Windows 7 64 Home - OEM Upgrade Disk

Hello all,

First, let me apologize if I missed it but I did not see the word OEM in the forum upgrade sticky.

My hard drive just died last night.

I ordered a new hard drive.

I have an OEM Windows 7 64 Home "Upgrade" disk. I've heard that the OEM disks are for one computer only. Technically, i'm only changing the hard drive--the MOBO and the CPU are the working fine so I'm not sure if that still qualifies as the same computer but I'm lead to believe so...

Can I just do a clean install and will it activate?

Thank you for your time and help!

Best regards

Should not be a problem. Changing hard drives or CPUs is not an issue.

Changing motherboards is an issue.

Do you have your Product Key?

Thanks for the reply!

Yes, I have the Vista product key and the 7 product key.

Can I just follow the prompts for a clean installation OR should I follow the custom setup and do the activation later, like the sticky suggests?

I'd follow the tutorial for the finer points.

You will be using an upgrade disk which means it might be preferable to do the activation later, as I recall. Upgrade disks are slightly tricky, but nothing you can't get easily resolved--one way or another.

Be sure to have only 1 hard drive connected when you start.

Consider your partitioning scheme---it might be a good time to use C for the OS and applications and D for all personal data. That makes backups and imaging a bit simpler and can avoid certain complications later on. Maybe a C of 80 or 100 GB and the remainder of the drive for D.

Maybe you were going to do that anyway?

Ok, I will follow that walk through.

As for the partitioning. I remember it does ask me about partitions...

I was actually not going to partition it as I didn't know how that would benefit the system.

But I will do it like you say if you think that will prevent problems--as I like that idea.

Your help is really appreciated and just know you are probably saving me a lot of frustrating hours later on when the Hard Drive comes!

lenval said:

Ok, I will follow that walk through.

As for the partitioning. I remember it does ask me about partitions...

I was actually not going to partition it as I didn't know how that would benefit the system.

But I will do it like you say if you think that will prevent problems--as I like that idea.

It's really a personal choice. Most people just use C for everything, including personal data. I don't want to force you into anything.

I'd guess that most "enthusiast" types, as found on these forums, do use separate partitions.

You can go with just C now and change to C and D later if you think it's a good idea after studying it. But it's simpler to do it now when you are reinstalling, if you have the inclination at all.

If you are not the type to do backups and/or images and prefer to live dangerously, keeping data on a separate partition doesn't offer many advantages. Conversely, if you do backups/images, then it does.

Thanks for the information.

I don't typically have anything on there to backup as I use a combination of google drive and jungle disk to back up key files/pics/videos of the family.

For everything else like my entertainment media that is stored on external portable HD's.

Now, wish me luck as this will be my first SSD HD!

When you boot Win7 Upgrade version and it sees an OS on the HD, it will allow use of Upgrade key during install - even if you then go on to use the Custom>Drive options to repartition.

With a new HD, leave key blank then afterwards do option 2 or 3 workarounds in Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version to activate Upgrade version on a new or cleaned HD.

With an SSD I would copy your User folders to a secondary HD and then right clik link them to the related Library - Include a Folder - Windows 7 Forums.

Greg, thanks for the pointer on the option 2/3 for the new HD.

Also, I am only going to have one HD in the computer no secondary, unless you consider a portable HD secondary. Am I missing something with the linked folder in the library? I just don't see how having them linked with a folder will help because once I plug the portable HD into my computer it creates a drive that can be accessed?

If your SSD is large enough for all of your User folders, then fine. But many users only have space on an SSD for OS and programs, so that is how you can best link User folders from another internal HD. I would not link them from an external, just back them up there regularly.

Unplug external and all periperhals during install.