Upgrade vs regular windows

[technical.angel]

Well, I thought I had gotten an amazing deal on Windows 7.. until I found out it's an upgrade copy instead of a full copy.

What exactly does an upgrade copy mean? Does it mean that if I want to reformat my PC, I have to stick another version of Win on it?

Right now I'm running the Win 7 RC.

Please help!

[sld72382]

An upgrade means you need to have a previous version of windows already installed.

At least that's how it is now, in the past you could "fool" it by sticking a CD of a previous O/S into the drive when it complains that an O/S is not found. Microsoft got rid of that trick when they introduced Vista.

[technical.angel]

Then I'm pretty much screwed.

I wanted to get the Win 7 so I would have something for when my copy of Win 7 RC dies/when I get a new job and can't use the university's copy anymore.

[lordlundar]

well, if you have a copy of XP or Vista that you can throw on(doesn't need to be activated either), just do that and then do a clean install of Win 7.

Apart from that, yeah, you're hosed.

[technical.angel]

Well, not exactly hosed. Gatekeeper wanted a copy. So I'm going to send her the copy I ordered for myself. SHE doesn't care if it's an upgrade copy.

[Broomjockey]

No

No no no no no.

I had the Win7 RC installed on my laptop. Then I installed using an upgrade copy of Win7. Since the RC is "Ultimate," you'll have to do a clean install, because you can't downgrade. Just boot from the CD and install normally.

[Gerrinson]

Don't the upgrade copies allow you to make a recovery CD, in the event of HDD failure or something of that nature?

I thought they did, but if not, then it kind of screws you over. At this point, very few PCs ever make it through their entire useful lifespan without at least one rebuild. I should think manufacturers would take that into account.

Especially given the massive popularity of the 'wipe it and rebuild rather waste time actually fixing the problem' mentality. Not that I haven't done that a time or two myself.

[technical.angel]

Just boot from the CD and install normally.

You double-triple-quaduple-pinkie swear?

I guess I can screw around with GK's copy before sending it to her, and then purchase my own copy if it all works like Broom promises. Thanks to my second HD, reinstalling the OS isn't that much of a hassle. I just have to remember to back up my WoW addons. :: hangs head because last time, she forgot ::

[Broomjockey]

You double-triple-quaduple-pinkie swear?

As much as I can, considering that how I installed it was the following:

Turn on laptop.
Insert Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade disk.
Disc autoran.
Clicked "Install now."
Got bitched at for having a higher version of Windows installed, so could not upgrade install. I believe it then offered to boot from the disk for me, and I did so.
I then went in to the installer off the disk from boot.
Clicked "Custom" for install type.
Installed over previous install.
Ran Win7 Home Premium.
Whole process took about an hour. Could take less if you skip my first 4 steps and go straight to booting from the CD.


And all this reminds me I need to pick up a second licence for my desktop. I just really don't want to back up all my stuff on there.

[MadMike]

I always get OEM copies. It's a full version, but costs about the same as the upgrade. Only drawback is that you have to purchase hardware along with it. Oh well, it gave me an excuse to go quad-core.

[Eric the Grey]

With Vista, you could "upgrade" from the RC version of Vista to the full release one, but I don't know how well it works with 7.

IF you need, as lordlundar mentioned, you can always throw on a copy of XP just long enough to upgrade it. You don't have to patch, or activate or anything.



Eric the Grey

[MadonnaC]

Until you get round to locating a qualifying version of windows it's a 2 step process (you can use this if you don't want to install the old version, just to have it wiped out)

1. Install upgrade - do not enter a key when prompted

2. Install upgrade again - this time, enter the key

[RichS]

I haven't done this myself - I don't have an upgrade copy.

According to my employer, though, you can do a clean install of Windows 7 from an Upgrade disk.

He's had to do it twice - one computer had a failed hard drive, and the other's Windows install was corrupted. It didn't even ask on the install for proof of a previous version of Windows, like the pre-Vista Upgrade versions did.

[Broomjockey]

1. Install upgrade - do not enter a key when prompted

2. Install upgrade again - this time, enter the key

You really do NOT have to do that. You're just wasting time at that point.

[It's me]

I had the beta version of Win 7 on my machines... it was installed from scratch, as I wiped the partitions for the installations. I upgraded the beta versions in place (Ultimate --> Home Premium, only a couple of minor tweaks needed to convince the installer to do it) using the upgrade version of Home Premium. Put in the provided product key and it registered no problem.

So, in a nutshell, I installed the Home Premium Upgrade version wiithout having a valid version of XP on the machine or having to enter in my XP product keys.