Interesting install problem

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  1. Posts : 12
    Win7
       #1

    Interesting install problem


    This is kinda strange, but I've got two Win7 licenses, one for Home Premium and one for Professional. I installed the one that was an upgrade that came with my wife's computer on my (slightly older) Vista machine about six or eight months ago. No problem, blew my machine away and did clean install.

    Now I've bought the student version so we can have both machines on 7. Problem is, it is the Professional version, so I can't do an upgrade install on her machine because it's moving to a "higher" version, I guess.

    I don't want to blow her machine away because it has a ton of games on it (that's about all she uses it for), but want to upgrade in place. So I'm in the weird situation of having the wrong version on the wrong machine.

    So, is there any way around this problem? Could I install the upgrade version over my Home Premium version in an "in place" upgrade and then use the disks that came with her upgrade to do an in place upgrade of her Vista machine? What I'm worried about is the serial numbers -- the one has already been registered and activated on my machine, so I don't know what would happen regarding licensing if I tried this.

    Any help would be sincerely appreciated! Thank you.
      My Computer

  2.    #2

    Yes there is a way to do this as described in this thread the other day, which the OP was able to complete successfully: From Home To Prof. using media disk
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 12
    Win7
    Thread Starter
       #3

    That's a similar situation, but not sure it addresses being able to "move" the license on the Home Premium disk to my wife's machine, and whether MS would consider it an illegal move or not.
      My Computer

  4.    #4

    If it's retail full version or upgrade then you can migrate it to any machine of your choice, as long as it isn't one more than one machine at a time. Activation requires a robocall to exchange numbers which update the hardware signature.

    If you used a manufacturer's Upgrade Kit to install to another machine, then you are on your own as it likely is an OEM version which locked to that hardware upon install. But you can still try it.

    Your OP is a bit confusing so maybe you can clarify each machine's exact situation without mixing descriptions of the two, so we can help better.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 12
    Win7
    Thread Starter
       #5

    Thanks -- I'll try to explain a little better. The original install was with a Dell upgrade that came for my wife's Inspiron notebook. Came with Vista but I bought it on the first day that qualified for an upgrade to Win7, so they sent an upgrade disk several months later.

    I used that upgrade kit to upgrade MY Dell Inspiron (also running Vista) instead of hers, since she only plays games anyway, and I wanted to try Win7. My machine is older, but running Vista and easily able to do Win7. I did a clean install to get rid of the garbage and reinstalled everything over a one-week period. I was impressed with Win7 and decided to upgrade her machine as well.

    I bought the student version of Win7, which turned out to be the Professional version. When I tried to use it to upgrade her Vista machine, it says I can't do so without blowing everything away and doing a clean install. That is what I'm trying to avoid, as I don't really have the time to reinstall all her Windows games.

    So, I'm wondering if there is a way to "swap" the Win7 licenses and installations for these two machines. Her machine hasn't been done yet after I saw that I had to do a clean install. I'd have to use the Professional download to change mine to Professional and then use the disk that Dell sent to do an in place upgrade to her machine. The question is what would happen to the two completely legal license keys that I have? Would I somehow be "locked out" on the Dell upgrade disk because it's already been installed on mine? Would I be able to use the download and install the Professional version "over" my Home Premium version and then use the new license key without a problem?

    Thanks for any help you can offer.
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 2,164
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
       #6

    use the Dell upgrade on hers and just wipe yours and install Professional.
    You also didn't tell us the versions of each OS, Vista and 7, are they both 32Bit or 64bit, or 1 of each? you can't do an in-place upgrade from 32 to 64 or vice versa.
      My Computer

  7.    #7

    First thing is to save a Win7 backup image of your Home Premium install so you can revert back if necesary. Then use the workaround I posted earlier to upgrade your Home Premium to Pro. Later get a Win7 backup image so you never have to reinstall Pro, just reimage the HD or replacement in 20 minutes.

    Next try upgrading Vista with the Home Premium Upgrade kit on its intended machine. If it refuses the key, Upgrade anyway and later attempt activation by phone, first with robocall to see if it will treat it as retail and trade numbers to deactivate old install and activate new one, then speaking with agent to explain you are trying to use it on intended machine.. You may be referred to Dell, but I would persist since you are attempting to install on the correct machine and can prove it. You don't have to know anything about someone else using the key incorrectly, as anyone could have done that.

    If this is impossible, then you can try to in-place Upgrade Pro on your wife's machine by trying the workaround but changing the Vista registry keys to Pro exactly as shown in screenshot, or do a clean install as last resort. The DVD will see an OS at bootup to allow Upgrade version key even if you then delete/format the HD.

    Save a Win7 backup image of the original Home Premium install on your machine so you can reimage it if necessary to roll back. You can use free Macrium Reflect to image Vista for a path back to it.
    Last edited by gregrocker; 18 Apr 2010 at 21:12.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 12
    Win7
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Zepher said:
    use the Dell upgrade on hers and just wipe yours and install Professional.
    You also didn't tell us the versions of each OS, Vista and 7, are they both 32Bit or 64bit, or 1 of each? you can't do an in-place upgrade from 32 to 64 or vice versa.
    They are both 32-bit versions of both Vista and Win7
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 12
    Win7
    Thread Starter
       #9

    gregrocker said:
    First thing is to use the workaround I posted earlier to upgrade your Home Premium to Pro, as you'll need a activated HP to launch the in-place upgrade. Once you have Pro activated, the underlying HP is history. Just get a Win7 backup image so you never have to reinstall Pro, just reimage the HD or replacement in 20 minutes.

    Next try upgrading Vista with the Home Premium Upgrade kit on the intended machine. It will require a robocall to MS if migratable which trades a series of numbers that deactivate it on old machine's hardware and activate the new one. If it won't activate, you might be referred to Dell. I would tell them (or MS, if they'll listen) it was somehow installed on wrong machine (true) and you want it put on the correct one, which they might help you achieve.
    Thanks, I'll give that a try and report back here. I can't do it for a couple of weeks because the HP upgrade disks are at my son's home and I won't be there for a couple of weeks. He can also help me do the Win7 backup image.
      My Computer

  10.    #10

    Steve please reread my last post as I rewrote it for a better approach. Thanks and good luck. Keep us posted.
      My Computer


 
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