Some bad news, About Win7 Upgrade

Originally Posted by Ghosthunter

btw the Microsoft store says you can do a clean install without having to have an OS on there?

http://store.microsoft.com/microsoft...oduct/B0F9E641




does this mean you still need windows vista first?

I was under the impression that it checks to see if you have an active OS installed and once confirmed it will format and install Windows 7.

[ViN86]

Originally Posted by Ghosthunter

btw the Microsoft store says you can do a clean install without having to have an OS on there?

http://store.microsoft.com/microsoft...oduct/B0F9E641




does this mean you still need windows vista first?

Yes you still need to have an activated version of Windows. In-place installs can only be performed if you upgrade from a version of vista to a compatible version of Win7 (ie Vista Ultimate to Win7 Ultimate). If the versions do not match, then you need to do a clean install, but the activated version of Windows (vista or XP) is still required to perform the upgrade.

Originally Posted by |MaguS|

I was under the impression that it checks to see if you have an active OS installed and once confirmed it will format and install Windows 7.

Correct. The "in-place" upgrade, which leaves your programs and files in place can only be performed for the following combinations:

Windows Vista Home Premium -> Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows Vista Business -> Windows 7 Professional
Windows Vista Ultimate -> Windows 7 Ultimate

This is taken from MS's Win 7 Upgrade site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy...grade-faq.aspx

If you are not going in this order (for example, I am going from Vista Ultimate to Win7 HP), then you have to do a clean install. It will place your old install in a Windows.Old folder and install Windows 7 fresh.

[ViN86]

Originally Posted by Ghosthunter

I like to have that option and usually reinstall every 6 months or so,

I really don't think Windows 7 is that much of an upgrade to Vista to worth going through all these hassles

To be perfectly honest I still think Windows 7 should be a SP upgrade to Vista

Oh I don't deny that. But I think Win7 is quite an improvement over Vista.

[Ghosthunter]

Originally Posted by ViN86

Yes you still need to have an activated version of Windows. In-place installs can only be performed if you upgrade from a version of vista to a compatible version of Win7 (ie Vista Ultimate to Win7 Ultimate). If the versions do not match, then you need to do a clean install, but the activated version of Windows (vista or XP) is still required to perform the upgrade.


Correct. The "in-place" upgrade, which leaves your programs and files in place can only be performed for the following combinations:

Windows Vista Home Premium -> Windows 7 Home Premium
Windows Vista Business -> Windows 7 Professional
Windows Vista Ultimate -> Windows 7 Ultimate

This is taken from MS's Win 7 Upgrade site:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/buy...grade-faq.aspx

If you are not going in this order (for example, I am going from Vista Ultimate to Win7 HP), then you have to do a clean install. It will place your old install in a Windows.Old folder and install Windows 7 fresh.

But from what i understand once you perform the upgrade your previous versions of Vista key becomes deactivate and you cannot use the key anymore...so that means you cannot use it and if you have to reinstall, how would you do it? since you cannot install vista and activate it, let alone the inconvenience of doing that and time consumption


at this point i will wait until around end of September if they have not changed it will cancel and then wait a while and order an OEM full install of windows 7 when I get a new machine, this way too much of a pain in the ass

[ViN86]

Originally Posted by Ghosthunter

But from what i understand once you perform the upgrade your previous versions of Vista key becomes deactivate and you cannot use the key anymore...so that means you cannot use it and if you have to reinstall, how would you do it? since you cannot install vista and activate it, let alone the inconvenience of doing that and time consumption

It does not deactivate the key through MS. The only reason they say this is because you're not supposed to use the older OS since the upgrade is in essence supposed to be used with the old OS and you can only run each copy on one machine as per the EULA.

To be honest, you could install the old OS on another machine. I doubt they will deactivate keys because that would cause problems like you said.

at this point i will wait until around end of September if they have not changed it will cancel and then wait a while and order an OEM full install of windows 7 when I get a new machine, this way too much of a pain in the ass

I really don't see how it's such a PITA. The only new thing is that the OS you upgrade from needs to be activated. Thank the pirates if you want to thank anyone for this.

[mailman2]

I reinstall often here too. I've gotten to the point with apps, games and even OS where sometimes it's easier to just install your legit copy and use a crack. Vista with an activation crack - now I dont need to worry about when I change hardware and stuff out - which I do frequently. And now I can reinstall all I want. Sadly I do this with games too - I buy them and use them with a single activation, then use a crack once it's available so I wont ever run into problems running out of activations with my games when I buy. Nothing like DRM making a pirate out of someone that bought the game, but you do what you gotta do sometimes.

I think they should allow anyone who upgraded to Windows 7 to resintall it within Windows 7 using their upgrade disc. I think the only issue would come from a clean HD.

[ViN86]

They should allow you to put in the install disc, then enter the old Vista or XP key, check that to make sure it's legit, then allow you to install a clean copy of Win7.

[Ghosthunter]

Originally Posted by ViN86

It does not deactivate the key through MS. The only reason they say this is because you're not supposed to use the older OS since the upgrade is in essence supposed to be used with the old OS and you can only run each copy on one machine as per the EULA.

To be honest, you could install the old OS on another machine. I doubt they will deactivate keys because that would cause problems like you said.

not according to maximum pc with XP you were able to do that on honor system not with Vista

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/fea...red?page=0%2C1

What Happens to my old CD Key for Windows XP or Vista? Can I use it Somewhere Else?

Based on the terms as they are laid out in the EULA, no. Users who buy and install Windows 7 using the upgrade media should expect to lose access to the product key from their previous OS. While technically this has always been true with Windows upgrades, before XP, this worked on the honor system. With the debuted of product activations in XP, it is now a simple matter for Microsoft to enforce. During a Vista upgrade, the installer would collect your old product key, and send off a cancellation request to the activation server. Simply put, don’t bother upgrading a version of Windows that you will ever need to install somewhere else in the future (this includes dual boots). If you are hoping to make a multi-boot system, you will need to buy the full retail version of Windows 7, or find another spare copy to sacrifice to Redmond.

Maybe I am reading this wrong, but it sounds like they are going to deactivate the Vista key once you upgrade? which would make sense..and then you cannot use it...to install on another machine correct? so then we go into a circle? If i ever need to reinstall how do I do that? In vista how do you activate it?

I just do not understand why Microsoft does not make this painless...people are going to pirate this either way...and this method is just going to encourage people to do it even more now

[ViN86]

Originally Posted by Ghosthunter

not according to maximum pc with XP you were able to do that on honor system not with Vista

http://www.maximumpc.com/article/fea...red?page=0%2C1



Maybe I am reading this wrong, but it sounds like they are going to deactivate the Vista key once you upgrade? which would make sense..and then you cannot use it...to isntall on another machine correct? so then we go into a circle? If i ever need to reinstall how do I do that?

I just do not understand why Microsoft does not make this painless...people are going to pirate this either way...and this method is just going to encourage people to do it even more now

Wow, I knew they had the tools in place to do it. Looks like they finally will.

I only have one PC though, so this isn't really a problem for me.

[Ghosthunter]

Originally Posted by ViN86

They should allow you to put in the install disc, then enter the old Vista or XP key, check that to make sure it's legit, then allow you to install a clean copy of Win7.

THat would make logically sense to me

[ViN86]

Originally Posted by Ghosthunter

THat would make logically sense to me

Sure but since when did a company do anything that is logical?