Question regarding upgrading from Vista to Seven

[Cindi]

Hi,

I bought a used computer from swap shop so my son and I can use it. It's a used dell computer. Bought it for $100 without even knowing that it works. Guy gave his word that it works. We only want to use it for browsing the internet for facebook, youtube or reading e-mails. My son is young and I don't need to use any other uses of a computer such as outlook e-mail, documents...
Anyways, After I put it and it states that Vista Windows is locked because it wasn't activated. After a quick search on the internet, says that vista should be activated within 30 days, if not, needs to be purchased. Computer does not have Vista keys attached nor came with any cd, booklets, box...
I went back to swap shop to see the guy but his space is empty, he's not there.
I'm planning on purchasing Windows Seven and install it on this computer.

My question is after putting the Windows Seven disc in, will I be able to install Seven and will it go over Vista so it won't give me problems?
Microsoft shows it at $199, is it the same price everywhere, can I get it cheaper anywhere else?

Thank you for your help.
Cindi

 

[stormy13]

Cindi, welcome to the Seven Forums.

Would help to know the model number of that Dell, would make it easier for telling you whether there are drivers/etc available for it. This,

Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor - Download - Microsoft Windows

will help as well.

As for buying it at $199 I'm guessing you're looking at Windows 7 Professional. Unless there are features in Professional that you need I would go with Home Premium instead. It can be had for around $100 or so,

Newegg.com - Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 32-bit - Operating Systems

You can see the differences between the versions here,

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/14422-compare-windows-7-editions.html

and decide which would be the best fit for you.

 

[bobkn]

As for buying it at $199 I'm guessing you're looking at Windows 7 Professional. Unless there are features in Professional that you need I would go with Home Premium instead. It can be had for around $100 or so

$199 would be the price for the full retail version of Win7 Home Premium.

If Cindi wishes to follow the license agreement, she could not use the Upgrade version ($119). A generic OEM copy like the one you link to would be OK, although (in principle) the System Builder copies are intended only for machines intended for resale. (As far as I know, there's no enforcement of that.)

The good news: if the machine was capable of running Vista, it should have Win7 drivers available. (If not, the Vista drivers may be OK under 7.)

Cindi, are you sure there's no operating system license sticker on the PC? That's unexpected.

 

[Cindi]

Stormy13, thank you for your reply. It's a Dell OptiPlex 755. $199 was the cheapest I saw. I won't be using the pc other than browsing the internet (youtube, facebook, reading e-mails and newspapers). If there is a cheaper version of Seven for these purposes (yb, fb, listening music, videos), please let me know.
if I purchase that "Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 32-bit - OEM" disc from that link, will I be able to put in the disc drive and install it over Vista without any issues? $99 is a good price.

Bobkn, thank you for your reply. There is no any kind of sticker on the computer except a sticker that says OptiPlex 755. It did not come with any books or discs. I do not have extra money to buy a new computer but if I can afford the $99 Windows 7 disc if I can be able to install it on this computer: Dell OptiPlex 755 which I purchased for $100. As you can see, if I don't do this $99 install, the Dell computer I bought will be a waste.

Thank you,
Cindihttp://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116983

 

[t-4-2]

Stormy13, thank you for your reply. It's a Dell OptiPlex 755. $199 was the cheapest I saw. I won't be using the pc other than browsing the internet (youtube, facebook, reading e-mails and newspapers). If there is a cheaper version of Seven for these purposes (yb, fb, listening music, videos), please let me know.
if I purchase that "Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 32-bit - OEM" disc from that link, will I be able to put in the disc drive and install it over Vista without any issues? $99 is a good price.

Bobkn, thank you for your reply. There is no any kind of sticker on the computer except a sticker that says OptiPlex 755. It did not come with any books or discs. I do not have extra money to buy a new computer but if I can afford the $99 Windows 7 disc if I can be able to install it on this computer: Dell OptiPlex 755 which I purchased for $100. As you can see, if I don't do this $99 install, the Dell computer I bought will be a waste.

Thank you,
Cindi

Perhaps you should stop any notion of installing Windows 7.

You cannot upgrade or install a legally licensed Win7 on a computer that is NOT working.
From what you wrote in your first post, you couldn't even start the computer.

 

[whs]

If I were you, I would first test that PC with a Linux version. That does not cost you anything and after a bit of getting used to Linux, you may even want to keep it. It can do everything you want to do.

There are many Linux choices. But the most used one is Ubuntu ( http://www.ubuntu.com/download/ubuntu/download ).

But here is a list of select, recommended distros which you might want to study: ( http://www.linux.com/learn/docs/ldp/282996-choosing-the-best-linux-distributions-for-you )

 

[whs]

Stormy13, thank you for your reply. It's a Dell OptiPlex 755. $199 was the cheapest I saw. I won't be using the pc other than browsing the internet (youtube, facebook, reading e-mails and newspapers). If there is a cheaper version of Seven for these purposes (yb, fb, listening music, videos), please let me know.
if I purchase that "Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 32-bit - OEM" disc from that link, will I be able to put in the disc drive and install it over Vista without any issues? $99 is a good price.

Bobkn, thank you for your reply. There is no any kind of sticker on the computer except a sticker that says OptiPlex 755. It did not come with any books or discs. I do not have extra money to buy a new computer but if I can afford the $99 Windows 7 disc if I can be able to install it on this computer: Dell OptiPlex 755 which I purchased for $100. As you can see, if I don't do this $99 install, the Dell computer I bought will be a waste.

Thank you,
Cindi

Perhaps you should stop any notion of installing Windows 7.

You cannot upgrade or install a legally licensed Win7 on a computer that is NOT working.
From what you wrote in your first post, you couldn't even start the computer.

Maybe I misunderstand. But why can't he install e.g. an OEM Windows7 - provided his PC is physically working.

 

[karlsnooks]

cindi,

Does the computer have COA (Certificate of Authenticity) sticker on it?

The sticker will probably be yellow and have the word Microsoft on it.

The other question is whether the computer's components function, especially the hard disk and the ram and how much ram the computer has.

As suggested, a simple, free version of Linux will help you here. PuppyLinux comes to mind.

No matter which version of linux you use, don't worry about understanding everything, Just stumble around enough to find out what you have bought.

Puppy Linux is nice in that it can be run from CD without installing anything on your computer.

 

[bobkn]

You cannot upgrade or install a legally licensed Win7 on a computer that is NOT working.
From what you wrote in your first post, you couldn't even start the computer.

I don't speak for Cindi, but that's not what she wrote. Vista is installed, but it won't run because it has not been activated and the 30 day grace period has expired. (Appears to be from a slightly crooked swap meet seller.)

I've never tried Ubuntu (Linux) myself, but I'm tempted to recommend it. It's free:

Homepage | Ubuntu

You can even run it from a CD or USB flash drive without installing it on the PC, if you'd like to try it without affecting the system hard drive drive. That'd be one way to find out if you could live with it, without much cost. It's a 600+ MB download, though.

 

[karlsnooks]

PuppyLinux is much, much smaller.

 

[whs]

For a quick test, PuppyLinux is a good choice. If you want to stay on Linux, a full Ubuntu version is probably preferable.

 

[t-4-2]

Stormy13, thank you for your reply. It's a Dell OptiPlex 755. $199 was the cheapest I saw. I won't be using the pc other than browsing the internet (youtube, facebook, reading e-mails and newspapers). If there is a cheaper version of Seven for these purposes (yb, fb, listening music, videos), please let me know.
if I purchase that "Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium SP1 32-bit - OEM" disc from that link, will I be able to put in the disc drive and install it over Vista without any issues? $99 is a good price.

Bobkn, thank you for your reply. There is no any kind of sticker on the computer except a sticker that says OptiPlex 755. It did not come with any books or discs. I do not have extra money to buy a new computer but if I can afford the $99 Windows 7 disc if I can be able to install it on this computer: Dell OptiPlex 755 which I purchased for $100. As you can see, if I don't do this $99 install, the Dell computer I bought will be a waste.

Thank you,
Cindi

Perhaps you should stop any notion of installing Windows 7.

You cannot upgrade or install a legally licensed Win7 on a computer that is NOT working.
From what you wrote in your first post, you couldn't even start the computer.

Maybe I misunderstand. But why can't he install e.g. an OEM Windows7 - provided his PC is physically working.

You cannot upgrade or install a legally licensed Win7 on a computer that is NOT working.
From what you wrote in your first post, you couldn't even start the computer.

I don't speak for Cindi, but that's not what she wrote. Vista is installed, but it won't run because it has not been activated and the 30 day grace period has expired. (Appears to be from a slightly crooked swap meet seller.)

I've never tried Ubuntu (Linux) myself, but I'm tempted to recommend it. It's free:

Homepage | Ubuntu

You can even run it from a CD or USB flash drive without installing it on the PC, if you'd like to try it without affecting the system hard drive drive. That'd be one way to find out if you could live with it, without much cost. It's a 600+ MB download, though.

This is how I understand it, please correct me if I am wrong......
Until the computer can be activated, it is not a working computer.
If it is not a working computer, it cannot be considered as a valid qualifying previous version of Windows.
And the OP does not have the product key either.
Who knows if that " vista " is genuine or not.

excerpt from:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html
Remember that you need a valid qualifying previous version of Windows to use a Upgrade Windows 7, and to stop using (or uninstall) the qualifying OS while you have the upgrade installed. Microsoft only made doing a clean install from a upgrade Windows 7 possible to make it more convenient so you do not have to reinstall both the old Windows version (ex: Vista) and upgrade to Windows 7 everytime you needed or wanted to reinstall.

If you do not have a valid qualifying previous version of Windows, then you are violating the terms of Microsoft's Windows 7 End User License Agreement and could get your product key number invalidated by Microsoft. Plus, it is considered illegal.

 

[whs]

This is how I understand it, please correct me if I am wrong......
Until the computer can be activated, it is not a working computer.
If it is not a working computer, it cannot be considered as a valid qualifying previous version of Windows.
And the OP does not have the product key either.
Who knows if that " vista " is genuine or not.

That is a correct statement. But it was suggested that he buy a new OEM Win7 (which costs about the same as an upgrade). And that should work. Right?

 

[gregrocker]

T-4-2 is correct about these pre-qualifications to use Upgrade version, which are on the honor system.

OEM version would be fine.

Don't forget to follow Stormy's advice to run the Windows 7 Upgrade Advisor - Download - Microsoft Windows.

It will tell you what you need to know about running Win7 on that Dell.

 

[t-4-2]

This is how I understand it, please correct me if I am wrong......
Until the computer can be activated, it is not a working computer.
If it is not a working computer, it cannot be considered as a valid qualifying previous version of Windows.
And the OP does not have the product key either.
Who knows if that " vista " is genuine or not.

That is a correct statement. But it was suggested that he buy a new OEM Win7 (which costs about the same as an upgrade). And that should work. Right?

I am not an expert. But, my reply is still " no".
What the OP has so far does not meet the requirement to be considered a qualifying previous version of Windows.
By the way, any plausible reasons that a 2nd hand computer will have a valid Vista that needs to be activated ?

 

[bobkn]

I am not an expert. But, my reply is still " no".
What the OP has so far does not meet the requirement to be considered a qualifying previous version of Windows.
By the way, any plausible reasons that a 2nd hand computer will have a valid Vista that needs to be activated ?

The OEM version isn't an upgrade. It can be installed on a blank hard drive just like a full retail version, without any multiple installs or registry modifications. (It may not be posssible to install it as an upgrade-in-place over Vista. I presume that the full retail version would permit that, although few people would want to use a full retail license that way.)

It's cheaper because Microsoft does not permit it to be transferred to a new machine, unlike a full retail copy. Also, Microsoft provides no support for an OEM copy; support comes form the system builder. In principle, the OEM copy is for use only on a system that that is for resale:

Is it OK to use OEM Windows on your own PC? Don't ask Microsoft | ZDNet

However, I wouldn't care to bet on how many OEM copies have been used on machines that were retained by the original owners. As far as I know, there's no enforcement of the resale requirement.

 

[t-4-2]

I am not an expert. But, my reply is still " no".
What the OP has so far does not meet the requirement to be considered a qualifying previous version of Windows.
By the way, any plausible reasons that a 2nd hand computer will have a valid Vista that needs to be activated ?

The OEM version isn't an upgrade. It can be installed on a blank hard drive just like a full retail version, without any multiple installs or registry modifications. (It may not be posssible to install it as an upgrade-in-place over Vista. I presume that the full retail version would permit that, although few people would want to use a full retail license that way.)

It's cheaper because Microsoft does not permit it to be transferred to a new machine, unlike a full retail copy. Also, Microsoft provides no support for an OEM copy; support comes form the system builder. In principle, the OEM copy is for use only on a system that that is for resale:

Is it OK to use OEM Windows on your own PC? Don't ask Microsoft | ZDNet

However, I wouldn't care to bet on how many OEM copies have been used on machines that were retained by the original owners. As far as I know, there's no enforcement of the resale requirement.

I have no desire to engage in a discussion on this subject.
The focal point should be on the OP who needs to know what to do.
If you believe it is ok to install a Win7 over an un-activated Vista which may or may not be genuine and without a product key, go ahead and tell the OP.

 

[whs]

If you believe it is ok to install a Windows 7 over an un-activated Vista which may or may not be genuine and without a product key, go ahead and tell the OP.

During the installation of an OEM Win7, the installer will erase whatever was on the partition before. So it does not really matter whether that was a valid system or not. If you want to make double sure that the disk is kosher, you can always erase it beforehand with e.g. the bootable CD of partition wizard. Then there is no trace of history.

 

[George Herzog]

I've used both Puppy Linux and Ubuntu Linux. Puppy Linux is intended for computers that retain their original OS (like Windows) and is booted from a CD. It is very limited. If Cindi wants to try Linux, she might locate a local Linux User Group and have them help her with installation.

Otherwise, it seems she might as well go forward with the $199 W7 Home Premium and overwrite everything on the harddisk. The only cheaper option is to buy a 3 pack of W7 updates from XP and/or Vista and have two others pay for the remainder. But if she has no documentation or registration for the installed Vista, the upgrade might balk.

 

[whs]

I've used both Puppy Linux and Ubuntu Linux. Puppy Linux is intended for computers that retain their original OS (like Windows) and is booted from a CD. It is very limited. If Cindi wants to try Linux, she might locate a local Linux User Group and have them help her with installation.

Otherwise, it seems she might as well go forward with the $199 W7 Home Premium and overwrite everything on the harddisk. The only cheaper option is to buy a 3 pack of W7 updates from XP and/or Vista and have two others pay for the remainder. But if she has no documentation or registration for the installed Vista, the upgrade might balk.

Why pay $199 for a retail version if a $99 OEM version does the same thing.