W7 RTM Installation

I just finished downloading the OS using the MS Store's download manager, and all appeared normal, until I went to the downloaded file. The zip is as expected, in terms of size...3,149.148kb, but when I extracted it, it only contained 3 files...no_emul.00, no_emul.01 and the readme. viewing these files within the zip showed the file sizes at 4096, 512 & 135, but then once extracted, the sizes were only 4, 1 & 1 kbs respectively.

It seems obvious that something is awry, but I have no idea of what...unless it has to do with the fact that I used PowerArchiver to unzip it, instead of the MS downloader, which only had the option to run the file, instead of opening it. The file is supposed to be an ISO, but there doesn't appear to be any such file.

Since it took over 5 hours to download it, I'm hoping that there is a way to use what I have, rather than starting back at square one.

Nevermind, I think that I have got it figured out. I used the MS USB/DVD Download Tool to copy the zip to a USB drive, and the contents looks much more like I expected it to. I've never done anything like this before, but I hope that the flash drive will work as well as a DVD. It seems that every time I think that I've got things figured out, there is some new wrinkle for me to iron out.

I just finished installing the OS, but ran into some snags. The major one is that during the setup I chose to do a clean install, rather than an upgrade, because I had planned to use XP for the upgrade installation, for I had been advised numerous times that a clean installation would be necessary with XP. However, when I entered the license key, it rejected it as being invalid. I then left the space empty and continued the installation.

Once at desktop, I went to System Properties and tried to enter the license there, but it failed verification with the message that the key was no good for a clean install, only an upgrade installation. It never asked for the XP CD for verification as I expected, so it seems that I should have chose the upgrade installation, contrary to what I was told.

I could start over from scratch (and may be forced to), but I'm hoping that there is some way to save this installation and have it set as an upgrade, so that it will accept my key?

Any luck finding a solution? I'm downloading the student upgrade at the moment but as I have XP i was planning to do a 'custom install' and I'm now wondering if my key will work. Or is a 'custom install' still classed as an upgrade as opposed to a clean install on a blank drive?

All that I can say is that there were only two option on my installation...either upgrade or clean. I would be guessing at this point, because I'm still looking for a solution as I posted, but my guess would be to choose the upgrade installation, hoping that when it didn't see Vista, that it would ask for XP.

I just got off the telephone with a MS tech rep, and I'm now being told a totally different story than I have before, both on the internet and on a direct call to the Microsoft Store. This time I was told that it was not possible to use the upgrade version of W7 with XP at all, regardless of how I setup the installation.

I was told that it would require either an OEM or full retail version to do my installation, and that the retail version is not yet available. I was given a telephone number to call for returning what I have, but that only reached a recording that said that I would have to leave my telephone number and wait for them to return my call, which would be impossible, since I never answer incoming calls. It also gave an url to do this, but when I tried it, it said that it couldn't find the address.

Right now, I'm not very happy with MS, and that is an understatement. Apparently, I'm not alone, because the rep that I did speak with said that they had alot of people in the same boat, including corporate customers. I feel as though they created this confusion on purpose to raise funds, and now are making it difficult to rectify.

Now I'm really getting irked, I found the webpage dealing with returns, and after a lot of reading, it gave me another number to call, which did reach a live MS rep, but she insisted that I call another number yet...tomorrow (1-800-936-5700), but it appears that this is for tech support, rather than for refunds/returns. It appears to me that this is just a run around to delay refunding my money.

Instead of doing that...

Run the installer from within Windows 7 and do an upgrade installation.
Then use your serial number.

logicearth said:

Instead of doing that...

Run the installer from within Windows 7 and do an upgrade installation.
Then use your serial number.

Would you care to clarify? I did run the W7 installer, but it would not accept my license key...as I said above. I really don't understand your post.

EDIT: Rereading your post, I didn't notice your word "upgrade". If you are simply saying that to reformat the "clean" installation and reinstall using the upgrade option, that would be fine if it worked, but according to one MS rep, it will not...at least not with XP.