Operating Systems and Software

RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

mentaldisorder — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:31:31 GMT

As Bob just said...you can't install the retail version over it. You need to do a fresh install.

RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

leonheart390 — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 18:37:15 GMT

Does anyone actually know if you download the RC can you buy the full version and then install the full version with no reprecussions?

Re: RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

bob_on_the_cob — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 01:06:40 GMT

ekunkel85:

If I have Win 7 RC and I have MS Office 2003, when I "upgrade" then do I have to reinstall Excel, Word, etc? Do they go in the windows.old folder? I don't have the CDs for the Office so I don't want to lose those programs. Any suggestions?

You have to do a fresh install from the RC, so everything will go into the windows.old folder. You can however download any version of Office from the MS site and use them for 60 days. So install them then justt put in your product key.

RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

ekunkel85 — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 20:01:24 GMT

If I have Win 7 RC and I have MS Office 2003, when I "upgrade" then do I have to reinstall Excel, Word, etc? Do they go in the windows.old folder? I don't have the CDs for the Office so I don't want to lose those programs. Any suggestions?

RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

Iria — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:17:00 GMT

I don't get it. Microsoft modifying a Windows 7 activation code so it now is full rather than upgrade? That would be great, but doubtful. I haven't see that reported anywhere.

RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

Iria — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 13:30:33 GMT

dr.tj, "crap" in the old installation also includes all the dross left behind by the programs that installed previously, not just Windows itself. And has anyone tried an upgrade and see all the garbage left behind.

What I would love to do is what I used to be able to do: reformat the hard drive, enter a key or CD to validate an old install, and then install 7.

What Microsoft has said, AFAIK, is that each time you will need an activated copy.

Shoot, I've been using Windows for years, even if Microsoft said they wiped all the dross from the system when upgrading from an older OS I would not believe them.

I want the "format," "Proof of older OS," "new OS" scenario.

RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

rookey — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 05:40:59 GMT

I have Vista64 installed, I have a coupon for a free upgrade to w7-64 (with serial#).

Question: Could I get w7-64 RC and later use my coupon on w7 release, and maintain my data files from my Vista installation without transferring them off the harddrive at any point between?

edit: ps. obvious reason being that vista sucks. and backing up 120gb sucks too.

RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

rodriro — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 19:21:15 GMT

Wow, It's been 12 years now since I've been following MS products and its amazing how far we've come. Funny though I have all of them for free. MS-Dos 6.22, MS-3.1, MS-3.1 Windows for Workgroups, Windows95, NT-3.0, NT Workstation, NT-4.0, Office 1997, MS-Windows 98SE, Windows ME, Windows 2000 Pro, Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 advanced server, Windows XP Pro, Office XP, Windows Server 2003, Windows 2003 Enterprise, and then Windows Vista, Office 2007, and now Windows 7 Beta, Windows 7 RC1 which I am running right now. I LOVE YOU MS, It takes me from A to B homies, if it is not broken don't fix it, Mr isohunt man will hook up with a image of 7 as well, don't have time to figure out how to crack the key nonsense, I'll have someone (hindu) do it for me. END OF LINE...

RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

tigernest — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 15:09:08 GMT

One problem with installing the RC- MS has announced that this will not be upgradeable.

Re: RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

bob_on_the_cob — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:35:28 GMT

amdcrankitup:
Im curious when you install Windows 7 and it archives the older files (windows old) can you remove that file from your computer without comprimising the new OP system!?

As long as there is nothing you need in there delete away.

amdcrankitup:
do I just activate it like a retail copy and run it until it expires!???

Yep. Not sure why it was 3 days. You should have 30 days before you have to activate.

Re: RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

amdcrankitup — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:28:45 GMT

Im curious when you install Windows 7 and it archives the older files (windows old) can you remove that file from your computer without comprimising the new OP system!? And while Im thinking about it it gave me a period of 3 days befoore I had to activate it whats up with that and do I just activate it like a retail copy and run it until it expires!???

RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

ice91785 — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:46:01 GMT

You must have a HUGE bridge Mr. Troll.....Jack, I understand you are a linux fanboi but all the same--MS didn't become a multibillion $$ corporation by releasing crappy products. You may not prefer MS which is fine but your post is pointless, go start a new "I hate MS" thread or something

RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

J2ack2 — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 04:23:54 GMT

I tried Microsoft's XP operating system when it game out. It was a nightmare. Why on EARTH would you use Microsoft? Only crap has come from Microsoft. Remember Bob? Or how about Office 2007? Then you got Vista. Now we have Vista version 2 being release. It may be a little better than Vista- but that isn't saying much. It's a crummy system not worth using. So why would I care about this article? I don't. I just thought it was curious that people still put up with this crap when Apple and Canonical (Ubuntu/GNU/Linux) put out much better solutions.Actually Apple sucks too- but for different reasons. Nothing works with Apple's products (due to DRM) and compatibility suck (not standards compliant)-beyond their own crappy overpriced solutions ecosystem.

RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

dr.tj — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:03:20 GMT

You're confusing the first upgrade activation and subsequent reinstalls of Windows 7. Microsoft has confirmed that they now require an activated key on the harddrive when you FIRST upgrade. This is something new.

However, what is also new is that when you do your first upgrade activation, it will disable your Vista key, so you won't be able to activate it again. You have been only licensed for one copy of the OS, not two. This means that you won't be able to install and activate Vista again. Lucky for you, Microsoft will have tied your new upgrade key to your old one, so you can just use your Win 7 media with your new key if you need to reinstall.

My point about the "custom installation" is that the article writer seems to think that you can't get a "clean install" unless you have the RC already installed. In fact, the option for a "clean install" is always available to you. And it's actually required for XP to Win 7, and 32bit to 64bit upgrades. In fact, an inplace upgrade which leaves old crap on your system is only available if you are going from Vista 32bit to Win7 32bit, or Vista 64bit to Win7 64bit. Those are the ONLY scenarios where you even have the option to do an upgrade which leaves old crap on your hard drive. Just because the activated OS is required to be there at first doesn't mean the upgrade process will have to use any of the old files.

This refutes the two complaints that the article writer listed. You will always have the option to not use the old stuff in the new installation and you won't have to keep your old media around.

The only drawback to the changes are for those who wanted to end up with two license and for those who have their copy of Vista sitting in a box on their desk instead of installed. Tough cookies for the first group and a minor TEMPORARY inconvenience for the second.

RE: "Rules" for Windows 7 Upgrades Verified

Anonymous — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 23:21:03 GMT

I have been playing with 7 for about 3 weeks now and I absolutely LOVE it.