What happens to the OEM license?

total confusion said:

Went back and reviewed #20. I think what is confusing is every tutorial I read refers to the "product" key. It would be most helpful to specify what is meant when you say the 'product'. Put it in plain English so idiots like me won't keep asking the same redundant question. Which key is the "product" key?? For most of us there is the every popular OEM key. The key on the side of the case and the key coming with the new upgrade. See where the confusion comes in?

Manufactures would like for you to believe that without their key you can't do anything. Acer kept telling me I would have to roll mine back to "factory settings", create a new recovery CD, then do the "upgrade". They said I couldn't do a clean install on a new hard drive (even though I explained 10 times it was a replacement hard drive)
Every time I even mention the words clean install they went into a frenzy telling me the mobo wouldn't recognize the new key, I had to have the old key, or I wouldn't be able to register it. That's their idea of support. It's no frickin wonder people get confused.

To start with, forget every word that Acer told you. -- When you purchased your Acer PC, the product key was on a sticker on the PC because Windows was already installed. When you go buy a new Win 7 DVD, there will be a sticker on the DVD case with the product key. This is the product key that you will type in after you have installed Win 7. When you are installing Win 7, it will ask you if you want to put in your product key now online or later. Wait until later after everything is working fine. Just follow the tutorial below and you will be OK. I was the same way you are when I installed mine. It was new territory. I followed the tutorial and an hour later Win 7 was installed. It will take awhile to get all of your programs installed afterwards, but it isn't that hard. If I didn't cover everything, please ask again.

PS -- In this tutorial Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version it gives you three options for the install. You will use Option #1.

total confusion said:

Hey Greg
Couple of questions. Any tips on how to use CCleaner without getting into trouble with it?? I used it once before and it wipd out a few critical files.
On that page, you have a download for a registry defrager. What is the difference between a registry clean, and a registry defrager?

Have put CCleaner on hundreds of installs representing thousands of uses and never had any issue with it. When it's been reported to cause an issue it has always turned out to be something else. It really is a fully perfected genius app, perhaps the most highly regarded one in all of tech.

I use both the Disk and Reg cleaners without hesitation.

Auslogics Disk and Reg cleaners are similarly perfect in my experience. Others like Defraggler which is made by Piriform who make CCleaner so it is a quality app.

mjf said:

Yes and the catch much of the time for people is that they have to get their hands on a Windows install disk. Often you will see ...."get one from a friend".....

A tech enthusiast who is determined to get a clean reinstall to overcome factory bloatware will find a way to get their hands on an installer to clean reinstall with Product Key on COA.,

They may be more likely to borrow a friend's Win7 DVD if they know how to extract the ISO and unlock all versions. Windows 7 Universal Installation Disc - Create

Others will download it, hopefully taking extra precautions to scan ISO with AV and check HASH to make sure nothing has been added or removed. http://www.dasmirnov.net/blog/window...-hash-checksum

As Win7 becomes more ubiquitous hopefully this will become easier. It is a shame that larded sponsors' bloatware would slow down the first feather-light instantaneous OS, making a clean reinstall actually "Better than a new computer."

total confusion said:

I know what you are talking about when you say bloatware. I actually contemplated buying a new machine, when I saw all the crap the were hawking as "trial versions" I changed my mind. I remembered why I hated this one when I got it. The first thing I did was uninstall all of it.
Ok I'll give CC another shot. Remember your a Tech, I'm Tech challenged
As to the "borrow a friends" I got that advice right from a Microsoft Tech.

When you get Win 7 installed and running, you will have to change your handle from "Total Confusion" to "Totally Experienced".