Dell's free upgrade to Win7 for recent computer purchases

Gary Baldi <tim.richards@gmx.com> wrote in news:d6dfc691-ccfc-4ef7-a042-
c9361335dc5a@n35g2000yqm.googlegroups.com:

> On Oct 30, 7:57*pm, John W. Wells <dj...@7tsimmery.axe> wrote:
>>
>> Seems like we're not all being told the same story about this thing!!
>>
>> Thanks again, guys!
>>
>> --John Wells
>
> Hmmm, it's a Dell's left hand doesn't know what Microsoft's right hand
> is doing scenario.
>
> My credit card available balance has been reduced (ringfenced) by the
> amount of the shipping fees for this "free" DVD......but there's no
> indication of when it will arrive (here in the UK, at least).
>
> FWIW, I think it's a Microsoft fu*k up rather than Dell.
>
> Hey ho, we'll wait for the thing to arrive......

Hi,

It's difficult to know why the long waits, but I don't think there should
be any wait, for anyone, once Win7 shipped on October 22, if the eligible
Dell buyer registered correctly. Sounds like once John registered, his
Win7 upgrade was put in the shipping que.

For what it's worth, my experience is this...I have two Dell machines I
purchased with Vista before Win7 was even on the horizon, so I wasn't
eligible for the Win7 upgrade. When the reduced price upgrade was
announced, I purchased two from Amazon.com. They were shipped on October
23, and arrived on the 24th. I just haven't had time to install them.
Maybe this weekend.

Hope you get yours soon.

>
> Just now (2 days later) I again checked the site for status and see
> that it's scheduled to be shipped November 4th--to me, I hope!
>
> Seems like we're not all being told the same story about this thing!!
>
> Thanks again, guys!
>
> --John Wells

No sooner had I responded with my response that the ship date was listed for
December when I went back in the next day & it had changed to November 3rd.
Since my daughter has been using the laptop for less than 3 months I believe
a clean install would be the way to go. Is it my understanding that this
upgrade disk will simply give me the option to choose a custom (clean)
install or is there some kind of workaround needed to "trick" the
installation into a clean install & just reinstall her applications from
scratch?

Thanks,

Rich

"Rich" <rgsrx@cox.net> wrote in message
news:raOGm.6092$zy1.1788@newsfe14.iad...
>
>>
>> Just now (2 days later) I again checked the site for status and see
>> that it's scheduled to be shipped November 4th--to me, I hope!
>>
>> Seems like we're not all being told the same story about this thing!!
>>
>> Thanks again, guys!
>>
>> --John Wells
>
> No sooner had I responded with my response that the ship date was listed
> for December when I went back in the next day & it had changed to November
> 3rd. Since my daughter has been using the laptop for less than 3 months I
> believe a clean install would be the way to go. Is it my understanding
> that this upgrade disk will simply give me the option to choose a custom
> (clean) install or is there some kind of workaround needed to "trick" the
> installation into a clean install & just reinstall her applications from
> scratch?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Rich

I just realized you answered this question earlier & that a custom install
was possible. I though that I had read somewhere on the net that there was a
step-by-step process to accomplish this with an upgrade
purchase......something about not entering your serial number on initial
installation & waiting until you upgraded your initial custom installation
or something like that.

Rich

"Rich" <rgsrx@cox.net> wrote in message
news:ufOGm.6139$zy1.1936@newsfe14.iad...

> I just realized you answered this question earlier & that a custom install
> was possible. I though that I had read somewhere on the net that there was
> a step-by-step process to accomplish this with an upgrade
> purchase......something about not entering your serial number on initial
> installation & waiting until you upgraded your initial custom installation
> or something like that.

I used an upgrade disk for a clean install and had no problem activating it.

Good reading here:

http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/cle...rade_media.asp

Bob

On Sat, 31 Oct 2009 11:33:07 -0400, "Bob Levine" <invalid@invalid.com>
wrote:

>"Rich" <rgsrx@cox.net> wrote in message
>news:ufOGm.6139$zy1.1936@newsfe14.iad...
>
>> I just realized you answered this question earlier & that a custom install
>> was possible. I though that I had read somewhere on the net that there was
>> a step-by-step process to accomplish this with an upgrade
>> purchase......something about not entering your serial number on initial
>> installation & waiting until you upgraded your initial custom installation
>> or something like that.
>
>I used an upgrade disk for a clean install and had no problem activating it.
>
>Good reading here:
>
>http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/cle...rade_media.asp

Thank you!

(Silly me--here I thought I'd merely be inserting the upgrade disk,
I'd be offered upgrade-or-clean, and off it would go!)

--John Wells

"Bob Levine" <invalid@invalid.com> wrote in message
news:hchlc4$pa3$1@news.eternal-september.org...
> "Rich" <rgsrx@cox.net> wrote in message
> news:ufOGm.6139$zy1.1936@newsfe14.iad...
>
>> I just realized you answered this question earlier & that a custom
>> install was possible. I though that I had read somewhere on the net that
>> there was a step-by-step process to accomplish this with an upgrade
>> purchase......something about not entering your serial number on initial
>> installation & waiting until you upgraded your initial custom
>> installation or something like that.
>
> I used an upgrade disk for a clean install and had no problem activating
> it.
>
> Good reading here:
>
> http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/cle...rade_media.asp
>
> Bob


Thanks Bob. That's the site I was looking for. Did you use "Method #1" &
were not prompted for a product key, run Windows Update after installation
then activated with your product key at that time?
Please excuse my ignorance. I have not needed to upgrade a Windows OS since
the pre-activation era of Windows98. Since then I acquired 1 new OEM XP
computer & 2 OEM Vista computers which required no activation. I'll be
upgrading with a 15 year-old daughter breathing down my neck as I mess with
her new laptop. While I have extensive experience with Windows computers
since WFG 3.11, I don't want to subject her to a user-induced all-day
Microsoft fiasco (& God forbid I should need to call support). In
preparation I have already upgraded the firmware for the DVD & flashed the
BIOS to A12 as I have read there may be issues.

Thanks,

Rich