Best way to clean reinstall a previously upgraded copy of Windows?

[PatrickGSR94]

I have a Samsung laptop that needs reformatting. It was originally purchased with Windows 7 Home Premium, then upgraded to Ultimate using Windows Anytime Upgrade. I have a paper copy of the HP to Ultimate product key, and the laptop itself has a sticker with the OEM Home Premium product key.

Can I create a bootable USB stick using, say, a Windows 7 Pro DVD I have, and deleting the ei.cfg file? I don't think I have a Win7 SP1 DVD sitting around anywhere.

I just reinstalled Win7 Pro onto a desktop PC last week, and had to go through all the updates which took many hours. I'd like to try to slipstream all the updates if possible.

I tried Microsoft's software recovery website, entering the Ultimate product key I have, but it would not allow access to anything with that key.

 

[gregrocker]

You'd have to install Home Premium along with all its updates, activate, then run the Anytime Upgrade again to unlock the few extra expensive features hardly any consumer needs.

This is why the modern method to handle reinstalls is to save a backup image so you don't have to do all this more than once.

Everything needed is here to get and keep a perfect Clean Reinstall Windows 7.
Handling the media to unlock all versions and make a bootable installer is discussed in Step 1.

Read the Special Note for Samsung owners at the end.

 

[PatrickGSR94]

It's an office laptop that is usually connected to a domain, so no the Home version is not suitable for us. I think the boss originally purchased it and then did the Anytime upgrade to Ultimate. I had no part in that original upgrade.

Can I slipstream all current updates for the Home version so that it installs fresh and fully up to date, and THEN do the upgrade to Ultimate after that?

 

[gregrocker]

This also is discussed in Step 1 of Clean Reinstall Windows 7 explaining that since it takes over an hour to Update 7 installation media you may not want to bother since installing the Updates takes about as long. But if you plan to use that version of the installer again, then it may be worth it.

Everything that works best to get and keep a perfect reinstall is compiled in that tutorial, based on tens of thousands of installs we've directly helped with here. It has been used by over 1.3 million consumers without a single complaint or return here with problems. You will positively have a perfect install of Win7 and it will stay that way to the exact extent you stick with the steps, tools and methods in the tutorial.

You should first discuss your plans with your office IT director if it is a company PC, unless you are that person.

 

[PatrickGSR94]

yeah, I am that person. small office so no separate IT staff. I've done clean installs of Windows many, many times. But it always takes hours upon hours to complete. Thought I'd give slipstreaming a try. Also have never dealt with reinstalling on a machine that had Anytime Upgrade run on it.

 

[gregrocker]

Again, the modern way is to do a perfect Clean Reinstall Windows 7 and the following its steps after its all set up and running perfectly save a backup image so you never need to reinstall again. No need to be stuck in old XPired ways.

You can even SysPrep to move HD to another computer so the image can be applied anywhere. The author will interact with you in the tutorial if you have special needs in generalizing the image.

 

[AddRAM]

I guess that proves that a Windows Anytime Upgrade key will not work to downlaod the iso file.

It`s seems to be down to a full retail key or a full retail upgrade key and that`s it.

No one has reported that either of these work yet, not that I`ve read anyway.

I don`t even think a Windows Anytime Upgrade key will work anymore because that program is outdated, not 100% sure.

Not sure what you mean by an HP to Ultimate key unless you are talking about the Windows Anytime Upgrade key.

What is this Ultimate key you are talking about ?

Is it a Retail key or a Retail Upgarde key ?


Answer these questions in detail and you will get excellent responses

 

[gregrocker]

Anytime Upgrade keys still work to unlock higher versions only. These have never allowed full installation of their version. You must reinstall the lower version, activate and then run Anytime Upgrade to the higher version.

 

[PatrickGSR94]

I guess that proves that a Windows Anytime Upgrade key will not work to downlaod the iso file.

It`s seems to be down to a full retail key or a full retail upgrade key and that`s it.

No one has reported that either of these work yet, not that I`ve read anyway.

I don`t even think a Windows Anytime Upgrade key will work anymore because that program is outdated, not 100% sure.

Not sure what you mean by an HP to Ultimate key unless you are talking about the Windows Anytime Upgrade key.

What is this Ultimate key you are talking about ?

Is it a Retail key or a Retail Upgarde key ?


Answer these questions in detail and you will get excellent responses

HP = Home Premium, someone (my boss) I think purchased an Anytime Upgrade key to Ultimate. I have a piece of paper printed out from his email with the key on it.

I got Home Premium installed and fully updated, so now I'm about to run the Anytime Upgrade with that key.

Also I just tried the Microsoft Software Recovery page and put in the key for a retail Win7 Pro Upgrade DVD I have, and it did not work. It said the language I selected (English) was not available for the product I was eligible for. WTF??

 

[ThrashZone]

Seems the original email would of had a download link attached to it for the ultimate version to use the key for :/

 

[PatrickGSR94]

I just opened Anytime Upgrade on the laptop, entered the key from the printed email, and off it went upgrading from Home Premium to Ultimate.

Thanks everyone for your help.

 

[gregrocker]

There is no download media with an Anytime Upgrade, just a key that unlocks the features in the higher version in a few minutes as you found.

Now be sure to save a Win7 backup image of the finished product so you never have to do the double install again. This and other tips that will assure you'll get and keep a perfect install are detailed in Clean Reinstall Windows 7 .

 

[PatrickGSR94]

Well, I've already installed Office 2007 and other software on it. Plus I don't have a spare HDD handy to keep an image on it.

 

[gregrocker]

Most prefer to save their images on an external hard drive. If you're the office IT guy then you should have access to one.

And you want it to be the finished Product with all your programs that is preserved, which is why I said "finished product."

 

[AddRAM]

Did you think I didn`t know HP meant Home Premium ? LOL

And your key was for an English retail Win7 Pro Upgrade ? and it said English wasn`t available for it ? Really, what is going on here

 

[derekimo]

Also I just tried the Microsoft Software Recovery page and put in the key for a retail Win7 Pro Upgrade DVD I have, and it did not work. It said the language I selected (English) was not available for the product I was eligible for. WTF??

And your key was for an English retail Win7 Pro Upgrade ? and it said English wasn`t available for it ? Really, what is going on here

Yeah, this is what I got when trying my Pro upgrade key (English)

 

[PatrickGSR94]

Most prefer to save their images on an external hard drive. If you're the office IT guy then you should have access to one.

And you want it to be the finished Product with all your programs that is preserved, which is why I said "finished product."

Well as I said, we're a small office with no dedicated IT staff. We have less than 10 people in the office on a regular basis, a single Windows server, with only about 15 separate domain users and 15 computers. I'm in the architecture field (architecture office), and I just happen to know the most about IT-related stuff. Most of my time is spent designing and drawings buildings.

We simply don't keep spare hard drives on hand in the office. If a HDD goes out I usually order a new one from Newegg and it gets here the next day with free shipping since we're really close to one of their distribution warehouses, less than 20 miles away actually.

I now have Win7 with SP1 slipstreamed on a USB stick, which will save me some time with future installs on any machine. If I could get all the updates loaded on there also, that would be awesome. I haven't found a way to quickly get all the MSU files, though. I've looked at Portable Update and other things which seems like it downloads mostly EXE and CAB files.

 

[ThrashZone]

Also I just tried the Microsoft Software Recovery page and put in the key for a retail Win7 Pro Upgrade DVD I have, and it did not work. It said the language I selected (English) was not available for the product I was eligible for. WTF??

And your key was for an English retail Win7 Pro Upgrade ? and it said English wasn`t available for it ? Really, what is going on here

Yeah, this is what I got when trying my Pro upgrade key (English)

Yea I believe the unsupported language is "upgrade"

 

[Layback Bear]

You are in a business so I would suggest getting permission from some body to get extra hard drives for backups and emergencies. If a Server hard drive go down your little business is out of business.

 

[gregrocker]

What I do when someone I install for doesn't have a spare hard drive is shrink C by a little more than the size of it's used space, then create a partition there to store the backup image. This effectively becomes the Recovery partition for all cases except HD failure.

That same image can be adjusted to boot on other hardware using Adjust Win7 to boot on new hardware with Paragon Adaptive Restore CD.

Or you can SysPrep to move HD to another computer so it starts up ready for a new user to set it up. This can then be imaged and applied to any PC taking that version of Win7.