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)

 

[Brink]

I'm just not sure why your version would have changed to Ultimate from Pro like that since nothing in the .bat file would/should have affected that.

It looks like you may need to use Option Four instead.

 

[ThrashZone]

Thanks Shawn reg file saved my a$$
Sent off for another win-7 32 bit disk ups says it's delivered I would disagree lost 120 on the disk which 20 was the next business day air but you saved me another purchase via reg file buddy
Cheers.
Just wondering though can I use the flash iso media to do a repair install ?

 

[derekimo]

Curious why you chose to buy a disc Mike?

You can download one here,

Windows 7 Direct Download Links, Official Disk Images from Digital River

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
I'll plead ignorance I needed a normal activation key to activate the iso 7 sp1 and didn't think the upgrade reg would work but it did with my upgrade activation key :shock:

 

[derekimo]

No big deal, just wondering if you were aware of those.

 

[ThrashZone]

I did get the iso there didn't think about buying a disk or activation key there :/

 

[derekimo]

Is this a new install? Or a reinstall? I wasn't talking about the key, that you do need to buy elsewhere.

 

[ThrashZone]

It's a fresh install/ clean all I could find is a upgrade disk around the house could of sworn I had a full install disk but I was wrong so I bought another full version for my laptop but I guess someone else will be using that because of u.p.s. a-holes,

I'm having the worst luck with deliveries it seems,
At least I finally got the one from usps but this one does not have much of a chance of recovery,
Possibly from credit card but that's about it
Cheers.

 

[derekimo]

There has to be some recourse if you didn't get what you paid for, sorry to hear about all the bad luck.

 

[ThrashZone]

Thanks Derek I was now wondering if I can use the flash media as a repair install/ boot repair... if I ever needed it ?
Cheers.

 

[Brink]

Hey Mike,

You can use the installation USB to do Windows recovery options.

You won't be able to use it for a repair install at boot, but you can from within Windows if it's the same as what you currently have installed. This is not always so since Windows Updates often make the installed version newer than the installation media.

 

[ThrashZone]

Thank you Shawn that's what I thought
Yep there were allot of updates even thought sp1 was included on the flash dagnabit
I haven't had much luck with disks either :/
Keep getting "insert a blank disk" message
Cheers.

 

[ThrashZone]

Had so much fun I thought I would do it again
Changed out ssd's realized I didn't need a 256 gig ssd in my laptop so I switched it for a 128 gig :/
Of course 10TP is toasted now I'll wait for customer preview to reload it on the 256
Cheers.

 

[Brink]

Always fun.

 

[Mordoc0881]

I wanted to give a huge thank you to the OP. This fix was wonderful and quick; and to anyone dubious of the legitimacy or anything of this method: it works very well.

My old setup was a Vista system upgraded to Win7, (I had legally-bought copies and CD keys for both), and then recently I reinstalled Win7 clean, but did not also install Vista first. This means I got the reactivation error message that I had a upgrade Win7 copy, not a clean install copy, and my background was blacked-out and I got frequent pop-ups about it. I didn't want to have to backup my data then reinstall both operating systems, so luckily I found this guide. I actually made an account here just to make this reply.

Downloaded and ran the .bat file and restarted my computer and it's running great now with Win7 and no pop-ups or anything! It's great. I would highly recommend this to anyone facing similar issues even though it's a really old post.

Thank you, Brink!

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Mordoc, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[spddemun]

OPTION 3 SAVED ME for new hard drive install...THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!!!

 

[Sqm32pbk]

A, T.byte of thanks must go to BRINK for sharing his precious time and knowledge for all to use, I’ve just used “his” option 3 registry workaround for error code 0xc004f061 to get over the activate problem I had, downloaded the .bat file and problem solved, once again many many thanks to BRINK Ps only had a couple of day left to activate I was getting worried, thanks again

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Sqm32pbk, and welcome to Seven Forums. I'm glad it could help.

 

[Daniel1446]

I totally created this account just to thank you. You saved me a lot of trouble !