Windows 7 - Doing a Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

Hello everyone,

Just to let you all know that I have confirmed that you can do either a clean install, custom install, or upgrade install with a retail Upgrade version of Windows 7 and activate it on a clean unallocated (blank) drive or partition without any other OS installed or with one installed. It does not matter.

For questions and more information on this, please see this tutorial:
Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version


100% confirmed
Shawn

Thank you for clearing this up.

The past few days have been a constant battle against misinformation that an Upgrade clean install can be done from boot. Even some regulars have insisted this on thin evidence that the XP Upgrade installer could boot and ask for the qualifying OS key, something which hasn't been in effect since XP.

Similarly, the Vista upgrade over itself trick was specifically foreclosed by MS, ending any hope for a boot clean install. Or so we thought. Now we learn that the Vista trick itself works, and there is Paul Thurrot's workaround to avoid having to install over itself.

You're most welcome Greg.

It is possible to do a clean install using an Upgrade version of Windows 7. Just be sure that you have the original install disks of either XP or Vista on-hand.

Microsoft has a tutorial here.

Quote from above link:

But does that "clean" installation also REFORMAT your hard drive?

I am on Windows Vista HP 32-bit and have the Upgrade disc for Windows 7 HP 64-bit. What I WANT to do is reformat the drive and then install a clean, fresh copy of Windows 7.

Is that possible? If so, please explain how (not step-by-step, just what method I should use).

Thank you. (PS - My first post, so be kind! )

Hello SilverGator, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Yes, you can do a clean install (format) with your upgrade Windows 7 and activate it.

Similar query to SilverGator's, but I am a few steps further down the road. Have a fully-licensed XP machine. Decided to also install a new larger hard drive. Disconnected XP drive while I installed Build 7600 on the new one. Tried to activate when I got the MS email today for the upgrade I bought during the half-price special in June. Of course MS says no go 'cause it's a clean install. Doh, I should have know better.

Do you see a work around, or do i need to backtrack quite a bit? Sorry in advance if this should have been in a separate post.

BTW i read the entire "clean install" link above and saw nothing that would help.

mastman

So, you are confirming that with the upgrade media and no operating system on the hard drive whatsoever, you can simply install this clean and then input the upgrade key when you have finished and it will activate.

From your tutorial, i see no proof being gathered whatsoever that you ever had a previous copy of a Microsoft based operating system.

Hello Mastman, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Yeah, you will not be able to activate the RTM 7600 (full) with a upgrade product key. You can try doing a Custom install from the RTM to your upgrade copy, and activate afterwards.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

Hi Parks,

Yes, that's what I am confirming.

I created a new unallocated 40GB partition, then proceded to do a clean install of the Upgrade Windows 7 Home Premium. After installing, I manually activated it without a problem and got the Genuine Software logo.