Win7 upgrade disk...can it do a "clean install"

When and if this promised (free) upgrade disk arrives, will I be able
to do a "clean install," or are these sorts of disks only able to
"upgrade?"

And... what about my D: disk, the Recovery Partition that sits on my
C: drive?

--John Wells

I did a clean install with my upgrade version but on a second blank hard
drive. So now I dual boot with Vista 32 and Win 7 64 bit

You can do a clean install on your C drive but it will erase everything so
you need a full back up. I suspect it will leave your D alone as that is a
separate partition.

Select custom install from the setup for the clean install
Bill

"John W. Wells" <djinn@7tsimmery.axe> wrote in message
news:v9hme5lmk8mver7rn0uci4uhsbojuqgggs@4ax.com...
> When and if this promised (free) upgrade disk arrives, will I be able
> to do a "clean install," or are these sorts of disks only able to
> "upgrade?"
>
> And... what about my D: disk, the Recovery Partition that sits on my
> C: drive?
>
> --John Wells

Since Microsoft already knew about the "double-install trick" with
Vista, I am stunned they are also permitting this with Windows 7. I am
curious as to how many people will purposefully buy the less expensive
Upgrade CD (that is, with no qualifying OS for the "upgrade") since it
can accomplish the same result as the Full CD.


Bill wrote:
> I did a clean install with my upgrade version but on a second blank
> hard drive. So now I dual boot with Vista 32 and Win 7 64 bit
>
> You can do a clean install on your C drive but it will erase
> everything so you need a full back up. I suspect it will leave your D
> alone as that is a separate partition.
>
> Select custom install from the setup for the clean install
> Bill
>
> "John W. Wells" <djinn@7tsimmery.axe> wrote in message
> news:v9hme5lmk8mver7rn0uci4uhsbojuqgggs@4ax.com...
>> When and if this promised (free) upgrade disk arrives, will I be able
>> to do a "clean install," or are these sorts of disks only able to
>> "upgrade?"
>>
>> And... what about my D: disk, the Recovery Partition that sits on my
>> C: drive?
>>
>> --John Wells

In news:qIudneh_8rsLBXDXnZ2dnUVZ_hidnZ2d@cavtel.net,
Daave typed on Sun, 1 Nov 2009 09:17:54 -0500:
> Since Microsoft already knew about the "double-install trick" with
> Vista, I am stunned they are also permitting this with Windows 7. I am
> curious as to how many people will purposefully buy the less expensive
> Upgrade CD (that is, with no qualifying OS for the "upgrade") since it
> can accomplish the same result as the Full CD.

There is a fine line between stopping pirates and ticking off your
consumers. If you go to far, you lose. I believe Microsoft understands
this. And the vast majority of Windows 7 purchases are users who are
upgrading anyway. So those that don't qualify for the upgrade version
are so small anyway, it isn't significant enough to tick off your
customers anyway.

--
Bill
Asus EEE PC 701G4 ~ 2GB RAM ~ 16GB-SDHC
Windows XP SP2

I read an article from a senior MS employee wherein he said MS does not
object to using the upgrade to do a clean install in a dual boot set up as
long as the qualifying OS and the upgrade are on the same system. What they
do not like is the use of the upgrade on a system without a qualifying
product.

When I did mine I did not have to do the double install trick, but I
understand what you mean.

Of course for the life of me I cant find the news article

Bill

"Daave" <daave@example.com> wrote in message
news:qIudneh_8rsLBXDXnZ2dnUVZ_hidnZ2d@cavtel.net.. .
> Since Microsoft already knew about the "double-install trick" with Vista,
> I am stunned they are also permitting this with Windows 7. I am curious as
> to how many people will purposefully buy the less expensive Upgrade CD
> (that is, with no qualifying OS for the "upgrade") since it can accomplish
> the same result as the Full CD.
>
>
> Bill wrote:
>> I did a clean install with my upgrade version but on a second blank
>> hard drive. So now I dual boot with Vista 32 and Win 7 64 bit
>>
>> You can do a clean install on your C drive but it will erase
>> everything so you need a full back up. I suspect it will leave your D
>> alone as that is a separate partition.
>>
>> Select custom install from the setup for the clean install
>> Bill
>>
>> "John W. Wells" <djinn@7tsimmery.axe> wrote in message
>> news:v9hme5lmk8mver7rn0uci4uhsbojuqgggs@4ax.com...
>>> When and if this promised (free) upgrade disk arrives, will I be able
>>> to do a "clean install," or are these sorts of disks only able to
>>> "upgrade?"
>>>
>>> And... what about my D: disk, the Recovery Partition that sits on my
>>> C: drive?
>>>
>>> --John Wells
>
>

"Daave" <daave@example.com> wrote in message
news:qIudneh_8rsLBXDXnZ2dnUVZ_hidnZ2d@cavtel.net.. .
> Since Microsoft already knew about the "double-install trick" with Vista,
> I am stunned they are also permitting this with Windows 7. I am curious as
> to how many people will purposefully buy the less expensive Upgrade CD
> (that is, with no qualifying OS for the "upgrade") since it can accomplish
> the same result as the Full CD.
>
>
> Bill wrote:
>> I did a clean install with my upgrade version but on a second blank
>> hard drive. So now I dual boot with Vista 32 and Win 7 64 bit
>>
>> You can do a clean install on your C drive but it will erase
>> everything so you need a full back up. I suspect it will leave your D
>> alone as that is a separate partition.
>>
>> Select custom install from the setup for the clean install
>> Bill
>>
>> "John W. Wells" <djinn@7tsimmery.axe> wrote in message
>> news:v9hme5lmk8mver7rn0uci4uhsbojuqgggs@4ax.com...
>>> When and if this promised (free) upgrade disk arrives, will I be able
>>> to do a "clean install," or are these sorts of disks only able to
>>> "upgrade?"
>>>
>>> And... what about my D: disk, the Recovery Partition that sits on my
>>> C: drive?
>>>
>>> --John Wells
>
>

I can verify that using an upgrade disk works. However I did hit a bump on
my install. I have an inspiron 1525 notebook that was on it's second
fujitsu 5400rpm hard drive. This last summer it experienced a thermo
related (vents plugged up with dust) crash and I reinstalled Vista to get it
back up running. I preordered Win7 premium and also a new Western Digital
7200rpm drive.

When the Win7 disks (it came with both 32 and 64 bit disks) arrived, I
deactivated Itunes, removed the system password (to insure that I'd have no
issues copying my files using my external sata drive enclosure), and shut
down. Removed the old drive, popped in the new one and put the Win7 disk
in. It took about 20 minutes for install to complete.

Got to the part where it asks for the product key and it said invalid
key. Retyped a couple of times to be sure I wasn't the error and each time
invalid key. So I went to the Newegg site to get their phone number for
some tech support. It was the weekend, they're closed. I happened to
notice a manufacturer listing of phone numbers and Microsoft was listed so I
called them. The first person I talked to verified that the product key was
indeed valid, and transferred me to tech support. They talked me through a
run command cscript entry and a regedit. Then a reboot and re-entry of
product key. That fixed it.

The total time on the phone was about 30 minutes. Neither person I talked
to ever asked me if I had a qualifying product to use the upgrade and at no
time did the install procedure ever ask for one.

The part that amazed me was at no time (so far at least) did I ever go to
the Dell website to get drivers. Even the "Dell Webcam Manager" software
was installed! Trend Micro Internet Security install *****ed at me about
not being compatible with Win7 but after it updated itself it seems fine
also.

alien

alien wrote:
>
>
> "Daave" <daave@example.com> wrote in message
> news:qIudneh_8rsLBXDXnZ2dnUVZ_hidnZ2d@cavtel.net.. .
>> Since Microsoft already knew about the "double-install trick" with
>> Vista, I am stunned they are also permitting this with Windows 7. I am
>> curious as to how many people will purposefully buy the less expensive
>> Upgrade CD (that is, with no qualifying OS for the "upgrade") since it
>> can accomplish the same result as the Full CD.
>>
>>
>> Bill wrote:
>>> I did a clean install with my upgrade version but on a second blank
>>> hard drive. So now I dual boot with Vista 32 and Win 7 64 bit
>>>
>>> You can do a clean install on your C drive but it will erase
>>> everything so you need a full back up. I suspect it will leave your D
>>> alone as that is a separate partition.
>>>
>>> Select custom install from the setup for the clean install
>>> Bill
>>>
>>> "John W. Wells" <djinn@7tsimmery.axe> wrote in message
>>> news:v9hme5lmk8mver7rn0uci4uhsbojuqgggs@4ax.com...
>>>> When and if this promised (free) upgrade disk arrives, will I be able
>>>> to do a "clean install," or are these sorts of disks only able to
>>>> "upgrade?"
>>>>
>>>> And... what about my D: disk, the Recovery Partition that sits on my
>>>> C: drive?
>>>>
>>>> --John Wells
>>
>>
>
> I can verify that using an upgrade disk works. However I did hit a bump
> on my install. I have an inspiron 1525 notebook that was on it's second
> fujitsu 5400rpm hard drive. This last summer it experienced a thermo
> related (vents plugged up with dust) crash and I reinstalled Vista to
> get it back up running. I preordered Win7 premium and also a new
> Western Digital 7200rpm drive.
>
> When the Win7 disks (it came with both 32 and 64 bit disks) arrived,
> I deactivated Itunes, removed the system password (to insure that I'd
> have no issues copying my files using my external sata drive enclosure),
> and shut down. Removed the old drive, popped in the new one and put the
> Win7 disk in. It took about 20 minutes for install to complete.
>
> Got to the part where it asks for the product key and it said invalid
> key. Retyped a couple of times to be sure I wasn't the error and each
> time invalid key. So I went to the Newegg site to get their phone
> number for some tech support. It was the weekend, they're closed. I
> happened to notice a manufacturer listing of phone numbers and Microsoft
> was listed so I called them. The first person I talked to verified that
> the product key was indeed valid, and transferred me to tech support.
> They talked me through a run command cscript entry and a regedit. Then a
> reboot and re-entry of product key. That fixed it.
>
> The total time on the phone was about 30 minutes. Neither person I
> talked to ever asked me if I had a qualifying product to use the upgrade
> and at no time did the install procedure ever ask for one.
>
> The part that amazed me was at no time (so far at least) did I ever go
> to the Dell website to get drivers. Even the "Dell Webcam Manager"
> software was installed! Trend Micro Internet Security install *****ed
> at me about not being compatible with Win7 but after it updated itself
> it seems fine also.
>
> alien
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

For guidance on how to perform a clean Windows 7 install with an upgrade
disk see:
http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/cle...rade_media.asp

In news:hck839$6lc$1@news.eternal-september.org,
BillW50 typed on Sun, 1 Nov 2009 09:05:11 -0600:
> In news:qIudneh_8rsLBXDXnZ2dnUVZ_hidnZ2d@cavtel.net,
> Daave typed on Sun, 1 Nov 2009 09:17:54 -0500:
>> Since Microsoft already knew about the "double-install trick" with
>> Vista, I am stunned they are also permitting this with Windows 7. I
>> am curious as to how many people will purposefully buy the less
>> expensive Upgrade CD (that is, with no qualifying OS for the
>> "upgrade") since it can accomplish the same result as the Full CD.
>
> There is a fine line between stopping pirates and ticking off your
> consumers. If you go to far, you lose. I believe Microsoft understands
> this. And the vast majority of Windows 7 purchases are users who are
> upgrading anyway. So those that don't qualify for the upgrade version
> are so small anyway, it isn't significant enough to tick off your
> customers anyway.

To see Microsoft's view:

Microsoft Says Windows 7 Install Workaround Is Legal
http://www.pcworld.com/article/17471..._is_legal.html

--
Bill
Asus EEE PC 701G4 ~ 2GB RAM ~ 16GB-SDHC
Windows XP SP2 (quit Windows updates back in May 2009)