Upgrade disk installs to formatted HDD!

[gregrocker]

After believing all of the laborious explanations from "experts" on MS Technet why Upgrade disks must be started from the qualified activated OS, I have just installed a newly-arrived Win7 Premium upgrade disk to a formatted HDD with no other OS present which has activated itself. This is being reported by others in http://www.sevenforums.com/installa...-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html

Others may have their ideas of what this means. The only thing I can come up with is that MS has shipped full retail product keys with Upgrades, or something is malfunctioning in the qualifying OS-activation-read process from boot (if there ever was one) so that the installer is reading old activation code of a underlying formatted XP/Vista/RC from boot on the disk.

Anyone else have a theory?

This would mean that Upgrade is effectively the same as Retail? :shock: WOW!

 

[jackdawg]

You formatted the HDD.
But did you have an activated Windows OS before formatting?

 

[jackdawg]

Also did you format from within the Windows 7 setup or outside it?

 

[gregrocker]

I formatted from the booted Upgrade installer over an RTM which had no activation. The Custom install proceeded exactly like the RTM had. It took the license key upfront which came with the package and afterward activated immediately.

And before I installed the RTM on this machine I had zeroed the drive, so no activation residue should have survived anyway.

 

[jackdawg]

Where did you buy your windows copy from?

 

[jackdawg]

I did a similar thing gregrocker.
One reason why Windows might think its an upgrade, is because in the upgrade installer it detected a version of windows already installed, and then formatted it.

One thing is for sure, its not checking for a pre-activated version.

I'd like someone to install to a clean hard disk, formatted and zeroed.

 

[jackdawg]

btw mine is activated and fully running too

 

[gregrocker]

Where did you buy your windows copy from?

This one's from NewEgg. I have another coming from Amazon.

 

[jackdawg]

If you get a chance then do this with the Amazon
Format the HDD, zero it.
Boot from Windows 7 Upgrade Media
Install
Activate

This is the acid test according to me.

 

[zrtom]

Anyone else have a theory?

Three words. Windows Activation Technologies (formerly WGA).
Maybe try installing Microsoft Security Essentials and see whether it passes validation. That should be the final test (on the zeroed hard drive). Let's hope it passes.

 

[jackdawg]

There is no WGA check for Windows 7 yet.
Will give it a shot as soon as I see one.

 

[gregrocker]

If you get a chance then do this with the Amazon
Format the HDD, zero it.
Boot from Windows 7 Upgrade Media
Install
Activate

This is the acid test according to me.

Sounds like good acid.

Can I format it after I zero it? Just askin.

 

[jackdawg]

No, this way will confuse everyone more

 

[zrtom]

There is no WGA check for Windows 7 yet.
Will give it a shot as soon as I see one.

The public release of Microsoft Secutity Essentials runs a WGA validation before it will install. It may not be the yet-unreleased platform-wide Windows Activation Technologies validation. But it is a validation.

 

[wallyinnc]

Greg, did you enter a key on the RTM? I agree that the RTM was recognized as the previous OS. Let me know if it works with teh blank HD
tks

 

[gregrocker]

Greg, did you enter a key on the RTM? I agree that the RTM was recognized as the previous OS. Let me know if it works with teh blank HD
tks

There was no key on the RTM which was unactivated with rearm.

I was prompted upfront for the Upgrade disk product key which it took and proceeded with the formatted clean install, then it activated later in seconds after I connected to the internet.

This HDD has been zeroed since there was any activated OS on it.

And I believe Windows Updates runs WGA check and Updates are one of the first things I did to get hardware drivers.

 

[Nosmo]

Seems to me that MS has not yet released any upgrade media.
Everything today screams 'Full retail install version'

 

[gregrocker]

Think this might be a big Thank You from MS to beta testers who enthusiastically pre-ordered?

Well, thank you , MS!

 

[djjaeger82]

Guys,
Formatting during installation appears to be treated differently than installing to a completely blank partition-less drive prior to setup. I did a few tests tonight, take a look if you're curious:

http://www.sevenforums.com/installa...l-upgrade-windows-7-version-7.html#post323460