The Full On Windows 7 Upgrade **Matrix**

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: Scooby Doo
If you need to reinstall Win7 what happens then, since you can't activate XP again?

Microsoft would have to let you re-activate XP.

Correct. They're not deactivating your key when you upgrade to Vista, you're operating in the legal/honor system. Officially you have surrendered your key, so if you go use it on another machine while simultaneously using Win7, you're basically pirating that copy of WinXP.

 

[13Gigatons]

One nice workaround might be to keep your xp/vista partition and install 7 on it's own partition.

 

[SpeedEng66]

wow now im not sure if I want to upgrade to win7

so if i have a full retail version of vista ult and used a win 7 upgrade (hp)
I cant use the vista key on another pc build?

 

[glugglug]

There are 2 different Home Premiums and 2 different Professional versions of Windows 7 on the Microsoft Store UK preorder site now.

There Home Premium E, Home Premium N, Professional E, and Professional N.

What is the difference between the E and N versions?

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: SpeedEng66
so if i have a full retail version of vista ult and used a win 7 upgrade (hp)
I cant use the vista key on another pc build?

Not according to Microsoft's licensing rules.

Example:
I haven't purchased a "Full" license of Windows since Windows 3.11, around 1992. My Win95, Win98, Win98SE, XP, and Vista are all "Retail Upgrade" licenses. Technically, if I'm audited by Microsoft, I have to present my licenses for ALL of these OSes to prove that I own a proper license for my Vista PC. And all of those licenses have to be dedicated to the single PC that I'm using.

 

[Underclocked]

I could make a guess about the E vs N versions but I'm definitely guessing so far as the N. E versions do not contain internet explorer, perhaps the N versions do?

 

[glugglug]

It says in the descriptions for both that they don't include explorer (the descriptions are in fact identical). Found another forum saying that the difference is N doesn't have Windows Media Player installed by default either. But this seems a very strange thing for product differentiation - not including a free download?

And even the Microsoft Store is out of pre-orders already :-(

 

[ViRGE]

Originally posted by: glugglug
It says in the descriptions for both that they don't include explorer (the descriptions are in fact identical). Found another forum saying that the difference is N doesn't have Windows Media Player installed by default either. But this seems a very strange thing for product differentiation - not including a free download?

And even the Microsoft Store is out of pre-orders already :-(

It's to satisfy the EU. They don't want WMP coming with Windows, but it's not a "hard enforcement" item like IE is. So long as a version of Windows is offered without WMP, so that OEMs aren't forced to bundle it, the EU is happy.

 

[13Gigatons]

Originally posted by: glugglug
There are 2 different Home Premiums and 2 different Professional versions of Windows 7 on the Microsoft Store UK preorder site now.

There Home Premium E, Home Premium N, Professional E, and Professional N.

What is the difference between the E and N versions?

E = No Internet Explorer

N = No Internet Explorer and No Windows Media Player

 

[Oyeve]

What is you have a corporate XP license install???????

 

[glugglug]

Originally posted by: Oyeve
What is you have a corporate XP license install???????

The maximum # of upgrade licenses you can order is 25, which I think is below what a bulk corporate license would be for.

 

[Cookie Monster]

So im confused with this whole "upgrade" thing.

Atm I have vista 64bit ultimate. For me to upgrade this to Win7 would mean that I would have to go out and buy myself a win7 ult 64bit upgrade kit?

And when they mean by upgrade what exactly are they installing over your current OS? Could this potentially cause instabilities since its not a clean install?

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: Cookie Monster
Atm I have vista 64bit ultimate. For me to upgrade this to Win7 would mean that I would have to go out and buy myself a win7 ult 64bit upgrade kit?

Yes, if you want to end up with W7 Ultimate.

And when they mean by upgrade what exactly are they installing over your current OS? Could this potentially cause instabilities since its not a clean install?

An "in-place" upgrade would replace your Vista system files but keep your configuration files and your installed applications and would update the Registry to a suitable W7 version.

I've never had any problems with in-place upgrades when appropriate, but everyone has their own opinion and experiences with this. You can also do a "clean install" (Microsoft's definition) to ANY version of Windows 7, but you'll have to re-install your applications and data.

 

[Raduque]

Man, all this BS nonsense is why I stayed away from Upgrade versions of Microsoft's OSes. I won't be canceling my pre-orders (upgrading from Win7RC, and $50 is what the damn OS should cost anyway. $100, max), but I'm not going to buy anymore "Upgrade" versions.

My 3 retail copies of Vista Ultimate are going to stay "unassociated" with a stupid "upgrade" license.

 

[Davegod]

Originally posted by: daniel1113
Microsoft needs to get rid of the whole upgrade vs. retail distinction and simply sell everyone a retail disc with a new serial number but at the upgrade price (~$100-150).

In Europe they're only selling retail versions, at a price supposedly at the upgrade price.

glugglug, well yes there's Scotland, Wales, Northern and the Republic of Ireland also speaking English. Plus Jersey and Gibraltar depending on semantics. Though all the other-language versions of Windows merely have a different default language setting - you can change it to whatever.

 

[glugglug]

Originally posted by: Davegod

Originally posted by: daniel1113
Microsoft needs to get rid of the whole upgrade vs. retail distinction and simply sell everyone a retail disc with a new serial number but at the upgrade price (~$100-150).

In Europe they're only selling retail versions, at a price supposedly at the upgrade price.

glugglug, well yes there's Scotland, Wales, Northern and the Republic of Ireland also speaking English. Plus Jersey and Gibraltar depending on semantics. Though all the other-language versions of Windows merely have a different default language setting - you can change it to whatever.

Those are all part of the UK, which is what I was getting at... I tried all the UK stores listed on the MS page about the pre-order and none would ship it to the US.

Also, there is an annoying "feature" of Vista/Win7 when you install another language and make it default.

Rather than just having separate resource files for internationalization, it has separate copies of each binary for each installed language. So each language you add consumes a few GB of system disk space.

 

[Davegod]

Yeah I was having a small dig - I live in Scotland and they hate it when the UK is referred to as England, a common American tourist error

o_0 seems a bit pointless to have separate binaries? Does it still do that if you select English during installation?

Anyway, the MS store page doesn't have the half of them. I don't know who does and who doesn't ship outside of the US though. Play.com was probably the most likely to export but must be out of their offer-allocation as they have upped the price to £75. I have ordered mine from ebuyer.com (at the £50 though).

 

[13Gigatons]

File Upgrade Tested and works by Leon: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...id=34&threadid=2324972

 

[13Gigatons]

Further Instructions added.

 

[akugami]

Windows 7 XP Mode Virtualization.

What Intel CPU's support virtualization?

What AMD CPU's support virtualization?

 

[geokilla]

Pretty useful imo for those that aren't sure what to do with Windows 7. I recommend a sticky.

 

[phillyman36]

Ok so based on this
4. I have Windows 7 RC installed?

The ability to do a file upgrade may be possible by copying all the files to the hard drive and editing a file. Microsoft doesn't officially support this and highly recommends a clean install.

License Upgrade = Yes
File Upgrade = Yes ( confirmed to work with Technet RTM iso) http://forums.anandtech.com/me...id=34&threadid=2324972
Clean Install = Yes

It's been stated by a Microsoft spokesperson that upgrade media CAN be used to upgrade an activated RC install but officially you will need to do a clean install.

So i dont have to use my Vista Home prem license to upgrade(clean install) of windows 7. I have the rc and a license key so basically when i get my core i7 hardware next week i can

install my windows 7 32 rc and activate it.
When i get the upgrade disk in October i just insert the disk and the custom option (clean install) will let me install it and upgrade my rc license to the full final version?

I have never used an upgrade disk before i've always brought full versions of os. i guess somewhere in the install it will ask me for my old license and then call home to convert the rc to a final license?

If i ever need to reinstall my os(on same computer like if i got a new hard drive) i would have to reinstall the rc, then activate that again and then use the upgrade disk again?

Do i have my info right?

 

[13Gigatons]

Phillyman you might want to try this:

1. Install Windows 7 RC.

2. "Aquire" the final version, edit the file and upgrade the RC without using a key. You will need to use the 120 day re-arm procedure.

3. Wait for your upgrade media to arrive and then use the license key from it to activate.

 

[XBoxLPU]

Originally posted by: 13Gigatons
Phillyman you might want to try this:

1. Install Windows 7 RC.

2. "Aquire" the final version, edit the file and upgrade the RC without using a key. You will need to use the 120 day re-arm procedure.

3. Wait for your upgrade media to arrive and then use the license key from it to activate.

I just bought a laptop that comes with Vista HP preinstalled so I am eligble for the free Windows 7 upgrade. So if I install the Windows 7 via the RTM and use the rearm trick until October and when I receive my free upgrade key I can just that key to activate without having to do any upgrade/install hoops?

 

[13Gigatons]

Originally posted by: XBoxLPU

Originally posted by: 13Gigatons
Phillyman you might want to try this:

1. Install Windows 7 RC.

2. "Aquire" the final version, edit the file and upgrade the RC without using a key. You will need to use the 120 day re-arm procedure.

3. Wait for your upgrade media to arrive and then use the license key from it to activate.

I just bought a laptop that comes with Vista HP preinstalled so I am eligble for the free Windows 7 upgrade. So if I install the Windows 7 via the RTM and use the rearm trick until October and when I receive my free upgrade key I can just that key to activate without having to do any upgrade/install hoops?

XBoxLPU:

Just make sure that you use Windows 7 OEM version instead of Retail.