Would/Should my HP Upgrade Win 7 Key (october) work with a Technet version of Win 7?

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thenixhex311

Gawd
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I apologize in advance if this is against the rules, and if so, please delete it, mods.

Would my legit CD-Key that HP will be providing via this free windows 7 upgrade (home premium) work with a Technet ISO of Windows 7 Home Premium?

An associate of mine has a technet account, but they use it for testing with all their stuff, and definitely get their useage out of it. I was wondering if i got a downloaded version of Home Premium from Technet and just kept it afloat until i got my HP upgrade disc in the mail, would the Key work?

Or does this run into 'piracy' issues since i'm using my key towards something else? My understanding was a key serves to unlock certain 'kinds' of OS's (ultimate, business, etc.) and not a full retail version or an upgrade.

Scold me if this is BAD, or let me know if this makes sense
 
It might work, but your HP will probably be using an OEM version though. Try it out.
 
Technically it crosses several lines:

- the person with the TechNet subscription is breaking his licensing agreement if he provides you anything acquired from TechNet, including the ISOs
- the software acquired from TechNet is licensed for evaluation use only, not personal everyday use (and yes everyone does it but dammit I'm trying to make a point here)
- TechNet software (based on the standard TechNet Plus Direct subscription) is all Retail-class software with the same for Product Keys so those OEM keys won't work
- TechNet doesn't offer the "upgrade" versions of Windows 7 that the OEMs are using, there's coding differences involved added in by each individual OEM as they see fit

Several other reasons I could go into but those are the basics.
 
Gotcha Joe.

I just have all these shiny new computer parts here ready to build my new i7 system, and i have to freakin wait until OCTOBER to use em (i dont wanna install all my stuff i need to use just to reformat and start over!)
 
You can still use the Windows 7 Release Candidate, it's out there, just not available as a direct download from Microsoft anymore. They're still creating keys for people also so... it's not quite the RTM build, but, it would get you rolling with Windows 7 to get time with it, experience, etc. It works great for a late stage beta product, and there are probably a million people out there using it right now and will continue to use it through the actual release of Windows 7 in retail markets well into next year.

It's something to think about... it's free... it works, it doesn't have a lot of issues, and it's useful. Just gotta track down that ISO... :)
 
i have the RC on my laptop. I like it. It runs great. I just hate this waiting. I got all these new parts, and would love to jump into quad-core 6gb ram goodness, but 1) dont have 64bit vista on my system.

I bought my wife an HP with it, and was planning on doing what I did with my dad when vista came out. He was in the market for a laptop, bought a dell that came with the vista upgrade disc. He had no desire to have it. It worked fine on upgrading my XP. Was going to do the same thing this time around, and just was trying to see if there is anyway around my impatience! lol
 
Joe Average said:
- the person with the TechNet subscription is breaking his licensing agreement if he provides you anything acquired from TechNet, including the ISOs
Click to expand...

So how does that make the situation a "nope, it won't work" one?

- the software acquired from TechNet is licensed for evaluation use only, not personal everyday use (and yes everyone does it but dammit I'm trying to make a point here)
Click to expand...

Same question. How does that make the situation a "nope it won't work" one?

- TechNet software (based on the standard TechNet Plus Direct subscription) is all Retail-class software with the same for Product Keys so those OEM keys won't work
Click to expand...

And you KNOW that the iso is different how? We do know that there's been a file added, contrary to the Vista scenario, which specifies the 'version' to be installed (Home Premium, Professional etc) but there's been no indication whatsoever that the install disks are otherwise different. It's been demonstrated that the full feature set can be installed using any install disk, just as it was with Vista, if that file is removed from the ISO. There has been no indication that there is any actuall differences which would make one particular ISO 'OEM' and another 'Retail'. With Vista that distinction was made in the interaction between install code and installer, and we have every reason to assume that will remian the case.

- TechNet doesn't offer the "upgrade" versions of Windows 7 that the OEMs are using, there's coding differences involved added in by each individual OEM as they see fit.
Click to expand...

Same deal all over again. There's no reason to assume that 'full install' and 'upgrade' ISOs will be any different one to the other. Just as it was with Vista, it's reasonable to assume that the distinction will lie in the interaction between install code entered and the installer.





Fair enough for you to point out what is legally permissible and what isn't, but when the question asked is "Will it work?" rather than "Am I allowed to?" then the answer should be tailored accordingly, for reasons of accuracy in information provided.




The genuine answer, thenixhex311, is "Probably, but you can't yet be certain." What you described worked fine for Vista, and this time around you'd need to ensure you were using the correct 'version' ISO to match the version provided on your HP machine (or else use a modified ISO which lets you choose the appropriate version to install.

As aZn_plyR suggested, "try it out".

:)
 
Nothing is stopping you from using that hardware except you... ;)

Hell, in the past 48 hours I've installed:

XP Pro x86
XP Pro x64
Windows Server 2003 x86
Windows Server 2003 x64
Vista x86
Vista x64
Windows 7 x86
Windows 7 x64
Arch Linux
Ubuntu 9.04

and a few other OSes, some more than once for some testing I was doing, and that's all on this PC I'm sitting on, and not one of 'em was in a VM either. so don't hand me a line of horseshit about starting over in a few months. :)

JUST DO IT.

Cat: I have HP, Dell, Gateway, and Lenovo OEM keys here, don't ask, don't tell... and they do not work with the ISOs from TechNet. And yes, they have been tested thoroughly on the branded OEM hardware.

"And that's all I have to say about that..." :p
 
I got the keys with the DVDs... you can figure that one out, right? :) And I'll let you in on a little secret: there's a lot more difference with an OEM branded Windows 7 disc than just the one file people keep believing... even the Dell which I'd call a barebones release.

But I decided to test them against the TechNet RTM ISOs anyway so I get a good solid grasp on this upgrade crap (even though I'll never do it, not even for a paying customer...).

Clean installs FTW... period.
 
It was a simple question. How about a straight answer? Did you try modifying the ISO to remove the ei.cfg file, and then try using the resultant install disk with the OEM install key? That question only requires a yes/no answer :)


I'm fully aware that OEM branded disks have other differences as well, but I'm also aware that many people have had success using OEM install keys with general/generic install disks.
 
What part of "OEM Windows 7 Product Keys don't work with the TechNet RTM Retail ISOs..." wasn't clear, aside from that fact that I didn't state it that way in the first place but did in a very roundabout way?

It doesn't matter if I remove the ei.cfg in any respect; the keys simply are not accepted for installation using the TechNet ISOs. That one file has nothing to do with the acceptance of a key...

I've got Windows 7 Home Premium loading on a Dell machine right now (from a USB stick, deleted the ei.cfg, TechNet Ultimate x86 ISO is the original source) and... well, looking over now... nope, not yet.

<taps his fingers, shuffles his feet for a few minutes... aha>

Using the Product Key provided by Dell with the COA I get... jack freakin' shit.

So your answer is "Yes" because I just did as you'd been curious about, and the result is "No" the OEM keys do not work on the branded hardware using the TechNet RTM ISO content to do an installation. The Dell DVD installs without issues, no key required as expected, etc etc just as OEM discs always have.
 
Fair dinkum mate, you're a decade or two my junior yet YOU'RE the cranky old git and I'm not!



Okeys, 'OEM' isn't ever and always only the one same thing. So broad, generalised comments can be misleading. Branded OEM stuff 'works' without need to input a key because there are extra thingys included, just as you've described. But you can have success with a 'generic' OEM disk (a la System Builder Pack) used with a 'branded OEM' install key. You gotta input the key, and you gotta afterwards activate.


So, considering you've got install codes there, how about try this:


Edit the ei.cfg file so that the entry for 'Channel', rather than reading 'Retail', instead reads 'OEM'. If Mickeysoft haven't completely screwed it all around, that should allow ANY oem key to be used with the disk, methinks.


"Just as OEM disks always have".

With a generic rather than a branded/maufacturer specific OEM disk, the install key DOES have to be entered.
 
When I mean OEM tied to a manufacturer, I say OEM - when I mean OEM System Builder (non-tied, generic) then I say OEM System Builder. See how that works? :)
 
Yes they will. And they won't 're-use' the install key code used for the preinstalled Vista either. They'll come with a new install code of course. Which kinda makes a lot of the preceding argument seem rather weird.
 
Catweazle said:
Yes they will. And they won't 're-use' the install key code used for the preinstalled Vista either. They'll come with a new install code of course. Which kinda makes a lot of the preceding argument seem rather weird.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's what I was thinking.
 
If it works the same as Vista, you won't have a problem. I'm used my TechNet discs to install Vista on a variety of OEM systems, and they've all activated with their OEM key without issue.
 
DeaconFrost said:
If it works the same as Vista, you won't have a problem. I'm used my TechNet discs to install Vista on a variety of OEM systems, and they've all activated with their OEM key without issue.
Click to expand...

+1

I've used technet discs to install vista and OEM keys from hp, compaq, dell, toshiba and ibm work.

I see no reason why it won't work on win 7 unless something has changed.

I can tell you that MAPs, MSDN keys and VLKs do work with win 7 technet discs.
 
Stoly said:
I see no reason why it won't work on win 7 unless something has changed.
Click to expand...

Something HAS changed!

Just like Vista, the different 'version' install disks actually contain every 'feature' of every 'version' of Windows 7.

Unlike Vista, the various install disks/ISOs are 'locked' to specific versions. The presence and contents of the \Sources\ei.cfg file is what 'locks' the install disk. Remove that file from the ISO image before burning it to disk and you get an install disk which prompts for the version to install. Edit and change the contents of that file and you get an install disk for a different version.

Okay, that's all very well known. But thing is all the kerfuffle mentioned to date (that I've seen anyways) has only related to removal of the file or editing of one line in that file. And so far it's all related to use with RTL install keys.


Code: 
[EditionID]
Ultimate
[Channel]
Retail
[VL]
0

That's the contents of the ei.cfg file for a retail ultimate install disk. Change the 'editionID' value to that for a different version and you have that different version retail install disk.

But for OEM or volume licensing install media you obviously also have to change the 'channel' and/or 'VL' field values. I've yet to see definitive confirmation regarding whether or not simply removing the file will work with OEM or VL keys. Joe's posts above are the first claim I've seen to date indicating failure in that regard. No reason to doubt him of course, but I'll await further confirmation before drawing conclusions.




So, in light of the topic question, the answer to the question posed is that 'as is' the Technet downloads shouldn't work with OEM keys, because they're 'locked' to retail keys. But it'll probably only be a quick edit to the ISO image needed before burning it to corrct that situation.
 
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