Clean Install with a Upgrade Windows 7 Version

How to Do a Clean Install with an Upgrade Windows 7 Version​

   Information

This will show you how to do a Clean Install using a retail Upgrade Windows 7 installation disc.

   Warning

Remember that you need to legally own a valid qualifying previous version of Windows to use a Upgrade Windows 7, and to stop using (or uninstall) the qualifying OS while you have the upgrade installed. Microsoft only made doing a clean install from a upgrade Windows 7 possible to make it more convenient so you do not have to reinstall both the old Windows version (ex: Vista) and upgrade to Windows 7 everytime you needed or wanted to reinstall.

If you do not legally own a valid qualifying previous version of Windows, then you are violating the terms of Microsoft's Windows 7 End User License Agreement and could get your product key number invalidated by Microsoft. Plus, it is considered illegal.

For more about this, please see: Microsoft SMB Community Blog : Regardless of what any hack says, a Windows 7 Upgrade is an Upgrade. What you need to know.

OPTION ONE

A Normal Clean Install

1. Do a clean install at boot without checking the Automatically activate Windows when I'm online box during the installation process.

2. When the installation is finished, then manually activate Windows 7 with your product key number.

3. If your Windows should fail to activate, then pick up at step 2 in OPTION THREE below.

OPTION TWO

Through a Custom Install

   Note

This option will let you do a clean install of Windows 7 without formating the current Windows installation to have your current Windows installation backed up to the Windows.old folder during the installation of your retail upgrade Windows 7. This way you can copy any files back that you want from the C:\Windows.old folder (previous installation) back into your new installation afterwards.

1. Do a custom install at boot or from within your current Windows installation without checking the Automatically activate Windows when I'm online box during the installation process.

2. When the installation is finished, then manually activate Windows 7 with your product key number.

3. Copy any files that you want back from the C:\Windows.old folder into where you want it in you new installation.

4. You can now delete the Windows.old folder using Disk Cleanup to have a clean install now.

OPTION THREE

Clean Install with a Registry Workaround for Error Code 0xc004f061

   Note

If you get a activation error code 0xc004f061 while doing OPTION ONE or OPTION TWO above, then you will need to use this option instead

1. Do a clean install of your upgrade Windows 7 at boot without checking the Automatically activate Windows when I'm online box during the installation process.
NOTE: If you already did this from OPTION ONE above and got a activation error, then skip this step and just proceed to step 2 below instead. There's no need to reinstall again.

2. Click on the Download button below to download the .bat file below, and save it to your desktop.
Activate_Windows_Upgrade_after_Clean_Install.bat


Download


3. Right click on the downloaded .bat file, and click on Run as administrator.

4. If prompted, click/tap on Run and Yes (UAC).
NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.

5. You will now notice a command prompt quickly open and close while applying the changes to your registry.

6. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)

7. Restart the computer.

8. When the computer is finished restarting, then manually activate Windows 7 with your product key number.

OPTION FOUR

Double Installing Windows 7

   Note

This option is the same that was used to do a clean install of an upgrade copy of Windows 7. It's more work, but if the options above did not work for you, then this should since this is the most reliable option.

1. Do a clean install of your upgrade Windows 7 at boot without checking the Automatically activate Windows when I'm online box during the installation process, and do not activate Windows 7. When finished with the clean install, do not or install any Windows Updates, drivers, or programs yet.

2. When finished with the clean install, start at step 4 at this link to do an in-place "upgrade" install with your upgrade Windows 7 installation disk from within the just now finished clean install of Windows 7.

3. When the in-place upgrade installation is completely finished, then manually activate Windows 7 with your product key number. You can now also install any Windows Updates drivers, and programs you like.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Do a Upgrade Installation with Windows 7
• How to Do a Clean Installation with Windows 7
• How to Do a Custom Installation of Windows 7
• How to Create a Windows 7 Installation USB Key
• http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/30470-make-bootable-iso-student-d-l.html
• How to Partition the Hard Drive in a Windows 7 Install
• How to Install Windows 7 on Computer with Less than 512MB RAM
• How to Install Windows 7 Using "Unified Extensible Firmware Interface" (UEFI)

 

[Britton30]

You're welcome, only had to do 1,283 updates.

 

[Brink]

LOL, is that all?

 

[Defender3]

Thanks so much for this tutorial! I did a MB, processor and memory swap since my 4-year old ASIS M2N Plus SLI was dying. I never thought, at the time, I was installing an upgrade version of Win7 Professional on my Intel X-25M until it came time to activate. When I called MS to activate by phone, they said I needed to reload XP. :shock: Since I have been upgrading since like Win 98 (and I have all the disks back to Win95 (remember the paper licenses with keys printed on them?)), I thought that could present an issue. After a few minutes on the forum I found your tutorial and there is again balance in the universe - thanks again!!!!!!!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Defender.

 

[AndrejSPB]

Hello there! Thank you for the tutorial.

I am wondering one thing, I plan to purchase Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade (Digital Download) from the Microsoft Store.

Is it a retail version?

 

[Brink]

Hello Andrej, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Yes, that would be a "retail" upgrade copy of Windows 7 that you could use the tutorial to do a clean install with.

 

[AndrejSPB]

Hello Andrej, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Yes, that would be a "retail" upgrade copy of Windows 7 that you could use the tutorial to do a clean install with.

Hello Brink, thank you again for the tutorial. Method 2 worked perfectly for me.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome. I'm happy to hear it went well.

 

[capt]

I am concerned about finding all the drivers I need after a clean install and if "murphy" will be around to assist - hopefully not!
I had Vista, upgraded to various versions of Win 7 and the last rev is the 7100 release cantidate. System works fine with the exception it reboots every 2 hours!!! I really want to upgrade to a legal rev but I am concerned how long it will take once I start the process and it it will even be able to finish without drivers needed. I have limited time to use the PC and limited witeless access. Any suggestions? I have a Lenovo Y530. There is a second partition but not sure if the drivers there will work wiht Win 7. I really can't afford to be down more than a day to do this. Thanks and appreciate you knowledgable people!

 

[Brink]

Hello Capt, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Yeah, since you currently have Vista RC installed, then you will need to do a clean install of Windows 7 as outlined in the tutorial instead of doing a upgrade install of Windows 7 from to upgrade Vista to Windows 7.

Luckily, your Lenovo Y530 has Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit drivers available for it at the Lenovo support link below. I would recommend to have them all downloaded and saved somewhere (ex: USB flash drive) to be able to use them to install them in your Windows 7 when it's finished installing. This way if you need say a network driver installed before being able to connect to the internet, you will have it already on the USB flash drive instead of finding yourself with no way to access the internet to get the driver.

Lenovo Ideapad Support & downloads - Drivers & Downloads

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[capt]

Full blown install or upgrade?

Hi Shawn. Thanks for your reply. Just to make sure, as you say I have to do a clean install but I should be able to use an upgrade cd since the unit originally had Vista on it right? I'm wondering if I can do the install from the anytime updates site. I am not sure how long it would take and with the 2 hour reboot window so to be safe I guess I'll have to buy a physical CD... Thanks for the link for the drivers, appreciate it!

 

[Brink]

If this is a Anytime Ugrade to Windows 7, then you will not be able to do a clean install. You'll need to upgrade from within Vista using Anytime Upgrade instead.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/95744-windows-anytime-upgrade-how.html

 

[capt]

Easiest way to get done!

Alright then, so for my Lenovo Y530 that originally shipped with Vista
that is currently running Win 7 RC 7100

what you are saying is ...

The only way to upgrade/update to the legitimate Win 7 will mean
- A full fresh install requiring reinstall of all programs and drivers not to mention data (Yuck!)
- I need to have the drivers downloaded first to add back (Thanks for the site revamp Lenovo!)
- I Can/Must/Should use a Windows 7 UPGRADE CD to whatever flavor I want (don't want/need ultimate) can't do it online

Too bad Win 8 isn't available yet or I'd do that again.....

 

[Brink]

Sorry, but could clarify what type (ex: retail (full or upgrade), student, anytime upgrade, OEM, etc...) of Windows 7 installation disc/media you have?

 

[capt]

Haven't purchased any yet - that is why I am asking. I want to get the right thing for the least cost if possible - but of course legal too!
Thanks:huh:

 

[Brink]

Ok. That's what I thought until you mentioned anytime upgrade. I wasn't sure after that.

It depends on what you budget is like.

If you wanted to save money, then you could get a upgrade retail copy of Windows 7, but you would have to go through the longer installation process in this tutorial if you wanted to do a clean install with it.

If you wanted a faster clean install, then you could get a full retail copy of Windows 7, but it will be more expensive than a upgrade copy of it.

Hope this helps better.

 

[Britton30]

Haven't purchased any yet - that is why I am asking. I want to get the right thing for the least cost if possible - but of course legal too!
Thanks:huh:

Newegg has Win 7 Home Prem x64 OEM for $80 for a couple of days. The OEM version will be tied to whatever computer you install in on the first time.

 

[jff02]

Hello again,

I have succeeded in performing a clean install with a student copy with windows 7 professional upgrade version, but now I am wondering if I can just use the same disc, but obtain a key by purchasing a digital version such as this one
Microsoft Store Online - Windows 7 Professional Upgrade
*It's slightly cheaper than buying the disc version at the school's store
and then installing on a new build, and still follow the same tutorial. Thanks in advance!

 

[Brink]

Hello Jeff,

They are both the same type of Windows 7, so yes you should be able to.

 

[jff02]

Awesome thanks, just wanted to double check.
And I assume downloading a digital copy will uh...grant you the installer which can be substituted by the disc, and an unique activation key?