Tell me about it!! So I have no clue what to do!
On this blank HDD, it doesn't even ask me to insert the media for prior version of Windows XP to verify ownership. It just says I need to enter the Product Key. When I do, it won't allow me to continue.
The IT guy said that XP must be on the disk already so that the Upgrade DVD can verify and validate that there's a valid ownership for upgrade to Win7.
I called back again and the IT guy said that Win7 will actually overwrite the XP installation on the disk. Is this information correct??
When you do a clean install XP will be gone and your files and personal configurations will be saved on a folder called Windows.old
So I went ahead and installed the rest of my x64 Win7 installation without a product key. Last night when I tried to go to the next screen with a blank product key, it wouldn't let me! So it's strange that 24 hours later it does let me go past the product key screen without entering anything. Anywho!
Now that I'm in Windows, I went to Computer, right-click properties, and at the bottom of that window, it says I have 29 days to activate.
When I try to enter my product key and let Win7 try to validate with this key, it gives me the following error:
Is the solution to this problem to hack the registry? I am surprised that Win7 didn't ask me to validate this copy of Windows with my old XP CD.Error code 0x004F061
"The software licensing service determined that this specified product key can only be used for updating and not for clean installations"
There are two workarounds given in the tutorial Wally posted earlier to get Upgrade version activated without the presence of another OS during install: Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version
Perhaps easiest is the one carried over from Vista for the same situation: Just run the install again from your Win7 desktop using Upgrade, which is a Repair Install in Win7. It will reset your activation to allow use of Upgrade version key.
After using the registry hack, it activated fine.
F**k the IT department and their Nazi ways! I can put away my XP CD until I sell this laptop again. Woo hoo!
Thanks for all your replies!
Don't be too hard on the IT guys. The upgrade requirements were stated as needing a prior installed and activated OS. That install perhaps could have been on a separate hard drive, but I know of no one that can say for sure what the actual situation is.
Microsoft appears to be currently going back and checking installs for workarounds that might have been used to install without the correct requirements, so some of those folks that though they were being cool, may still have a problem.
Can you install the upgrade to a new hard drive if the old OS drive is in your system, I do not know for sure. Some folks originally said if the Win 7 install could see a prior install, it would be OK.
I always remember when XP came out that the EULA said you could use it on two computers, which I felt showed they realized many folks have a desktop and laptop computer. The upgrades for XP changed that so it was one computer only and basically doubled the cost. The REAL install requirements may still be in a state of flux and end up changing.
Oh right, I read about this somewhere. What makes no sense to me is why Microsoft didn't automatically do what they've done in the past, which is force a user trying to do a fresh install of Windows just stick in the XP/Vista media to verify ownership. Instead, I had to hack the registry. Now I'm a little concerned that this registry hack might not be sufficient enough to keep this installation of Windows running correctly. I don't want Windows to revert back to 2-hour shut off mode if it finds I only did the registry hack!
Why can't it just be a prior install OR the original media? Seems silly to just up and change this from how it used to be.
As long as Microsoft doesn't end up screwing up this installation because of my registry hack, I'll be fine. I can prove I have a valid XP CD but Win7 never asked me for this proof after the registry hack.
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