How does the Upgrade Work from XP to 7?

[Fabio]

If you have to do a fresh install (not an actual in place upgarde like you can for Vista) from XP to 7 how do you do an upgrade? Won't it in essence be a fresh install if I don't export my settings etc.? And if it is a fresh install do I have to have XP installed somewhere or can I just buy a new hard drive and install the upgrade version of 7? I don't get it.

Or perhaps it will be like the upgrade for ME where you had to put your old 98 CD in the drive and then it let you install the "upgrade" fresh.

Can someone help explain it to me?

 

[Dahak]

from what it says Here, you start the install from within XP and do a custom install and it will copy your current install to a windows.old folder and then install a new install of windows7

It does not automatically migrate the data, but you can use the Windows Easy Transfer utility before doing the upgrade and it will migrate your data after the install

 

[VirtualLarry]

What if your XP install is on a FAT32 drive? Will Win7 upgrade install to FAT32?

 

[Fabio]

The cool thing you could do with Vista was do a clean install from the "upgrade", not enter the product key then boot up and use the same disk to reinstall again. And this way you had no trace of the old OS messng anything up. I hope 7 will allow the same thing.

 

[edro]

Originally posted by: Fabio
The cool thing you could do with Vista was do a clean install from the "upgrade", not enter the product key then boot up and use the same disk to reinstall again. And this way you had no trace of the old OS messng anything up. I hope 7 will allow the same thing.

That's a good feature. I hope it works that way as well.
I still have nightmares about upgrading Windows 95 to 98.

 

[Dahak]

I think they fixed that "problem" in win 7, I don't know i have not tried it

 

[Fabio]

Is there a way to try it? The BETA and RC were both full versions.

 

[kag]

What happens if you upgrade now, and then in two years you decide it's time to reinstall Windows 7?

Will you have to install XP again first, then upgrade to 7?
Or will it let you do a straight install?

 

[Fabio]

Kag, that is a good point.

 

[rasczak]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
What if your XP install is on a FAT32 drive? Will Win7 upgrade install to FAT32?

you'll probably need to upgrade from fat32 to ntfs first, then load up Win7. Question, why are you using fat32 on windows xp? trying to save hdd space?

 

[KingstonU]

Wow are people saying that I can get the upgrade pricing on my XP to Wiondows 7 ??!!?? I thought it was only for Vista. And Yes I would like to just do a fresh install of 7 on a brand new hardrive, is this possible? Confirmation please!

 

[Fabio]

Yes, it is for XP or Vista.

 

[corkyg]

XP owners are eligible for upgrade pricing. They will have to do a clean install, however, as there is no inplace upgrade option from XP.

 

[alkalinetaupehat]

Newegg upgrade promotion

AFAIK you can do a full install from the upgrade disk as long as you pop in a Vista or XP disk when prompted so the installer can verify you're legit.

 

[KingstonU]

Does that work for an OEM copy of XP?

When I had installations problems and I called Microsoft to see if they could help, they were not pleased at all that someone had sold me an OEM version of XP Pro and refused to provide the otherwise free technical support. Why did I get the 3rd degree? I did not pirate it, it was legit.

 

[imported_Shaq]

"5.Select the partition where you would like to install Windows. To move your existing Windows installation into a Windows.old folder and replace the operating system with Windows 7, select the partition where your current Windows installation is located."

Does this mean you can keep your old XP install by installing to a separate hard drive? This could also keep the reinstallation time to a minimum as you can keep XP on a old hard drive and upgrade from there when you need to reinstall Windows 7.

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: KingstonU
When I had installations problems and I called Microsoft to see if they could help, they were not pleased at all that someone had sold me an OEM version of XP Pro and refused to provide the otherwise free technical support. Why did I get the 3rd degree? I did not pirate it, it was legit.

One of the reasons for the big price difference between OEM and Retail Windows is that Microsoft doesn't have to provide Customer Support for OEM software. The Support task falls on whoever built the computer.

 

[Fabio]

One of the reasons for the big price difference between OEM and Retail Windows is that Microsoft doesn't have to provide Customer Support for OEM software. The Support task falls on whoever built the computer.

That and the fact an OEM version can't be moved from one computer to another.

 

[PowerEngineer]

Originally posted by: Fabio

One of the reasons for the big price difference between OEM and Retail Windows is that Microsoft doesn't have to provide Customer Support for OEM software. The Support task falls on whoever built the computer.

That and the fact an OEM version can't be moved from one computer to another.

Oh oh...

I built my current PC about 8 years ago with an OEM Windows 2000 and free upgrade to XP. I've been thinking about building a new system, and was hoping I could step it up to Win 7 using this upgrade deal. If I understand you correctly, I'll run into XP activation problems on the initial install on the new PC?

Nuts...

Makes it even harder to justify building a PC over settling for a cheap pre-built.

 

[imported_Shaq]

It would probably work if you install it from within XP.

 

[OCNewbie]

I believe I read on the MS Win7 site that Win2k was also a valid upgrade path for Win7, in addition to XP, in case that helps.

 

[Fabio]

I'm pretty sure it is only XP and Vista.