Installing windows 7 on top af existing windows 7

Glad to hear it, but which option worked?

The reason I ask is that some report that auditing the Product Key from the HD using Belarc Advisor on factory preinstalled Win7 will not work even using Phone Activation method.

So it would be good to hear exactly what you did that worked.

Inserted the disc in drive
Turn of pc and turned it on again, tapping Esc
After some time I was asked if I wanted to boot from disc or from HD, and I chose disc.
And then I followed your instructions almost exactly. There was a little deviation (do you call it that?) at some time, I cannot remember now what it was, but it was nothing important, and I was at no time in doubt whst to do.
I also got a new keyboard installed yesterday, bought Office 2010, so I almost have a NEW computer now.
And THANKS a lot to you :)

What disk were you booting from? You said you had Anytime Upgrade which isn't normally bootable.

Which steps did you follow? I gave you several options including Clean Reinstall and Factory Recovery?

gregrocker said:

Win7 Anytime Upgrade is only used to change to a higher version of Win7, not to clean reinstall Win7 as you wish.

If the COA sticker was wiped off the machine thus losing the Product Key which is needed to clean reintstall Win7, I would suggest you try running Factory Recovery from its partition or disks which should have been made when you set up your computer. These will self-activate so you don't have to buy a new Win7 license and lose the one which came with your computer.

Here's how to run Dell factory recovery: Dell Restoring Your Computer´s Software to the Factory Settings

If it won't run then your options are to call Dell Tech Support to order Recovery Disks or a Reinstallation DVD which will also self activate for a nominal charge, or try clean reinstalling with the Product Key audited off the HD which sometimes works when you call MS to Activate after install: Belarc Advisor - Use to Audit Product Key

Actually a retail version of Windows 7 can also be used as an Anytime upgrade and thus says "Includes Windows Anytime Upgrade." (see example below) It's a little confusing seeing as how most people think of the Anytime Upgrade as the process where you buy a key online that unlocks additional features.



@ngr: I'm glad it worked out for you, happy to be of assistance!

Yes, Win7 retail key can be inserted into Anytime Upgrade to unlock features. But how can Win7 Anytime Upgrade be run from boot to clean reinstall Windows?

I booted from the disc that I mentioned.
I cannot remember being asked to choose betweem Clean Reinstall and Factory Recovery.
Maybe I have seen the first one, but not the last one.
I am sorry, that my memory isn't better, but I bcome completely confused by this computer stuff.

The disk I used looks exactly like the one in the the left bottom corner at the picture above, and it's called EOM something. Does that make sense?

OK sounds like a clean reinstall with a retail OEM version, which now becomes tied to the mobo.

Too bad the Product Key on COA sticker is unreadable because this results in the loss of a $100+ value OS that came preinstalled on the PC.

mobo?