Clean-install Windows 7 from the upgrade disc

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I’ve just published one of the most important (and best-received) articles I’ve ever written for Windows Secrets Newsletter.If you’re thinking about i
[See the full post at: Clean-install Windows 7 from the upgrade disc]

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New hard drives are cheap these days. When talking about a clean install you might cosider sugesting a new drive. If things go bad, put the old drive back in. If things go good, put the old drive in an enclosure and copy data over.

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if you were to do a in place upgrade ,(which i know you don’t recommend) and then decide you were not happy with it. could you go back and do a custom ( clean ) install with the same disc? The reason I might do this is because I am not sure I can get all the drivers for my acer laptop.

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Sure. You can clean install any time. You just can’t “go back” and uninstall the in-place upgrade.

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That’s an excellent strategy.

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Hi Woody – great article.

Here’s a Starter for Ten straight away though, and I’m hoping this question is sufficiently related, yet hopefully somewhat unique, that you give thought to maybe covering it somewhere, either in the old “Langa List” as I still know it, or here…

Windows 7 and upgrades, re-installs, and licensing…

I’m due to take delivery of a new Laptop for my son on Monday, and for reasons even the manufacturer cannot tell me adequately, on this particular model (but none of the rest in their range), they have installed Windows 7 32 bit, rather than 64 bit.

No big big deal, with it being a 3GB Ram machine, not 4GB, but I would still prefer true 64 bit, as per all my other machines.

So, this is a slightly different licensing question…

If I use my own media, that is a full Windows 7 DVD which is already set up, to ASK which flavour of Windows to install during the procedure, can I use this to re/over/custom install the same comparable version of Windows 7 the machine came with (Home Premium), but as a 64 bit install, and in so doing, at the end of the procedure, will the licence key/product key the machine came with for Windows 7 (OEM most likely), Home Premium 32 bit, still work for a re-install of Win 7 HP 64 bit, using a retail DVD?

That would be question 1.

If the answer is likely to be “No” but only due to technical, not legal considerations, do you then think that if I were to do this, and then RING Microsoft when/if the activation fails, would they resolve things for me that way perhaps?

Not sure how much of this will be an opinion based response from you, as opposed to a known “proper answer”, but I’m still very keen to hear your thoughts no matter what.

Thanks Woody, in anticipation of your feelings…

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Patrick –

Helluva good question, and the answer is “I don’t know.” One big problem: PCs that come with Win7 pre-installed don’t have activation keys, as such, so there’s nothing to type into the installer.

Your best bet is to follow the instructions I gave in the latest Windows Secrets Newsletter to call the MS activation people, and ask them. If they say it’s OK, tell them you don’t want to use the key in the box that you bought and ask specifically if it’s OK to install without an activation key. (Remember that you can run Win7 up to 120 days without using an installation key.) When you get an answer, make sure you get the name of the person who gave you the answer.

Keep me posted – woody (at) ask woody (dot) com

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Ah Woody – thanks for that – some great info straight away, as I wasn’t fully aware the situation with PC’s/Laptops with Windows 7 pre-installed.

I think I might do exactly that, ring the MS Activation people, and ask what they say – but leave it until the machine actually arrives first, so that I can give them any additional info they may require.

The issue will then come down to one thing – is it legal, what I would wish to do.

Certainly it sounds like there will be a whole raft of technical issues, but I can overcome any amount of these, IF it tuns out they say it’s legal.

As RETAIL Windows 7 comes in one single flavour of DVD, for both 32 and 64 bit versions, I don’t really see why there *should* be any legal problem, in simply wanting my legitimate version of Windows 7 H.P 32 bit switched over to 64 bit.

But the issue muddying all this, is that this is a pre-install OEM version, so different rules might apply.

I’ll be sure to post back what I find out come Tuesday though, so anyone else considering this has some more to go on.

So thanks again Woody, for sure!

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I’ve had smooth sailing with fresh installs instead of in place upgrades. Particularly, even though I back up data religiously before such things, I’ve not had a failure yet when using Windows Easy Transfer to transfer data and settings. Of course, reinstalling programs, etc., is necessary, but not a hassle, really. It’s been really nice to hand a family member’s computer back to them and have everything be familiar enough to them that they don’t need a thing in the way of “training” on the new OS to get right back on that Word document they were working on before the upgrade or load their web browser and have their last session restore “automagically,” for example. Heck, just giving folks their “old shoe comfy” desktop can help smooth the transition for average users.

Using WET before and after a clean install seems to combine the best of both a clean install and in place upgrade (with the “have to reinstall apps” caveat noted). I’ve done it with XP and Vista computers, 32-bit and 64-bit. really nice.

As far as I’m concerned, the “bad old days” of the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard are dead and buried. Microsoft has indeed made a clean install/upgrade a smooth, easy and virtually painless process.

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Hello Woody, I just read your article in Windows Secrets regarding the full install of Win 7 from an upgrade version disk. I’m confused about one point. You write that a pc built from scratch may not qualify for an upgrade. My question is: Why might that be the case if the operating system in that pc was an off the shelf full retail version?
Thanks. Love your column by the way.

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David –

Agreed on all counts. It’s the Alohabob technology that MS bought and modified.

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Patrick –

Please do keep us posted. If it’s a big hassle, don’t bother – 64-bit isn’t a do-or-die upgrade. But it’s nice to have. (Oh, and all of the Win7 boxes include two DVDs – one 32-bit, and one 64-bit.))

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I have a Windows 7 upgrade disk and have a Vista Home Premium operating system with SP2 upgrades and am thinking of making a clean install as you have suggested. However I don’t have enough experience to get myself out of trouble if I lost or fouled up anything.

My questions are as follows:

1. You suggest making a complete backup. I can’t with Home Premium is the backup I can make sufficient. I also don’t know how to use the back up to get back the information if I lose it. Is the answer for recalling the backed up information in your Windows Vista 9 in 1 reference book, which I have?

2. Is there a place I can get a step by step procedure for the clean install and backup which I can erform?

3. I can just upgrade from the disc, does this have any disadvantages over the clean install? I use my computer only for personal stuff, don’t use a lot of pictures, or any video or music. What is the difference between a upgrade and a clean install. Will the clean install give significant advantages over the upgrade?

4. I recognize that this is very basic to you. I would not feel slighted if you ignore these questions because I should probably pay someone to do the clean install if I want it done, but I enjoy doing these things myself.

Thanks for any help you can give!

Mark

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Mark –

It’s basic, but it isn’t easy! No reason to pay anyone anything. You can do it. It’s all in the book. The important thing is to make sure you run Windows Easy Transfer before you install. It’ll carry across all the settings.

I believe in custom (clean) installs more than ever now that I’ve seen how the in-place upgrades have gone. As I wrote in last week’s Windows Secrets, “Sticking Win7 on top of an old copy of Windows is like building a new house on old landfill. You never know what’s going to come to the surface, or where, or when. A very large percentage of the problems people are having with Windows 7 installations occur with in-place upgrades.”

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Hi,

Thank you for this post. I followed your instruction but it seem i can not boot from the upgrade cd. Can you advise me what to do ?

Thank you in advance

Merav

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@Merav –

Can you boot from any CD? Take a look at http://pcsupport.about.com/od/tipstricks/ht/bootcddvd.htm

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