For everyone concerned about buying the upgrade disk

akash3656 said:

Sorry, its stated before as "DOUBLE-INSTALL", but upgrading after installing is slow.. A short re-cap:

WHAT I WOULD DO IF my country had the 50$ offer:
1. Install Windows 7 without key.
2. Also uncheck activate online.
3. Once Windows 7 installed (30 day trial),BOOT IT then run the autorun from Windows 7 DVD...
4. Put your Upgrade key.
5. Select Clean Install (It will still work) [not upgrade].
6. WAIT.
7. Once all is done. ACTIVATE!

Thanks for the info. I added this as an optional alternative to section 2 of what Lordbob provided. and credited you with the information

akash3656 said:

Sorry, its stated before as "DOUBLE-INSTALL", but upgrading after installing is slow.. A short re-cap:

WHAT I WOULD DO IF my country had the 50$ offer:
1. Install Windows 7 without key.
2. Also uncheck activate online.
3. Once Windows 7 installed (30 day trial),BOOT IT then run the autorun from Windows 7 DVD...
4. Put your Upgrade key.
5. Select Clean Install (It will still work) [not upgrade].
6. WAIT.
7. Once all is done. ACTIVATE!

KEYs are selective. RETAIL keys will activate as CLEAN. UPGRADE KEYs only work as UPGRADE.

PS: If you do it wrong you can invalidate your KEY.

Snuffy said:

KEYs are selective. RETAIL keys will activate as CLEAN. UPGRADE KEYs only work as UPGRADE.

You can do a clean install with an upgrade disk, otherwise using upgrade disks with XP wouldn't work at all. His method is the clean install version of upgrading. thats how you can clean install while upgrading from vista, and the way MS tells you is the best way. MS says the recommended way of upgrading is clean install, even when using the upgrade key. The main thing is you have to launch setup inside of a running OS

grouchpunk08 said:

You can do a clean install with an upgrade disk, otherwise using upgrade disks with XP wouldn't work at all

I dont think anyone really "knows for sure" whats what. there have been 125 different opinions in four days. MS can and has changed their minds a few times in the past.

So only time and bill gates can tell

Ken

zigzag3143 said:

I dont think anyone really "knows for sure" whats what. there have been 125 different opinions in four days. MS can and has changed their minds a few times in the past.

So only time and bill gates can tell

Ken

The comment that snuffy commented on would work, as its the same method as clean installing 7 from WITHIN windows vista, and the ONLY way of upgrading XP(other than the dual isntall of 7), which a MS rep told me would work, and is the recommended way of upgrading, also said by the MS rep. Which yeah, can change, but I don't think that aspect will change.

grouchpunk08 said:

It wouldn't matter how many times you used it. As long as you are installing 7 on the same machine, your upgrade key will work after using the vista disk. Also, if you already have 7 installed and wanna do a reinstall later, you could just reinstall from within windows 7 without having to use a vista disk. Using the vista disk is only necessary when installing the windows 7 on a blank harddrive with an upgrade disk, and you dont want the hassle of having to install win7 twice to get your upgrade key to work

I guess I really need to be more explicit, I want to use the Vista disk to do a clean install of Win 7 upgrade on a new HDD, then still use Vista on a different computer. Is it possible, if not legal, to run an activated copy of Vista on a computer other than the one with the Win 7 installed with the Vista disk?

dlcampbe said:

I guess I really need to be more explicit, I want to use the Vista disk to do a clean install of Win 7 upgrade on a new HDD, then still use Vista on a different computer. Is it possible, if not legal, to run an activated copy of Vista on a computer other than the one with the Win 7 installed with the Vista disk?

It is probably possible, however I'm not sure if its legal. The easiest way to go about this, in my opinion, would be have vista already installed on the other computer, and use the disk only to do the upgrade on the new HDD. But yeah, not sure if thats completely legal. Im guessing its not.

Thank you.

I suspect it is NOT legal, but I don't really want to run Vista anyway. I just bought a copy for testing purposes. I dual boot 7 with XP, but I only use XP rarely now.

I've kept my XP image as an upgrade safety net . I've only been using Win 7.

zigzag3143 said:

I don't think anyone really "knows for sure" whats what. there have been 125 different opinions in four days. MS can and has changed their minds a few times in the past.

So only time and bill gates can tell

Ken

Well I guess I will have to take my UPGRADE MANUAL and scan and paste how to as stated by MS. so people not SCREW your KEY or install up. doing wrong can invalidate your KEY.
The method is very simply and straight forward. It also is for the PEOPLE WHO do not want to HACK-Modify there ISO.
This METHOD IS DESCRIDE by MS for the people who have purchased a Computer where the MANUFACTURE was TOO CHEAP to actually send them a DVD. MS also gives a METHOD of how to MAKE YOUR OWN DISK, for those who want by using the RESTORE IMAGE included.
Folks this method is 100% legal. The upgrade method clean install has been available for more than just VISTA. It is nothing NEW. It is really old HAT tried and true. the prescribe method is posted all over the MS Site, If you have the ability-knowledge to ask and look.
Plus today, MS uses .VHD to allow "special testers" how to legally upgrade. This method is OLD HAT, only done differently today. Sample: in the Windows Whistler day, it was called SLIPSTREAM.

how to slip xp.
1. create a folder on your c: drive - c:\xpsp3
2. insert the windows xp with sp2 cd, copy all folders and files to c:\xpsp3
3. download and execute, windowsxp-kb936929-sp3-x86-enu.exe /integrate:c:\xpsp3
4. the service pack 3 rtm has now been integrated into your windows xp with sp2 cd in c:\xpsp3.
5. you can either burn the contents of the folder c:\xpsp3 to an iso file for burning into cd
cdimage -lwxpsp3rtm -bc:\xpboot.bin -t12/27/2007;22:00:00 -g -h -j1 -o -oc -oi -yd -m c:\xpsp3 c:\wxpsp3rtm.iso
tools required (search google)
1. xpboot.bin
2. cdimage.exe (free from microsoft)
3. windowsxp-kb936929-sp3-x86-enu.exe (from links below)

I do understand this method is much over the head of over 90% of the people. PS: There was also at least 3 different (HACK) programs to allow at least 60% of the other people to slip.

Very simple both methods. and today how to make a UPGRADE disk image from a .VHD is not a HACK, it is the recommended way stated via MS.
How to make upgrade image with .vhd - This method is idiot proof for about 75% of the people.

Convert VHD to ISO
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Requirements:
- A VHD
- An ISO of any Windows 7100 build (If the VHD is x86, the ISO has to be x86 also. Same thing goes for x64.)
- GImageX
- UltraISO
Steps:
1. Start > Right-click on My Computer > Manage > Disk Management
2. Click on More Actions and select Attach VHD,
3. locate your VHD and enter
4. Open up GImageX
5. For source, select the drive which the VHD was mounted to
6. For destination, make the file name install.wim and choose where it should be placed
7. For SKU Flag, choose Ultimate
8. For the description information, just customize it however you like
9. Once done, click the Create button
10. Once the conversion is complete, open UltraISO
11. Open the ISO with UltraISO
12. Inside the ISO, there will be a sources folder, so just remove the install.wim file and drag the install.wim file that you made with GImageX into the sources folder. (In other words, you are just replacing the install.wim file that's on the ISO, with the one that you made.)
13. Finally, save it as an ISO
14. Burn the ISO using UltraISO or mount the ISO!