SSD to erase the SSD before upgrading to windows 7 rather than upgrading the preexisting OS. Has something to do with the snapshot of the drive when being installed.
 
Well you can only do an inplace upgrade from Vista to Win7,

so I don't think that you'll have to install XP first b/c that would be a big waste of time and make absolutely no sense.... but MS's policies don't always make sense, so I could be mistaken.

It would be stupid to be required to have XP installed for the upgrade, as Windows 7 will do a clean install over your XP install, not upgrade it.
 
how many different ways can this same question be asked? a gazillion?

there are threads all over this forum.

nobody knows yet what will be required for the upgrade.

it's been speculated that you will need an activated install for the upgrade to work.
 
j-sta said:
how many different ways can this same question be asked? a gazillion?

there are threads all over this forum.

nobody knows yet what will be required for the upgrade.

it's been speculated that you will need an activated install for the upgrade to work.
Click to expand...

amen
 
I received my upgrade from amazon 1hr ago.

1) Blank hard drive. Booted with upgrade disk. Got to the part where it asks "upgrade" or "custom".

Chose custom and its installing! WTF? I will post back with what happened.
 
Blackhood said:
I received my upgrade from amazon 1hr ago.

1) Blank hard drive. Booted with upgrade disk. Got to the part where it asks "upgrade" or "custom".

Chose custom and its installing! WTF? I will post back with what happened.
Click to expand...

Finally some reports from the "battlefield"!
 
Microsoft said you wouldn't be able to do the 'install then upgrade' trick for 7 upgrades like you could in Vista but they also said you "couldn't do it" in Vista and you still could (yes I know they acknowledge it now but legally speaking).
 
Wow, got all the way to product key and it came back invailid. Took out the key and contuned into windows.

From within windows I tried to activate. Told me to enter the key. I did. It then told me I can only use the key for upgrading, not a clean install.

Next, going to hook a vista drive as secondary and a clean drive as primary to see if it will install.
 
Lets keep this thread updated instead of having 9 million asking the same question. As it sits now:

MS says you can ONLY do an upgrade from vista to win 7. xp, 2k, 95, 95, 3.1, isn't going to work... In addition, MS says that the upgrade will only take place if you have a HD with vista installed already.

Now for the real world questions:

1. Can you do an "upgrade" on a blank HD if a vista dvd is provided at the install for verification?
2. Do you even need the vista dvd? or will the upgrade disc's just do a custom install anyways.

Someone who has tried one or the other post back with that they found. Heresay say's that neither of those options will work.
 
Blackhood said:
Wow, got all the way to product key and it came back invailid. Took out the key and contuned into windows.

From within windows I tried to activate. Told me to enter the key. I did. It then told me I can only use the key for upgrading, not a clean install.

Next, going to hook a vista drive as secondary and a clean drive as primary to see if it will install.
Click to expand...

with this said, it appears that you can install 7 anyway way you want, but it's all going to come down to what key you have, full version or upgrade.
 
Blackhood:

can you do an upgrade install NOW with the key? Does it allow you to upgrade from the boot?
 
Faustous said:
Blackhood:

can you do an upgrade install NOW with the key? Does it allow you to upgrade from the boot?
Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean. It does allow you to chose the upgrade option from the boot if thats what you mean. I chose custom.
 
Right.... and you got all the way through (well cept for the activation, obviously).

Boot off the DVD now, can you choose Upgrade and use the CD key?

EDIT: It SHOULD install over top of the version you just installed... basically you are installing twice. Once as a clean and once as an upgrade.
 
Faustous said:
Right.... and you got all the way through (well cept for the activation, obviously).

Boot off the DVD now, can you choose Upgrade and use the CD key?

EDIT: It SHOULD install over top of the version you just installed... basically you are installing twice. Once as a clean and once as an upgrade.
Click to expand...

Give me a few mintues. I will edit this post.
 
Blackhood said:
Not sure what you mean. It does allow you to chose the upgrade option from the boot if thats what you mean. I chose custom.
Click to expand...
No, see, to do the 'Upgrade' full install you have to do this...

Install from Upgrade disc like you did and skip past key.

Then when you get to the Windows 7 desktop and it's asking you to activate, drop the Upgrade disc back in and it will pop up with a menu asking you to upgrade your OS. Go ahead and upgrade it, then do that and it should let your key work.
 
BDC explained it better :)

I am at work... and am getting tired of explaining simple shit to stupid people. (not [H] members, co-workers).

I am wondering though, they may have put detection in to not allow that, and might need to do it as a boot.
 
Faustous said:
Right.... and you got all the way through (well cept for the activation, obviously).

Boot off the DVD now, can you choose Upgrade and use the CD key?

EDIT: It SHOULD install over top of the version you just installed... basically you are installing twice. Once as a clean and once as an upgrade.
Click to expand...

Ok, Tried from boot to upgrade, told me I had to be in windows.

Trying from Windows 7 now.
 
I'll post here rather than start a new thread, to say I successfully upgraded and activated W7 from the RC.
 
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Blackhood said:
Wow, got all the way to product key and it came back invailid. Took out the key and contuned into windows.

From within windows I tried to activate. Told me to enter the key. I did. It then told me I can only use the key for upgrading, not a clean install.

Next, going to hook a vista drive as secondary and a clean drive as primary to see if it will install.
Click to expand...

this is what happened with Vista upgrade! you need to have a previous windows install on the harddrive partition to do a full install with a upgrade key
 
WOW is the upgrade process slow, nothing but windows on the drive. Clean install is way faster.

Got to where you enter your key. This time it accepted it! :)

And it activated! :)

So yes it does work!
 
Greggy_D said:
Little more detail needed.......

What exactly did you do? Steps involved?
Click to expand...

1. Starting with computer that has only had Win7 RC.
2. Booted computer with the upgrade disk.
3. Choose custom install.
4. When windows started for the first time entered product key.
5. Setup my wireless connection.
6. Activated
 
So your saying that the Vista install trick works with 7? You can clean install Win7 upgrade edition?
 
hendermd said:
1. Starting with computer that has only had Win7 RC.
2. Booted computer with the upgrade disk.
3. Choose custom install.
4. When windows started for the first time entered product key.
5. Setup my wireless connection.
6. Activated
Click to expand...

yes this is how your suppose to do a clean install with a upgrade disc !!!
this is how you did it before with a vista upgrade disc! Same thing with win7
you have to have a previous verison of windows on the hd to do a clean install and successfully activate !
 
So because I am dense let me ask again. You can pop the Win7 upgrade disk in and do an install without entering the cd key. Then get into windows and reinstall with the upgrade disk again but this time use the key. Right?
 
Bucken said:
So because I am dense let me ask again. You can pop the Win7 upgrade disk in and do an install without entering the cd key. Then get into windows and reinstall with the upgrade disk again but this time use the key. Right?
Click to expand...

Right! :)
 
Phew!!! Thought I had wasted $100. I bought the Win7 Pro upgrade edition without reading that you can't upgrade from Vista Ultimate to Win7.

Thanks dude
 
Bucken said:
Phew!!! Thought I had wasted $100. I bought the Win7 Pro upgrade edition without reading that you can't upgrade from Vista Ultimate to Win7.

Thanks dude
Click to expand...

No problem everyone. Got to run now (getting yelled at) :)

Don't ever get married :)
 
Quick question, If I have a clean reformatted install of Vista then install the Windows 7 upgrade is that better/worse than doing a reformated install with the Windows 7 upgrade disk then "installing" Windows 7 again using the upgrade key?

Thanks,
Eddie
 
Camaroz06 said:
Quick question, If I have a clean reformatted install of Vista then install the Windows 7 upgrade is that better/worse than doing a reformated install with the Windows 7 upgrade disk then "installing" Windows 7 again using the upgrade key?

Thanks,
Eddie
Click to expand...

That's the next question......can you upgrade from a NON-ACTIVATED version of Vista.
 
I would say yes. As long as your vista install was not crippled due to going past the 30 (or is it 90) day window for activation. BUT... try and let us know!
 
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