gregrocker Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 Are you sure about this? How do you know it isn't an upgrade key? Did you install it to a machine with no previous Windows installations on any drives / partitions? Yes, Brandon, just installed to zeroed HDD. hundreds are reporting it across all the forums. It just broke as news here: http://windows7news.com/2009/10/22/how-to-...-upgrade-media/ Can you verify this since you work for MS? BTW, I never turn my indexing off any more in your honor. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdood Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 What are the scenarios here? I can see there being two different ones. One where you install 7 to a disk that is completely blank before the installer is even run, and one where you delete your old OS from within the installer and then do a "clean" install. In the latter case, it would be possible for the installer to detect that you had Windows installed already and thus allow you to proceed (after setting a flag somewhere that says it's a valid upgrade) despite the fact that you're doing a "clean" install. I don't know, I'm just putting it out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregrocker Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 (edited) What are the scenarios here? I can see there being two different ones. One where you install 7 to a disk that is completely blank before the installer is even run, and one where you delete your old OS from within the installer and then do a "clean" install. In the latter case, it would be possible for the installer to detect that you had Windows installed already and thus allow you to proceed (after setting a flag somewhere that says it's a valid upgrade) despite the fact that you're doing a "clean" install. I don't know, I'm just putting it out there. Yes, this was the first thought when Brink the admin at 7 forums reported he had boot installed, several others zeroed drives to see if installer is picking up OS code under formatting. It's in the sticky at the top of the Installation Forum there (links from here aren't allowed). Tomorrow I am going to zero my laptop and try it. Edited October 23, 2009 by gregrocker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee G. Veteran Posted October 23, 2009 Veteran Share Posted October 23, 2009 So, by retail, this means that an Upgrade copy is not locked to a motherboard? If so, then I think I'll have to order a student Upgrade copy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregrocker Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 So, by retail, this means that an Upgrade copy is not locked to a motherboard?If so, then I think I'll have to order a student Upgrade copy. Upgrade has never been locked to the motherboard, but to the qualifying OS it upgrades. If that OS is OEM then it is locked also to the mboard, but if it is retail the upgrade becomes as portable as the qualifying OS underneath. We need to watch how MS clarifies what this all means, since the news will soon spread wider that there is an effective 50% price slash since Upgrades can be used like Retail. They may keep certain original Upgrade restrictions instead of making those retail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boogerjones Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Hmmm, I'm not sure what to make of this. I remember back when we got XP Upgrade media and licenses you could do clean installs on a formatted HD with those. I think people are making a bigger deal out of this than it is. And of course there's always the well-known clean-install-then-upgrade trick that Microsoft acknowledged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregrocker Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 Can you read? HE GOT AN INVALID KEY the first time around, just like me. Look, I don't care how people get it installed, I was just letting people know that the vista trick does work in case they wanted to try it that way. I just saw this. The fact that some are getting an invalid key message when trying to clean install is important because it means there is an exception. Also, since MS had said there was going to be no more VIsta-like "upgrade over itself" the fact that many are reporting you have succeeded at this is also important. I had mis-read that you had only done this method and thought it had succeeded because you also had an full retail key purchased as an Upgrade. Sorry I missed this before. I've been posting on a half dozen forums in between 3 simultaneous installs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bhav Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 No and they probably won't since they would be attacked for their generosity on top of everything else.Complainers should take the time to notice that this is possibly the greatest advance since the invention of the computer. Ok as great as this news is, please remove your head from MS's arse? lol i think you're getting slightly over-excited here... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee G. Veteran Posted October 23, 2009 Veteran Share Posted October 23, 2009 Upgrade has never been locked to the motherboard, but to the qualifying OS it upgrades. If that OS is OEM then it is locked also to the mboard, but if it is retail the upgrade becomes as portable as the qualifying OS underneath. We need to watch how MS clarifies what this all means, since the news will soon spread wider that there is an effective 50% price slash since Upgrades can be used like Retail. They may keep certain original Upgrade restrictions instead of making those retail. Thank you for the answer :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackhood Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I just saw this. The fact that some are getting an invalid key message when trying to clean install is important because it means there is an exception. Also, since MS had said there was going to be no more VIsta-like "upgrade over itself" the fact that many are reporting you have succeeded at this is also important. I had mis-read that you had only done this method and thought it had succeeded because you also had an full retail key purchased as an Upgrade. Sorry I missed this before. I've been posting on a half dozen forums in between 3 simultaneous installs. YAY! Your finally seeing it. I will do it again if you want and take pictures every step of the way. I have another brand new hard drive (still in the anti-static bag) and will use that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lnmnky Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 There are about three different scenarios going on here. People are mistaking the term "clean install" with "no existing media" or "no operating system present". Also, "install" and "activate" are also different steps. To the op. Are you speculatin that this is the scenario. 1. New drive / or formatted drive. 2. Ensure any slave drives are no operating systems. 3. Put W7 Upgrade DVD in drive, and boot from DVD. 4. Install W7 on your new blank drive 5. Put in a key and activate Or this scenario 1. New drive / or formatted drive. 2. Ensure any slave drives are no operating systems. 3. Put W7 Upgrade DVD in drive, and boot from DVD. 4. Install W7 on your new blank drive 5. Do not put in a key and do not activate 6. Load unactivated Windows 7 upgrade to desktop 7. Run DVD and start installation from inside Windows. 8. Select Upgrade 9. Allow install to run and reboot to Windows 10. Enter key and activate once on desktop. Feel free to copy and edit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strelok1911 Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I think you can start setup.exe from a Vista install or Xp and choose custom when it asks you, not upgrade. It will pretty much move everything to Windows.old. There you have a clean install with the upgrade key :\ Or I might be wrong? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackhood Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I think you can start setup.exe from a Vista install or Xp and choose custom when it asks you, not upgrade.It will pretty much move everything to Windows.old. There you have a clean install with the upgrade key :\ Or I might be wrong? See this chart (you have to scroll down a little). Windows 7 upgrade chart Thats what you can do with xp or vista already installed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregrocker Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 (edited) YAY! Your finally seeing it. I will do it again if you want and take pictures every step of the way. I have another brand new hard drive (still in the anti-static bag) and will use that. I believe you, but if you wanna do it then as many tests as can we run might isolate if its machine, disk, key, or MS surprise - anthing is possible. I had too many post goin and ignored your info on one post and stupidly quoted MS claim that we couldn't use the Vista upgrade-over-itself trick when you and others were doing it as a second shot, important information. I've gotta stop believing anything Technet was saying about Upgrade activation because everything has changed now. I'm sorry and will try to do better. This is an exciting time and we are on the cutting edge of it here. Now I've gotta get some sleep after 36 hours of this before so I can think straight tomorrow. Edited October 23, 2009 by gregrocker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregrocker Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 (edited) There are about three different scenarios going on here. People are mistaking the term "clean install" with "no existing media" or "no operating system present". Also, "install" and "activate" are also different steps.To the op. Are you speculatin that this is the scenario. I can try a zeroed drive install from boot tomorrow. My test today was formatted from the installer. I put the key in upfront - it is legit, why not? It activated as soon as I connected to the internet and activated. The drive had an RTM not activated and had been zeroed before that. Edited October 23, 2009 by gregrocker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregrocker Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 Ok as great as this news is, please remove your head from MS's arse? lol i think you're getting slightly over-excited here... I'm as anti-corporate as they get - I think they've wrecked my country and ruined the world. But MS does so much good by comparison and I see this as possiblly part of that generosity streak. They have never been like Google where they say "do only good" and then partner with Chinese censors. They really use sheer genius and billions for good. WIndows 7 will be in classrooms around the world courtesy of MS, students are almost given it free, they are practically waving us past the fare gate tonight to the best ride going. Not to mention I really believe Win7 is the greatest achievement since the invention of the computer. They have achieved featherlight instantaneous perfection. The next stop is holographic. Sorry, I just believe that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdood Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 I'm as anti-corporate as they get - I think they've ruined the world. But MS does so much good by comparison and I see this as possiblly part of that generosity streak. They have never been like Google where they say "do only good" and then partner with Chinese censors. They really use their billions for good. WIndows 7 will be in classrooms around the world courtesy of MS, students are almost given it free. This is, and has always been, part of Microsoft's strategy to maintain the barrier to entry as high as possible so that it becomes impossible for competitors to enter the market, thus maximizing Microsoft's profits. It has little to do with kindness or generosity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lnmnky Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 My test today was formatted from the installer. I put the key in upfront - it is legit, why not? It activated as soon as I connected to the internet and activated. The drive had an RTM not activated and had been zeroed before that. That means it's already checked eligibility. That doesn't count as a new drive does it!? Format from the installer. Then quit the installer and run it from scratch. Follow every step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregrocker Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 This is, and has always been, part of Microsoft's strategy to maintain the barrier to entry as high as possible so that it becomes impossible for competitors to enter the market, thus maximizing Microsoft's profits. It has little to do with kindness or generosity. But the effect is "doing good," except to other corporations. And the market is riper for entrepreneurs. I dont' know about kindness from any corporation, but giving my household a thousand dollars worth of free and discounted, perfectly-networked Win7's for riding the future this past year is generous in my book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carmatic Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 so... does the 'upgrade over itself' trick work? as in specifically having the key rejected the first time you install, and getting it accepted on reintallation... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Gil Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 This is a generous gift from a company with a generous streak as wide as the world. Thank you, MS! You have clinched the future! Complainers should take the time to notice that this is possibly the greatest advance since the invention of the computer. This is exploding on every tech forum right now. Have been monitoring it since midnight EST last night. Amusing thread is amusing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hdood Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 But the effect is "doing good," except to other corporations. And the market is riper for entrepreneurs. You're wrong, because the ultimate loser is the consumer who ends up with no choice other than Microsoft. The market is not, like you claim, "ripe for entrepreneurs," even though it has gotten slightly better since Microsoft was convicted for their illegal activities in both the United States and Europe. Microsoft can give you apparent discounts here and there because they control the entire market (which even extends to part of your tax money going to Microsoft). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lnmnky Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 so... does the 'upgrade over itself' trick work? as in specifically having the key rejected the first time you install, and getting it accepted on reintallation... It has been reported that this works... 1. New drive / or formatted drive. 2. Ensure any slave drives have no operating systems. 3. Put W7 Upgrade DVD in drive, and boot from DVD. 4. Install W7 on your new blank drive 5. Do not put in a key and do not activate 6. Load unactivated Windows 7 upgrade to desktop 7. Run DVD and start installation from inside Windows. 8. Select Upgrade 9. Allow install to run and reboot to Windows 10. Enter key and activate once on desktop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gregrocker Posted October 23, 2009 Author Share Posted October 23, 2009 Amusing thread is amusing. Enthusiastic! Do you often make fun of enthusiasts like the old sour man at the bar? I have years but I am not old like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Gil Posted October 23, 2009 Share Posted October 23, 2009 Enthusiastic! Do you often make fun of enthusiasts like the old sour man at the bar?I have years but I am not old like that. Take a time to grasp the difference between "enthusiastic" and "hysterical over nothing". Dude, it's like you just found the holy grail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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