Clean Install of Win 7 64 from Upgrade Disc

[regkaz]

I just ordered a Win 7 upgrade disc. Here's my question. I have Vista Home Premium 32 bit installed on my Dell. No restore disc, (at least I don't remember seeing one), but it has that restore partition. I'd like to add a new hard drive to my system and do a clean install using the Win 7 Upgrade disc but I'd like to make it the 64 bit version.

Can this be done? I can leave both hard drives in the system. Will a Win 7 Upgrade disc install a 64 bit version if it can find a valid 32 bit Vista installed on a second hard drive?

If this works and I later delete all traces of Vista off the old drive (as in the re-install partition) will the Win 7 Upgrade disc be useless for a fresh install?

Thanks,
regkaz

 

[hei]

Unfortunately you cannot perform a Clean Install with an Upgrade cd with 7 the way you could with Vista and XP.

However, I believe if you load the Windows 7 cd from inside Vista and choose Custom install, that should give you a fresh install of Windows 7 on whichever hard drive you choose. Once it is up and running, you can format your Vista drive and you should have a completely clean Windows 7 install.

I am not sure about running the 64-bit setup from a 32-bit OS though...that could be a problem.

 

[DWillens]

I would like to know the answer to this question also, from XP to 7. I know that you have to do a "custom install" i.e. "clean install" from inside XP so that it can verify the prior OS is installed, but once I wipe that partition to install 7 (obviously without activating it, since we don't have the keys yet), will it just be a matter of running the non-activated 7 OS until we receive the upgrade key we purchased?

Probably the best answer is just to wait. But I am just curious once the RTM comes out, how this might work.

Damon

ps not asking for any hacks, cracks or other illegal methods of installation

 

[zigzag3143]

clean install

I just ordered a Win 7 upgrade disc. Here's my question. I have Vista Home Premium 32 bit installed on my Dell. No restore disc, (at least I don't remember seeing one), but it has that restore partition. I'd like to add a new hard drive to my system and do a clean install using the Win 7 Upgrade disc but I'd like to make it the 64 bit version.

Can this be done? I can leave both hard drives in the system. Will a Win 7 Upgrade disc install a 64 bit version if it can find a valid 32 bit Vista installed on a second hard drive?

If this works and I later delete all traces of Vista off the old drive (as in the re-install partition) will the Win 7 Upgrade disc be useless for a fresh install?

Thanks,
regkaz

Ok first we need your computer specs.

thanks

ken

 

[regkaz]

It's a Dell with a quad core Intel. I'm at work so I don't know the exact chip. Has to be 64 bit if it's quad, right? I've got 3 gig of DDR2. Video is Nvidia 8800. 650 gig SATA HD, 2 SATA DVDs.

 

[ken9122]

Use Easy Transfer for your user settings and backup everything. Then boot from the Win7 CD, Win 7 will see your copy of Vista, then go to custom install, and select advanced, format the C drive, then follow the instructions to install Win7 64. You will have a clean install. then you can then reinstall all your programs. .
have fun.
Kenn

 

[regkaz]

Very cool. That's what I was hoping. Thanks.

 

[DWillens]

Use Easy Transfer for your user settings and backup everything. Then boot from the Win7 CD, Win 7 will see your copy of Vista, then go to custom install, and select advanced, format the C drive, then follow the instructions to install Win7 64. You will have a clean install. then you can then reinstall all your programs. .
have fun.
Kenn

I thought that the consensus (if there was one) was that in order to do a custom (clean) install with the upgrade disc, you have to run the installer from **inside** the previously installed OS, because that is how W7 verifies that you have a licensed OS already on the machine.

Are you saying that you can boot directly into W7 install disc and it will verify the previous OS license? I would hate to over-write my old OS with W7, and then on Oct 22 try to enter my license key and find out that it doesn't work because I used the incorrect "upgrade" procedure.

I have Fujitsu S6510 laptop 4GB ram 32 bit XP (purchased pre-order upgrade Home Premium and would like to install 64 bit).

Damon

 

[ken9122]

I thought that the consensus (if there was one) was that in order to do a custom (clean) install with the upgrade disc, you have to run the installer from **inside** the previously installed OS, because that is how W7 verifies that you have a licensed OS already on the machine.

Are you saying that you can boot directly into W7 install disc and it will verify the previous OS license? I would hate to over-write my old OS with W7, and then on Oct 22 try to enter my license key and find out that it doesn't work because I used the incorrect "upgrade" procedure.

I have Fujitsu S6510 laptop 4GB ram 32 bit XP (purchased pre-order upgrade Home Premium and would like to install 64 bit).

Damon

I was assuming he was doing the install with a retail verison he had ordered not a beta.

Kenn

 

[pparks1]

I thought that the consensus (if there was one) was that in order to do a custom (clean) install with the upgrade disc, you have to run the installer from **inside** the previously installed OS, because that is how W7 verifies that you have a licensed OS already on the machine.

That is my understanding since it's an upgrade disc.

 

[ken9122]

The original question was that he was going form Vista 32 to Win7 64. when I went from Vista 32 to Vista 64 the 64 upgrade disk wouldn't run on 32 and i had to boot from the disk. the upgrade disk did recognize the previous version. Also all you may the the original Vista CD to insert on request if Win 7 asks for verification. But since the Win7 upgrade CD's aren't out yet who know for sure what MS will do?

 

[c59]

You may want to look at this link to MS. It was posted in an earlier thread on the subject.
Installing and reinstalling Windows
It feels confusing that MS calls it an upgrade product then tells you you can't upgrade. The upgrade product is a W7 installation disc. There are limited ways to use the disc to directly upgrade an existing installation. The upgrade product can be used for a custom install for those situations.
Also:
Windows 7 - Buy and download from Microsoft Store
"

• Running earlier versions?
• If you have Windows XP or Windows 2000, you can purchase Windows 7 Upgrade versions. But you must back up your files, clean install, and reinstall your applications."

Clean install = custom install

 

[DWillens]

You may want to look at this link to MS. It was posted in an earlier thread on the subject.
Installing and reinstalling Windows
It feels confusing that MS calls it an upgrade product then tells you you can't upgrade. The upgrade product is a W7 installation disc. There are limited ways to use the disc to directly upgrade an existing installation. The upgrade product can be used for a custom install for those situations.
Also:
Windows 7 - Buy and download from Microsoft Store
"

• Running earlier versions?
• If you have Windows XP or Windows 2000, you can purchase Windows 7 Upgrade versions. But you must back up your files, clean install, and reinstall your applications."

Clean install = custom install

I guess my confusion is that someone had said that you can't run the 64-bit W7 clean/custom install from a 32 bit XP current installation. Since I would be doing the "upgrade/custom/clean" install of Win7 64 from inside my current 32 bit XP OS, I wondered if this would create a problem.

Also, the other issue that I still believe has not really been addressed by MS is what happens to those people (like me) who have OEM XP with no original system discs? What happens if my "upgrade/clean" Win7 install fails for some reason AFTER it has already verified and then wiped my XP install? One would think that you would not just be able to try again, because the whole point of the upgrade media is that you have to have an existing licensed OS for the W7 install to work. And what if, six months down the road, I have to re-install W7 for some reason? How is it going to verify the prior OS then?

I realize that some of these questions (maybe ALL of them!) have been asked ad nauseum in other threads/posts, but I still don't think we really have gotten answers. I wouldnt even care, except that I shelled out $150 on three pre-release "upgrades" to avoid having to pay for three full retail versions, and now I am somewhat concerned about the limitations that might be placed on how these upgrade installations will work. I am especially concerned about whether MS has really considered the number of people with OEM systems these days who don't have original system discs anymore to "verify their licenses", and how that would affect installation and re-installation of W7, especially for those who "upgrade/clean install" their OS from OEM XP or Vista to W7.

Damon

ps sorry if I am slightly OT

 

[Nosmo]

I wouldnt even care, except that I shelled out $150 on three pre-release "upgrades" to avoid having to pay for three full retail versions, and now I am somewhat concerned about the limitations that might be placed on how these upgrade installations will work. I am especially concerned about whether MS has really considered the number of people with OEM systems these days who don't have original system discs anymore to "verify their licenses", and how that would affect installation and re-installation of W7, especially for those who "upgrade/clean install" their OS from OEM XP or Vista to W7.

Damon

ps sorry if I am slightly OT

I am in a similar situation. Have ordered 3 pre release upgrades but due to unanswered questions by MS, I don't look forward to a hard drive failure after win 7 is installed and activated and my 'XP' license has been converted to Win7. How will I re install Win 7?

Install XP, can not activate it as xp license is now null and void.
Install Win 7 and can not activate as it can not see an activated copy of XP.

What a mess.......