Windows 7: Clean Install of Win 7 64 from Upgrade Disc

I just ordered a Win 7 upgrade disc. Here's my question. I have Vista Home Premium 32 bit installed on my Dell. No restore disc, (at least I don't remember seeing one), but it has that restore partition. I'd like to add a new hard drive to my system and do a clean install using the Win 7 Upgrade disc but I'd like to make it the 64 bit version.

Can this be done? I can leave both hard drives in the system. Will a Win 7 Upgrade disc install a 64 bit version if it can find a valid 32 bit Vista installed on a second hard drive?

If this works and I later delete all traces of Vista off the old drive (as in the re-install partition) will the Win 7 Upgrade disc be useless for a fresh install?



Thanks,
regkaz

Unfortunately you cannot perform a Clean Install with an Upgrade cd with 7 the way you could with Vista and XP.

However, I believe if you load the Windows 7 cd from inside Vista and choose Custom install, that should give you a fresh install of Windows 7 on whichever hard drive you choose. Once it is up and running, you can format your Vista drive and you should have a completely clean Windows 7 install.

I am not sure about running the 64-bit setup from a 32-bit OS though...that could be a problem.

I would like to know the answer to this question also, from XP to 7. I know that you have to do a "custom install" i.e. "clean install" from inside XP so that it can verify the prior OS is installed, but once I wipe that partition to install 7 (obviously without activating it, since we don't have the keys yet), will it just be a matter of running the non-activated 7 OS until we receive the upgrade key we purchased?

Probably the best answer is just to wait. But I am just curious once the RTM comes out, how this might work.

Damon

ps not asking for any hacks, cracks or other illegal methods of installation

Ok first we need your computer specs.

thanks

ken

It's a Dell with a quad core Intel. I'm at work so I don't know the exact chip. Has to be 64 bit if it's quad, right? I've got 3 gig of DDR2. Video is Nvidia 8800. 650 gig SATA HD, 2 SATA DVDs.

Use Easy Transfer for your user settings and backup everything. Then boot from the Windows 7 CD, Win 7 will see your copy of Vista, then go to custom install, and select advanced, format the C drive, then follow the instructions to install Windows 7 64. You will have a clean install. then you can then reinstall all your programs. .
have fun.
Kenn

Very cool. That's what I was hoping. Thanks.

I thought that the consensus (if there was one) was that in order to do a custom (clean) install with the upgrade disc, you have to run the installer from **inside** the previously installed OS, because that is how Windows 7 verifies that you have a licensed OS already on the machine.

Are you saying that you can boot directly into Windows 7 install disc and it will verify the previous OS license? I would hate to over-write my old OS with Windows 7, and then on Oct 22 try to enter my license key and find out that it doesn't work because I used the incorrect "upgrade" procedure.

I have Fujitsu S6510 laptop 4GB ram 32 bit XP (purchased pre-order upgrade Home Premium and would like to install 64 bit).

Damon

I was assuming he was doing the install with a retail verison he had ordered not a beta.

Kenn

That is my understanding since it's an upgrade disc.