Finally upgrading my OS from XP to 7 or 8, I need advice.

I've been sticking to Windows XP as, quite frankly, more recent OSs seem to have been more and more dumbed down. However, I am an avid gamer, and with more and more games requiring DirectX 10 or 11, I can't put this off any longer. So I'm finally biting the bullet and looking to upgrade- initially I had decided to wait until Windows 10 was released, but then I found out that Windows 7 and 8 will be able to upgrade to 10 for free, so I decided not to bother with that plan anymore.

I've already checked my processor and motherboard to ensure they're 64-bit compatible, so that won't be a problem. However, I plan to do a massive upgrade to my system in the next year or two, and I want to make sure I'm not wasting money on a key that will be locked to my current hardware, and cannot be transferred when I upgrade. From what I found, many of the cheaper keys are OEM keys which are apparently locked to the motherboard they're first activated on- how that can even be legal, I'm not entirely sure, but regardless, I don't want to be trapped like that and have to buy another key when I upgrade my system.

So, basically, my questions are twofold:
1) Is it best for me to upgrade to 7, 8, or 8.1? I mostly want whichever is cheapest since it's just being used as a stepping stone for me to 10.
2) How do I ensure a key I'm getting is non-OEM? Being able to keep my OS when I upgrade my system is a must.

And yes, I understand that going from a 32-bit system to a 64-bit system means I'll have to do a clean wipe of my harddrive. My father has a private server I can use to back up any files I need to keep (and indeed, already do backup many of them).

Welcome to the forum.

While there are many opinions as to whether Windows 7 or 8 is a better choice, it is becoming difficult to find a retail copy of Windows 7 for sale from any reputable vendor and it is the retail version that you need to be able to transfer it to a new machine. Microsoft no longer sells Windows 7.

To assure that you get a retail and not OEM version, buy the Retail copy from a reputable vendor.

The logical successor to Win7 will be released later this year so what you could do is shrink C in Disk Mgmt to install the Windows 10 Technical Preview which is remarkably stable enough I haven't even been back to Windows 7 for four months.

This will configure a Dual Boot Windows 10 with Windows 7 so you can compare side by side, later easily delete Win7 in Disk Mgmt at any time.

So there really isn't any need to pay $89 to Tiger Direct for Win7 Home Premium because the best is yet to come and includes many improvements but not the mess of Windows 8.

Win 7 pro $59.00. Contact and confirm it is retail not OEM.

https://greensoftwarestore.com/index.php

Bill

billmcct said:

Win 7 pro $59.00. Contact and confirm it is retail not OEM.

https://greensoftwarestore.com/index.php

Bill

I would be very careful. The price is just way to low. There have been sites selling Windows 7 that come with MSDN keys (not to be sold) that work for a while but then come up as not genuine.

Builder's OEM is retail product. They removed from sale only Full and Upgrade retail so you wouldn't expect to see them since retailers got rid of them long ago.

Reports are that they loosened restrictions on moving OEM from the mobo first installed upon but since that is still the EULA it cannot be counted upon. Would like to hear more reports on that as we go.

There is also great confusion over the ability to UpDowngrade to Win7 Professional if you buy a Windows 8 PC with Professional version installed. I bring it up because every OEM seems to have a different policy, like Dell shipping a "Win8 PC" with Win7 but with no COA sticker required under the new Downgrade policy. Buyers come to us for reinstall but get a different story from OEM every time they go to look for their Product Key, including that it is coded into the BIOS which is just wrong because that is Win8's method of Activation. Dell sorts this out by shipping their classic 7 Reinstallation DVD with Factory SLP Activation, but Users are entitled to a Win7 Product Key which isn't apparently available. Or is it? Anyone got more on this?

If you can find a legal copy, Windows 7. It may or may not be cheaper. Or perhaps a Windows 10 dual boot, if you have the disk space and the courage. Who knows how it would turn out with XP?


But most importantly, if you're going to install a new OS, backup your current one. Always be prepared for an emergency, drivers can be uncooperative.