Windows 7 OEM or Upgrade?

[dcloud]

Just wanted to get the geeks opinion on this. Should I go with an OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium or do the Upgrade?

Thanks.

 

[corkyg]

Why not do a cost-benefit analysis based on your particular situation and needs? What might be right for me may not be for you. Personally, I always do the upgrade using my TechNet subscription.

 

[RebateMonger]

Assuming that you own a prior version license, the price difference at Newegg was $10 last I checked.

 

[pollardhimself]

Just wanted to get the geeks opinion on this. Should I go with an OEM version of Windows 7 Home Premium or do the Upgrade?

Thanks.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-758-_-Product

As long as your only using it on one computer ever

 

[dcloud]

Thanks for the replies everyone. I've decided to go with the Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade.

 

[mvbighead]

Technically, last I knew with XP, you can continue to bring your OEM license so long as you are "upgrading" your current rig. I don't know that I've ever heard MS say no when upgrading a customer's Dell to a new MB/Case/etc. Effectively, if the board dies in the Dell, and you use the proc from the dell MB, it is still the same computer (IE - it is not being transferred). Perhaps post XP this has changed.

And, with an upgrade, you must always have a legal copy of a previous qualifying operating system that is not in use on another computer.

 

[dcloud]

Technically, last I knew with XP, you can continue to bring your OEM license so long as you are "upgrading" your current rig. And, with an upgrade, you must always have a legal copy of a previous qualifying operating system that is not in use on another computer.

MB, thanks for the reply. I discovered you can upgrade a OEM version of XP Home to Win7 so the Win7 Upgrade should work just fine.

 

[Cogman]

Unless things have significantly changed, you should never upgrade one OS to another. If you are making a new OS, you should do a fresh install.

 

[JackMDS]

Upgrading from XP to Win7 is just a Word that means that you have XP and you are going to use Win 7.

It is actually a fresh install.

XP just has to be there to verify that your are allowed to use the less expensive Win 7 Upgrade version.

Upgrade that maintains the old OS Applications is called In-place-Upgrade.

 

[zerocool84]

There are ways *cough* to do a clean install of an upgrade license even if you have Vista.

 

[dcloud]

Well I went to a local store and bought Win7 Home Premium Updgrade and now it's fully installed and running great - w00t! Install was a snap. I can't believe how much faster Win7 installed itself as compared to my old XP. I did the custom (full) install now I'm just installing some of my programs (Photoshop, Thunderbird, etc.).

The speed is phenomenal. Can't wait to see how this OS enhances my CPU and graphics.

 

[SimMike2]

The thing I like about the upgrade version is that it isn't tied to one particular piece of hardware. So you can periodically do major hardware changes and still use the upgrade disk to install. OEM is basically tied to one motherboard.

Last time I installed Windows 7 on my SSD it was like twenty minutes from start to finish. No version of Windows ever installed that fast for me.

 

[sandorski]

Just finished Installing OEM and it was a PITA. Error Messages, Blue Screens, then it wouldn't Install to the freshly Formatted Partition I wanted. Eventually got it Installed through Trial and Error, but was unable to find my WinXP 64bit disk or I would have given up. Probably due to me using the SATA 3 Ports, but it's all working now so all's well(until sometime in the future I need to Install again and run into the same issue hvaving forgot about all this ).

 

[zerocool84]

Just finished Installing OEM and it was a PITA. Error Messages, Blue Screens, then it wouldn't Install to the freshly Formatted Partition I wanted. Eventually got it Installed through Trial and Error, but was unable to find my WinXP 64bit disk or I would have given up. Probably due to me using the SATA 3 Ports, but it's all working now so all's well(until sometime in the future I need to Install again and run into the same issue hvaving forgot about all this ).

Blue screen on W7???

 

[sandorski]

Blue screen on W7???

Yup. Just during Setup/Install.

 

[rancherlee]

OEM is good. I've already upgraded the board in a computer with it and I had to call the 800# to get the install "verified" but you can reuse it, it just won't verify online.