Full, Upgrade, Retail or OEM

Are all the pre-order deals for upgrade software rather the full retail versions?

I have shelled out quite a bit on WinXP over the past few years and more recently due to both desktop and laptop falling over at the same time.

I want to be able to install any new operating system I buy on new hardware when that becomes necessary.

I have to be very sure. I am not wasting any more dosh on OEM versions.

It seems to me that just because you get a full version rather than an upgrade, that is something different to the license being OEM or Retail.

Full or upgrade version is not really the issue (although full is obviously better). For me it is about the license to install on new hardware as I upgrade that without buying a new copy of windows.

Does 'full' also mean that the install will not be tied to a previous copy of windows being installed first (or having the key for that version to hand)?

Full means that you can do a clean install on a clean hard drive, without having to prove you owned a previous version or doing the double install upgrade disk method. You wouldn't necessarily benifit from getting the full version, as you can clean install the upgrade disk, then upgrade the newly installed 7 to 7 again then your key will work, or you could insert the previous OS disk during the setup and the key will work. And yeah, only the upgrade version is being offered at low sale prices, and even that ends on the 11th.

nate42nd said:

I can't seem to get into my head if I can do a clean install with an upgrade version on a new drive with no previous version. I think no. However I have been told I can. What is the final verdict on this?

According to a call to microsoft a couple weeks ago, even when performing an upgrade, clean installing is the recommended method. I was told that when performing the upgrade, if there was no previous version on it, it would ask for a previous OS disk, just like it has in other versions of windows. And if you don't have the disk, you can continue, then you can upgrade your newly installed win7 to win7 using the same upgrade disk, and this will make it to where your upgrade key will work.

grouchpunk08 said:

According to a call to microsoft a couple weeks ago, even when performing an upgrade, clean installing is the recommended method. I was told that when performing the upgrade, if there was no previous version on it, it would ask for a previous OS disk, just like it has in other versions of windows. And if you don't have the disk, you can continue,

Got it up to there.....

grouchpunk08 said:

then you can upgrade your newly installed win7 to win7 using the same upgrade disk, and this will make it to where your upgrade key will work.

Could you explain this bit again......it's probably so obvious to you but you lost me there

kevvyb said:

Got it up to there.....



Could you explain this bit again......it's probably so obvious to you but you lost me there

Ok, when you are clean installing from an upgrade disk without putting in a previous OS disk, and you try to activate, it will fail, because you haven't "proven" you own a previous version. The way to clean install on a blank harddrive using an upgrade disk without putting in a previous OS disk is this.

Boot from the DVD, and choose setup to start the install.

Choose advanced and select where you want to install.

When it asks you for a key or a previous OS disk, dont put in a key, and dont put in a disk, and just continue.

Let it finish, and then it will go to your desktop. Don't try to activate now either, as you have an 'upgrade' key.

To get your key to be able to work, you will run the upgrade disk from inside this newly installed windows 7. Then you choose upgrade. It will basically upgrade from 7 to 7. Then once this 'upgrade' is complete, you can use your 'upgrade key to activate you windows 7 installation. Cuz you 'upgraded'.

MS has put this little workaround in all their upgrade media since XP I believe. Hope this is a clear enough explanation

nate42nd said:

Okay...I have been told if you don't have the disk for the previous version ytou cannot continue and I will have wasted my money. You are saying it will let you continue without the disk.......

Well, thanks for the info.

Anytime. This exact process worked for XP and vista, and will work for 7 as well.

Thanks. I can follow that and Know what I need to do but it still sounds like it doesn't really make sense, or shouldn't sense

Of course here in the UK because the fuss the EU is making, if I am lucky enough to get hold of a copy(s), they will be the full (E) versions.

Will that mean that I just install with the key that comes with the E disk and won't have to go through that upgrade process....?

Tell me if I am wrong but I don't think this answers the OEM/retail question which I suppose comes down to the licence agreement.

I need to know if I go for the offer that this will not restrict me to installing on just the one machine.

kevvyb said:

Thanks. I can follow that and Know what I need to do but it still sounds like it doesn't really make sense, or shouldn't sense

Of course here in the UK because the fuss the EU is making, if I am lucky enough to get hold of a copy(s), they will be the full (E) versions.

Will that mean that I just install with the key that comes with the E disk and won't have to go through that upgrade process....?

Tell me if I am wrong but I don't think this answers the OEM/retail question which I suppose comes down to the licence agreement.

I need to know if I go for the offer that this will not restrict me to installing on just the one machine.

With a full disk, no, you will not have to bother with any kind of upgrading. With a full disk, you can just clean install, and activate right there. But its usually one key-one machine. I may be wrong, but I'm pretty sure even a full version would restrict you to one machine... unless you were to buy multiple keys, as I'm pretty sure its still one key-one machine for retail full versions