Windows 7 - Windows Vista Home Basic → Windows 7 (upgrade ripoff?)

Hey everyone, just registered — this is my first posting.

My family just ordered a new computer from Dell recently (through a monthly payment deal with our ISP), and it's still in transit to be delivered. I just recently discovered that the OS is Windows Vista Home Basic, which apparently is non-upgradable to Windows 7. What a rip-off.

I just had some questions. What would be the best path for me to take to get Windows 7 installed on this computer? I would probably need to delete the Home Basic OS and do a clean install, right?

I'm thinking about contacting Dell and having this order canceled or refused and waiting until I can order a model with Windows 7 preinstalled, but I'm quite impatient so I'd be willing to do something that wouldn't create such a delay.

Damn, I didn't think any PCs were still being shipped with Home Basic! This sucks royally!

Welcome...glad you found us
You could buy an upgrade copy of windows 7 and perform a fresh install with that

Suggest you keep that steam up and politely but firmly threaten to cancel if they don't up the upgrade to what you were "led to expect." Worth a try.

You can use the Basic as qualifying OS to upgrade to any version of Windows 7 - I suggest Premium unless you need Bitlocker.

Just be sure to make a backup image with the new Windows 7 imaging utility so you never have to reinstall both OS's. again.

Thanks to you both for the replies.

You're saying that you can upgrade to Windows 7 Premium from a Windows Vista Home Basic system? I was under the impression that Home Basic was in the same pile as XP — i.e., you can't upgrade to 7, you need to do a full clean install.

Yeah you can upgrade from Vista basic

Not according to this article: Vista Home Basic: Upgrade to Windows 7 without losing your data - PC & Peripherals - Crave - CNET Asia

Here's a direct quote:

"In most Windows 7 coverage, Vista Home Basic users are left out because Microsoft does not offer a direct upgrade path to Windows 7. For this group of consumers, switching to the upcoming operating system (OS) requires a clean reinstall. However, this poses a problem. Besides the tedium of having to manually download and install drivers for the new OS, certain bundled programs such as media players or proprietary power management software are available only in the recovery CDs and cannot be downloaded.

But there is an alternative. If you upgrade Vista Home Basic to Home Premium for S$274.29 (US$197.30), you are eligible for a free copy of the Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade CD when it launches in October 22. "

Sorry...I wrote it wrong. You're right, you have to clean install from Vista Basic

I thought Dell was offering free upgrades for PC's purchased between June and Oct? When you say you got it thru your ISP, did you call and order it from Dell or did the ISP get it from Dell and offer it to you?

Hello CIS and welcome to the SevenForums.

I really don't know where all this false information is coming from. According to Microsoft, you most certainly can do an in-place upgrade from Vista Home Basic to Seven Home Basic, Home Premium or Ultimate. Seven Professional is more complicated, in-place upgrade to 7 Pro is only possible from Vista Business. (Source)

Windows 7 upgrade installation media also allows you to do a custom (clean) install. For that you need an existing copy of Windows 95 or later; in your case the pre-installed Vista Home Basic is enough.

Clean or upgrade, for you the Seven Upgrade disc is the right choice. You just have to decide the version.

Kari

Windows 7 Upgrade Paths

Try telling them you want the Windows 7 Premium or you want them to take the machine back.

However, I'm beginning to wonder if you aren't being misquoted the specs on this machine since Home Basic is almost always put on low-resource hardware. Make them defend the machine's abiity to run Premium by providing that Upgrade and warrantee it. And even if you get that from them, don't hesitate to send it back as my Dad did with his Dell.

The one advantage to getting the upgrade is it should be a clean disk so you avoid the bloatware which people are gonna get on Windows 7 computers they buy starting today.