Quick question about windows 7 ultimate upgrade.

[-RockMan-]

Just now I bought windows 7 ultimate from newegg.com, I have 2 legal copys of windows xp pro and vista home premium.
Is it ok if I do a clean install for windows 7 ultimate and when it prompts me, do I need to give it the xp product key or vista home key ?

By the way I did this route before with windows 2000 and XP pro I just want to make sure this won't be to much of a problem... :/

 

[KSoD]

You cant do it this way anymore. That method was removed with Vista. You will have to have Vista fully installed and activated in order to use the Win7 Upgrade.

 

[-RockMan-]

Ok,when I get everything setup with my mother, I reinstall vista again.
Mak I know you probably explained this to many people but why does microsoft have this sort of ackward upgrading routes ?
I know part of it has to do with piracy that microsoft is dealing with, but this is kind of strange and nerve racking.

 

[KSoD]

I dont find it strange at all. What is wrong with having people install a qualifying OS and have it fully activated in order to use an upgrade disk? The things that were done in the past only show how flawed the system was, so they fixed it. Asking for a serial that can be easily faked and is useless. Asking people to have the OS installed and activated cuts down greatly on the amount of pirated material.

You find it nerve racking, but you dont consider what they have to go through. Years of research and development, several thousand of people on your payroll who have families to take care of.

Even stranger is that to upgrade within Ubuntu, you have to have it installed and then start the upgrade process from within the OS itself. Right through its own Package updater. Seems to me that even the free and open source versions do the same exact thing that Microsoft does.

 

[-RockMan-]

Newegg.com was late shipping out my os yesterday, I am downloading a retail copy of windows 7 ult.
When I get my windows 7 ult upgrade disk, can I use the product key on my new current installation ?

 

[Yami]

Yeah, you can install it, unactivated, and then activate with your yet-to-arrive retail key. Though Microsoft frowns on you downloading the ISOs, generally (except from them, obviously).

 

[-RockMan-]

Don't worry about the iso download yami, besides the last iso link I had came from microsoft site before when I was using windows 7 professional.
Ever since then there have been some real problems with product keys I have gotten from a few local businesses here in GA.
I have just gotten to the point where I will go online to a legit site such as newegg.com or zip zoom fly to get whatever OS I need.

Oh yeah mak if your reading this don't kill me, I know what I am doing.

 

[KSoD]

Really you know what your doing yet your asking if you can use an upgrade serial for a retail product. Notice the emphasis i put on the 2 key words there? When in the history of Windows were you ever able to use an upgrade serial on a full retail version? The answer is never. Microsoft has never allowed an upgrade serial to be used with a retail version.

 

[-RockMan-]

Mak, I am trying to keep this conversation from becoming ugly and over heated in here so chill out....
I just called redmond washington microsoft about this and they verified that performing the method I will try tomorrow afternoon should do with no problems.
The woman at microsoft said that other people have tried this with no problems or it back firing on them.

 

[KSoD]

Okay dont tell me to chill. I am calm. You are putting the emotion into the post, not me. You said you know what your doing yet i simply stated facts that are well known.

The person at Microsoft may not be fully informed. Saying it should work is a far cry from it will work with no issues. Saying that other have tried it with no problems or it back firing on them is a far cry from saying it will work without issues. How many calls has this person taken in regards to this manner? How many people did have issues? How many people have had it back fire on them? These are all things that must be taken into consideration.

I am simply stating exactly what Microsoft tells all of us MVP's and IT Pros that deal with customers. This is the same exact statement i have made to thousands of people since Upgrade Disks have been available. I have been doing support for Windows for long enough to know that saying it "should" work is about 10% of the cases presented. There is still the majority of cases that it does represent problems for.

So take it as you will. It is your money and time at stake not mine. I am merely giving you all the information that Microsoft has told me to present when such questions are asked. Nothing more, nothing less.