I just recently purchased Vista Ultimate x64 OEM edition. It came with the free Windows 7 upgrade code.
However, I HATE upgrading. I would much rather do a fresh install of W7.
Is upgrading still bad enough that I should purchase the full DVD? Or should I stick with my free upgrade and just try and suffer through it?
I'd wait a little longer, until the official release date, or closer, until we know for sure how the Upgrade will work. The good news is, Windows 7 won't need to be reinstalled often like XP. Nothing has been made official, so sit tight for now.
Upgrading is a viable option if you have a clean Vista install on a newer computer with good drivers. I've done it on several systems in beta testing. Wait for the final release to see your options. You may be able to do a clean install just using the Vista DVD for authentication. that's how MS has done it in the past.
Ken
That is how it worked in the past, but Microsoft had some blag pages up about how the previous OS would need to be installed and activated, and that previous license would become invalid once upgraded. Allegedly, the loophole has been closed that allowed a double install with an upgrade disc, which essentially allowed a clean install with an upgrade disc. No one knows the official upgrade paths as of yet, unfortunately.
I've heard the rumor too, and I believe this time it's going to be true. They never mentioned with Vista in the past that it would have to be activated...it just said installed. Now, they have been pretty clear that you have to have a previously installed copy of the OS which has been activated.
To the OP, you can do a "clean" install with the upgrade media. You just have to have Vista on there and activated. Then, you perform the clean install and are left with a windows.old directory which you can then delete. From there, use the free backup tool "system image" that is included with all versions of Windows 7 to image your machine. Use that image going forward to restore and you never have to deal with the double install again.
Use the Money saved for something else.
All said and done, that is not a bad method. It protects MS' interests. The image is a solid and quick method for future installs - even a better way than a future clean install. The image can contain any or all of your supporting apps.
I kind of like it.
I'd create multiple images if I were interested in saving apps and such. See today, it might seem like you always want Office 2007...but later if you have Office 2010 and want that instead, you would have to restore your image, delete office 2007 and then install Office 2010.
So, make 1 image with nothing (pure clean install) and then another with the apps you believe you always want. Best of both worlds and very little time to setup.
My computer currently has a 1TB SATA drive, with only Vista Ultimate x64 on it. Everything else, is on my 2nd drive. (Games, files, etc...)
So an upgrade might not be out of the question after all....Thanks. I guess I'll just wait till it's released, then we'll see...
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