Question about Windows 7

[MaSx]

1. Can I use Windows 7 Upgrade version to do a clean install of the OS?

2. I have windows vista 32bit os, can I use windows 7 upgrade version to do a clean install from 32-bit to 64-bit?

3. Does windows 7 discount for student os comes with any limitation or is it the same as retail?

4. Is there anything I should know before getting?

[Unimatrix Xero]

your sig is to large, you might might want to shrink it a little

[TokiToki]

2. I have windows vista 32bit os, can I use windows 7 upgrade version to do a clean install from 32-bit to 64-bit?

You can only do a clean install when going from 32-bit to 64-bit.

3. Does windows 7 discount for student os comes with any limitation or is it the same as retail?

Same as retail.

[WizardCM]

1. Can I use Windows 7 Upgrade version to do a clean install of the OS?

2. I have windows vista 32bit os, can I use windows 7 upgrade version to do a clean install from 32-bit to 64-bit?

3. Does windows 7 discount for student os comes with any limitation or is it the same as retail?

4. Is there anything I should know before getting?

1. I doubt it, you'd have to get a full copy.

2. You would have to do a clean install, but again, you wouldn't be able to use an upgrade version.

3. Same as Retail.

4. That it's totally AWESOME! :D

[TaraS_WinTeam]

1. Can I use Windows 7 Upgrade version to do a clean install of the OS?

2. I have windows vista 32bit os, can I use windows 7 upgrade version to do a clean install from 32-bit to 64-bit?

3. Does windows 7 discount for student os comes with any limitation or is it the same as retail?

4. Is there anything I should know before getting?

1. The student discount is only available for the upgrade option- so you will not be able to do a clean install.

2. Windows 7 can upgrade to a 64 bit version.

3. The Windows 7 student upgrade is the same as retail.

Tara

Windows Outreach Team

[MaSx]

I'm getting a mix answer now. I was told that you will be allowed to do a clean install if you already have genuine version of windows vista installed and activated already.

However, if you do not have os installed or using a blank disk drive, you cannot do a clean install.

[Brandon Live Veteran]

1. Can I use Windows 7 Upgrade version to do a clean install of the OS?

Yes, but do NOT format your old drive or anything before the install. During the clean install (which can be boot to disc or run from the existing OS), the installer will make a note that you had an existing install on any partition. This will allow you to activate via an upgrade product key.

2. I have windows vista 32bit os, can I use windows 7 upgrade version to do a clean install from 32-bit to 64-bit?

Yes, see above. Only difference is you'll have to boot to the DVD (or a thumbdrive or something) as you can't run the 64-bit installer from inside a 32-bit OS.

[cwpenner]

Edit: Brandon beat me to it.

[MaSx]

Thanks! @Brandon Live

also cpenner =)

[Kronir]

Yes, but do NOT format your old drive or anything before the install. During the clean install (which can be boot to disc or run from the existing OS), the installer will make a note that you had an existing install on any partition. This will allow you to activate via an upgrade product key.

Yes, see above. Only difference is you'll have to boot to the DVD (or a thumbdrive or something) as you can't run the 64-bit installer from inside a 32-bit OS.

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I have a couple of questions about this if you or anyone who knows doesn't mind answering them, since I too am wanting to get the student discounted Win 7 upgrade (likely the Pro version offered; I'll need the extra networking features to use with my university's network):

1. It has been said, a fully installed and activated version of XP or Vista must be installed on at least one partition of the hard drive in order for the Win7 upgrade to be able to activate. My question is this: after I get the Win7 upgrade clean installed on a second partition and activated, is it safe to then delete the old Vista installation's partition (and thus reclaim the used disk space to use with my Win7 install)?

2. My version of Vista is a Vista Ultimate upgrade disk I had purchased from my university some time ago. Will Windows 7 Upgrade be able to activate if the Vista installation itself was also an upgrade license (I still have my old battered XP Pro disk/license that I only use these days to legitimately be able to use that Vista upgrade license)?

2.a. Somewhat related to the above: since my Vista upgrade disk is Ultimate, but the Win7 upgrade disk I get will either be Pro or Home Premium (whichever I can get; I could be wrong about actually needing Pro; I have to look into that a bit more before I purchase), could I still clean install Win7 Home Premium or Pro? Note that I have no intention in doing in-place upgrades; only clean installations, for what it's worth.

Thanks in advance!

[Bhav]

1. The student discount is only available for the upgrade option- so you will not be able to do a clean install.

2. Windows 7 can upgrade to a 64 bit version.

3. The Windows 7 student upgrade is the same as retail.

Tara

Windows Outreach Team

That's the second time I've seen someone from Microsoft give crappy/inaccurate info about Windows 7 and upgrades :angry:

Please read the question properly and give an accurate answer...or leave it to the experts who use these forums regularly :crazy:

Brandon - I know you're from MS and thankfully you're here to clean up the crap that others from MS are spewing

(You can probably tell this sort of stupidity makes me really angry lol)

[Brandon Live Veteran]

I don't mean to hijack the thread, but I have a couple of questions about this if you or anyone who knows doesn't mind answering them, since I too am wanting to get the student discounted Win 7 upgrade (likely the Pro version offered; I'll need the extra networking features to use with my university's network):

1. It has been said, a fully installed and activated version of XP or Vista must be installed on at least one partition of the hard drive in order for the Win7 upgrade to be able to activate. My question is this: after I get the Win7 upgrade clean installed on a second partition and activated, is it safe to then delete the old Vista installation's partition (and thus reclaim the used disk space to use with my Win7 install)?

Once you've activated there's no reason you need to keep the old partition around.

2. My version of Vista is a Vista Ultimate upgrade disk I had purchased from my university some time ago. Will Windows 7 Upgrade be able to activate if the Vista installation itself was also an upgrade license (I still have my old battered XP Pro disk/license that I only use these days to legitimately be able to use that Vista upgrade license)?

Yup, so long as your current installation is activated, it doesn't matter if it was an upgrade or not. The only exception might be if you had an enterprise / volume license install, not sure how that would work.

2.a. Somewhat related to the above: since my Vista upgrade disk is Ultimate, but the Win7 upgrade disk I get will either be Pro or Home Premium (whichever I can get; I could be wrong about actually needing Pro; I have to look into that a bit more before I purchase), could I still clean install Win7 Home Premium or Pro? Note that I have no intention in doing in-place upgrades; only clean installations, for what it's worth.

As far as I know there's no reason that wouldn't work.

[Zarpraz]

That's the second time I've seen someone from Microsoft give crappy/inaccurate info about Windows 7 and upgrades :angry:

Please read the question properly and give an accurate answer...or leave it to the experts who use these forums regularly :crazy:

Brandon - I know you're from MS and thankfully you're here to clean up the crap that others from MS are spewing

(You can probably tell this sort of stupidity makes me really angry lol)

Experts and Neowin posters are usually mutually exclusive.

[gregrocker]

Yes, but do NOT format your old drive or anything before the install. During the clean install (which can be boot to disc or run from the existing OS), the installer will make a note that you had an existing install on any partition. This will allow you to activate via an upgrade product key.

.

This is important to know.

So we can boot from the Upgrade disk and after it makes note of existing install activation, it allows us to proceed.

Can we then format the disk or partition to install the upgrade? What tells us it has noted the XP/Vista?

I want the cleanest possible install.

[fhpuqrgrpgvirzhpujbj]

This is important to know.

So we can boot from the Upgrade disk and after it makes note of existing install activation, it allows us to proceed.

Can we then format the disk or partition to install the upgrade? What tells us it has noted the XP/Vista?

I want the cleanest possible install.

Execute from the upgrade disk from within windows, once it reboots from the disk select clean install.

[gregrocker]

1. It has been said, a fully installed and activated version of XP or Vista must be installed on at least one partition of the hard drive in order for the Win7 upgrade to be able to activate. My question is this: after I get the Win7 upgrade clean installed on a second partition and activated, is it safe to then delete the old Vista installation's partition (and thus reclaim the used disk space to use with my Win7 install)?

If you install it to a second partition and then delete the XP/Vista on the first partition you will lose your boot. It can be recovered using startup repair, but the Win7 upgrade also needs to be moved over to the left into that space which is a risky operation.

I am wondering if we can plug in a second hard drive and clean install to a formatted second hard drive. This solves the problem of getting a formatted clean install which is on the first boot partition.