can i install win 7 ultimate over win 7 home premium oem ?

[scruffy1]

as above

i have just upgraded my motherboard, and intend to use the oem licence with that on another build, as per licence

however, i have a perfectly good install on my ssd of win 7 hp, and as the new motherboard is almost identical (both gigabyte 775 with p35 chipset) and seems happy with the drivers, i was looking forward to avoiding a fresh install

is it possible to "activate" win 7 ultimate (64 bit) and upgrade in place?

and will doing so compromise my prior licence (which was a legit upgrade from vista, the vista disks of which have vanished into the depths of time) ?

i have successfully done clean installs from the upgrade disk of hp that have been blessed by windows recognising the legitimacy of the oem linked motherboard

thanks for any advice, even if it is to confirm i need to go clean and start from scratch

 

[LuzTeTT]

You should be able to do it all. Your licenses will not be 'compromised'. A fresh install will likely not be needed, unless the motherboard is drastically different. I may have misunderstood your post, though.

 

[scruffy1]

i'm running it at present but it asks for activation

using my ultimate key has it tell me that it is incompatible with the version i am running

i thought ultimate key let me choose any flavour i wanted, but no option seems available

 

[AddRAM]

What are you trying to do, exactly, upgrade your HP to Ultimate ?

 

[scruffy1]

no, ultmate is a full licence

i simply want to change the product key as a simple move rather than reinstall

i don't need to "upgrade" as ultimate is a full retail edition, but the present install is an win 7 hp oem upgrade from times past

 

[AddRAM]

You say you have HP on the ssd but yet you`re trying to activate Ultimate, I`m confused.

Why aren`t you using the original HP key to activate ?

 

[Kari]

no, ultmate is a full licence

i simply want to change the product key as a simple move rather than reinstall

i don't need to "upgrade" as ultimate is a full retail edition, but the present install is an win 7 hp oem upgrade from times past

I have done this several times with Windows Anytime Upgrade, tutorial here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/95744-windows-anytime-upgrade-how.html

You do not need to reinstall or in-place upgrade. All windows editions have all components of all editions, with Anytime Upgrade you can upgrade Home Premium to Ultimate simply by launching anytime Upgrade and entering the product key. it does not have to be an upgrade key, a retail key is also OK.

An example of what I have done is to buy a laptop with German Home Premium, Anytime Upgrade with to Ultimate to be able to use language packs and transformed the new Ultimate then to English.

You should be aware that as this process is an upgrade, it does not free the key from the original Windows installation, in this case your Home Premium.

Kari

 

[scruffy1]

You should be aware that as this process is an upgrade, it does not free the key from the original Windows installation, in this case your Home Premium.

Kari

this is where that method is fail

i own a full and legit copy of oem win 7 home premium, and i hope to use it on the original mobo it is tied with (the ga ep35-ds3) however, i have moved all the other components on to my "new" board (the ga-ep35-ds3p) and i own a full retail licence that i intend to use with that installation

"upgrading" in that scenario only achieves essentially burning a valid (oem) licence, as i have every right to have 2 installs with the available o.s. licences

thus i am after a way to bypass a new install, but if windoze is too stupid to allow it without doing so, i will have to do a fresh install of the retail ultimate

that's very clumsy, but i am far too used to windoze shenanigans to be robbed of a valid licence because they make it the easy way out

 

[Kari]

This is of course only semantics, but if as you say you intended to use your Home Premium OEM on a system where all other components than motherboard are changed, according to the EULA it no longer qualifies for that OEM licence.

OEM licences are cheaper for this one reason: they are meant to be used on one hardware setup only and are not transferable. Basically, you intended to use it on a new system where just the motherboard is old.

I would do a fresh clean install with that Ultimate.

Kari

 

[scruffy1]

my interpretation of oem is that it is tied to a component of the original install, and that arbitrarily windows defines the essential component as the motherboard

i am a keen builder and i regularly change cpu / ram / gpu / sound card and power supplies dependent on available upgrades; the "new" build on the old board would be re-using my prior lower end components

it would appear in your example that the eula is a poorly disguised snow job to oblige people to buy a new o.s. licence to continue to use their old hardware, to maximise profit

surprise ! (not), but i have no hesitation in utilising the licence that was tied to the motherboard to continue to use the motherboard it was tied to - that wasn't my choice, it's how the licence reads, unless they have belatedly altered the original oem that was provided with my build and i am quite certain a retrospective unilateral change of contract by the vendor would be invalid

i appreciate your suggestion and think a new install is the way i will be obliged to go; i think your interpretation of the oem licence is incorrect though

that's somewhat like telling me if i pimp my car it's not the same car, and i need to buy a new licence to drive it

 

[Kari]

It is almost impossible to find exact information on OEM licences, mainly because Microsoft makes it with purpose really difficult to find. The reason is one of changes in EULA, stricktly speaking it is no longer allowed to be used by a private user.

Earlier OEM EULA had this paragraph:

"OEM system builder software packs are intended for PC and server manufacturers or assemblers ONLY. They are not intended for distribution to end users. Unless the end user is actually assembling his/her own PC, in which case, that end user is considered a system builder as well."

The highlighted part has been removed from OEM EULA. However, it is still possible to buy and use OEM, and normally you can replace hardware components as long as you replace them with parts from the same hardware vendor.

Because according to today's EULA OEM is no longer allowed for private use, the more specific rules on which hardware it can be used are removed.

I have assembled a lot of PCs throughout my years in IT. I have had success in reusing OEM when a part or two has been replaced. Sometimes it has required a phone activation but still, activation has been mostly OK.

I have never succeeded activating an OEM licence when everything except motherboard has been changed (have only tried a couple of times, though).

Useful link: What Microsoft won't tell you about Windows 7 licensing | ZDNet

Kari

 

[AddRAM]

my interpretation of oem is that it is tied to a component of the original install, and that arbitrarily windows defines the essential component as the motherboard

i am a keen builder and i regularly change cpu / ram / gpu / sound card and power supplies dependent on available upgrades; the "new" build on the old board would be re-using my prior lower end components

it would appear in your example that the eula is a poorly disguised snow job to oblige people to buy a new o.s. licence to continue to use their old hardware, to maximise profit

surprise ! (not), but i have no hesitation in utilising the licence that was tied to the motherboard to continue to use the motherboard it was tied to - that wasn't my choice, it's how the licence reads, unless they have belatedly altered the original oem that was provided with my build and i am quite certain a retrospective unilateral change of contract by the vendor would be invalid

i appreciate your suggestion and think a new install is the way i will be obliged to go; i think your interpretation of the oem licence is incorrect though

that's somewhat like telling me if i pimp my car it's not the same car, and i need to buy a new licence to drive it

I totally agree with you on this one, you can change everything but the motherboard. Unless of course it`s a Dell, where if you change 1 memory stick you`ll get a message telling you to call Dell. LOL

 

[gregrocker]

If you have a full version Ultimate Product Key then license-wise you're not upgrading even if you use Anytime Upgrade as the platform to unlock the extra features from Home Premium's previous install. A full version license overrides any other requirements. You are simply using a workaround to avoid reinstalling. Anytime Upgrade doesn't care what you're upgrading or where it came from as long as you have a full Ultimate key.

I may have missed something further in the details as its late and I only skimmed the thread. I'm sure you're also aware that what you want to do is less than a third-rate install since you've piggybacked on several other installs by now transferring over accumulated corruption. Remember that to get Win7's perfect native performance you need a perfect install as outlined in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 - same for retail.

 

[scruffy1]

I may have missed something further in the details as its late and I only skimmed the thread. I'm sure you're also aware that what you want to do is less than a third-rate install since you've piggybacked on several other installs by now transferring over accumulated corruption. Remember that to get Win7's perfect native performance you need a perfect install as outlined in Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7 - same for retail.

wish i'd read this first

i went for the clean install, only to run foul of the ssd hating ahci with win 7

despite all manipulations i either get bsod, or even worse, advice that i can't install once i can see the formatted ssd AND have the drivers loaded

sigh !

 

[scruffy1]

and in true windows style, the remedy was simply to install kubuntu and release its grasp on the mbr

windows of course then couldn't help enough to allow me to do the business

why is that such a success when all the help forums give extensive instructions to placate windows with all sorts of manouevres that fail ? surely windows could manage a simple install over its own prior o.s ...

 

[Golden]

It would help if you gave the SSD type and BSOD details.

 

[scruffy1]

It would help if you gave the SSD type and BSOD details.

thanks, but the above mechanism made windows relent

nothing like the threat of being usurped by linux to bring it around :banghead:

 

[Golden]

 

[gregrocker]

Unplug all other HD's and peripherals,

Boot into BIOS setup, reset to defaults, save changes. Next if an EFI BIOS, enable Legacy BIOS, set DVD drive first to boot, HD second. Then set SATA controller to AHCI. Save changes and Exit.

Then boot into installer DVD or flash stick burned or written using tool and latest ISO for your licensed OS version here.

At first installer screen Press Shift + F10 to open a Command Box, type:

DISKPART
LIST DISK
SELECT DISK 0 (after confirming Windows 7 target HD #)
CLEAN
CREATE PARTITION PRIMARY SIZE=102400 (for 100gb partition, adjust as desired)
FORMAT FS=NTFS LABEL="WINDOWS 7"
ACTIVE
EXIT
EXIT

Next click Install Now, then Custom install to Clean Install Windows 7 to the partition you created. If it fails then report back at which step and the verbatim error message.

In addition read over these steps to understand the tools and methods which work best to get and maintain a perfect Clean Reinstall - Factory OEM Windows 7. The steps are the same for retail.

After install you can adjust partition size or Create new partitions for data, etc. in Disk Mgmt. We are creating the partition here to mark it Active which overcomes certain install failures.

 

[scruffy1]

thanks for the help, but i am up and running