Free Windows 7 Upgrade Concern (VOID concern)

[KSS1992]

Hello I have recently purchased a Dell Studio 15 which is eligible for the Free Upgrade to Windows 7. The Laptop runs Vista x64 (64 bit Vista) and whilst the visuals are great I am having trouble with certain games (Halo 1, Doom 3 etc) For ex low framerate etc. This has prompted me to try and downgrade to Vista 32 bit which I do own the CD for.

I was solely wondering if I Downgrade to Vista 32 bit (or Windows XP SP3 As Ive been tempted to)...Am I still eligible for the Windows 7 Upgrade or does my action of downgrading VOID my ability to get the Upgrade?

And Also If My Laptop was bought with 64 bit Vista on it...Does this mean the Windows 7 Upgrade must also Be 64 bit or can it be 32 bit instead?

Thank You And I Hope To Hear Your Response

 

[kegobeer]

You'll get the upgrade in the mail, regardless of what OS you happen to have on your computer. As for what version - you should contact Dell and ask them. I've heard you'll get 32 and 64, and I've also heard you'll just get 32 or 64, depending on what you bought originally.

 

[Antman]

The limiting factor here is Dell policy - even for the drivers. Dell may not provide ANY 32-bit drivers for the machine. Neither for XP. Check your Service Tag at Dell Downloads.

Changing the OS on the machine will not alter your ability to install any other OS. Your eligibility to receive the Windows 7 DVD remains intact. Your warranty, on the other hand, will be voided.

A simple rule - when talking to Dell, your machine has the OS that you say it has.

 

[kegobeer]

I don't believe a Dell warranty is voided because the operating system has changed. I've read quite a few threads by people that were told by Dell tech support that the warranty was voided because the OS was changed, only to be told by the warranty department that, in fact, the hardware warranty was not voided. Also, the Dell online policy states that the limited hardware warranty covers defects, and does not cover oeprating systems or any software.

 

[KSS1992]

Ohh okay thank you alot for your help Im going to downgrade after I order the upgrade from Dell. In Regards to what ANTMAN said...does this mean that when I Downgrade from x64 vista to x32 vista I will need to install some drivers before doing the downgrade? Also I Do where would I Find them?

Also 3rd Question (Srry about the all the Questions lol): What Do You Personally Think Would Be Better...Downgrading to x32 bit Vista or to Windows XP Professional SP3? I have both disks. Thing is I wanted to know which would be better for my situation..which is that I desire to run certain programs and games on my PC..Like for ex. Doom 3, Halo 1 and 2, Left 4 Dead, NewWolf (the Wolfenstein 3D Source Port), and Doom Collectors Edition (Of the games i just mentioned..for some odd reason Doom Collectors Edition is the only one which works completely fine on x64 with DplayDll).

 

[mckillwashere]

Before "Downgrading" to 32-bit,
How much ram does your system have, and what are the specs of your graphics card?
If you do change to 32 bit and your total system memory is greater than about 3.8 gigs you will not get the full use of your machine.

As far as what would cause that to happen is to many back ground process's.
If you are truly set upon reinstalling fresh I would suggest trying to obtain an OEM Vistax64 disk and see if that improves your performance.
(torrents are not reliable places to obtain these, as they are often ridden with spy ware)

But on the other hand if you play games that require punkbuster 32-bit would be a better choice since x64 is not truly supported.

Edit:

One more note,
X64 emulates 32 behavior for 32 bit games(Which is still most games), It cannot run 16-bit architecture, as to where 32 bit can.

 

[Antman]

I don't believe a Dell warranty is voided because the operating system has changed. I've read quite a few threads by people that were told by Dell tech support that the warranty was voided because the OS was changed, only to be told by the warranty department that, in fact, the hardware warranty was not voided. Also, the Dell online policy states that the limited hardware warranty covers defects, and does not cover oeprating systems or any software.

My bad. Allow me to re-phrase.

You will terminate all technical support from Dell, while your warranty remains intact.

 

[Antman]

Ohh okay thank you alot for your help Im going to downgrade after I order the upgrade from Dell. In Regards to what ANTMAN said...does this mean that when I Downgrade from x64 vista to x32 vista I will need to install some drivers before doing the downgrade? Also I Do where would I Find them?

Check your Service Tag at Dell Downloads - support.dell
If there are no 32-bit drivers there, you may be in for a bit of hassle.

"...will need to install some drivers before doing the downgrade?..." You should really think about that question. But, no.

 

[KSS1992]

Oh okay Ill take the info into account. It turns out I have 4.00 GB of RAM, 1759 MB Graphics Memory, Not sure how to find the graphics card. Would it be a problem if I were to downgrade with what I have (the RAM etc)?

 

[mustangsupra]

32 bit operating systems will only recognize 3 gb of ram... If you could get your hands on a 64 bit xp system it should be good.

jeremy

 

[Antman]

Have you considered running a virtual machine for your games? Works great for some people, especially with 4GB RAM on the host.

You can pretty much ignore any advice to switch to XP64 on your system. Driver support?

 

[Dave76]

Hello I have recently purchased a Dell Studio 15 which is eligible for the Free Upgrade to Windows 7. The Laptop runs Vista x64 (64 bit Vista) and whilst the visuals are great I am having trouble with certain games (Halo 1, Doom 3 etc) For ex low framerate etc. This has prompted me to try and downgrade to Vista 32 bit which I do own the CD for.

I was solely wondering if I Downgrade to Vista 32 bit (or Windows XP SP3 As Ive been tempted to)...Am I still eligible for the Windows 7 Upgrade or does my action of downgrading VOID my ability to get the Upgrade?

And Also If My Laptop was bought with 64 bit Vista on it...Does this mean the Windows 7 Upgrade must also Be 64 bit or can it be 32 bit instead?

Thank You And I Hope To Hear Your Response

First of all, most laptops don't have dedicated video cards, just mother board integrated graphics, and therefore they are not very powerful. I don't think changing the OS will increase the frame rate, you are integrated graphics limited. If you can give us some more of the laptop specs, the kind people here can give you some recommendations.
You might try upgrading your RAM. Since you have 4GB installed, upgrading to 2X4GB for total of 8GB will be expensive. What processor did you get? What are the graphics? What was your previous computer, so we can gauge your expectations.

Check this Seven Forums thread.
Dont Know What Hardware You Have..??

Changing your OS will not affect your receiving the Win7 x64. If you install 32bit OS you will have to do a clean install when you change to a 64bit OS, an 'upgrade' is not possible. Your upgrade Win7 x64 DVD can be used to ‘upgrade’ (on a 64bit OS) and clean install.
EDIT: Or does it have to be XP or Vista 32bit to Win7 32bit, and XP or Vista 64bit to Win7 64bit?

Try to ask this question at this site, lots of helpful similar laptop users there.

If you have 4GB RAM and go to a 32bit OS, only 3.2 to 3.5GB will be usable.

I don't believe a Dell warranty is voided because the operating system has changed. I've read quite a few threads by people that were told by Dell tech support that the warranty was voided because the OS was changed, only to be told by the warranty department that, in fact, the hardware warranty was not voided. Also, the Dell online policy states that the limited hardware warranty covers defects, and does not cover oeprating systems or any software.

My bad. Allow me to re-phrase.

You will terminate all technical support from Dell, while your warranty remains intact.

Dell warranties the software and OS for 30 days, I think, 60 days max. They'll point you to MS after that. So won't be losing much.
They can request that you put the original OS back on your computer before they do any hardware warranty work. Haven't heard of this happening, but it is in the fine print.
You actually get more support at their community forum then from Dell.

 

[DeaconFrost]

You'll get whatever platform that was pre-installed on your system. So if you bought it with Vista x64, you'll get Windows 7 x64.

If you think downgrading to XP or Vista x86 is going to make your games faster, save yourself the trouble. It won't. Most likely, your limitations are with the hardware itself, because, after all, this is a laptop, with laptop parts.....meaning lower performance to save on power.

Stick with Vista x64 for now, and upgrade to Windows 7 once you get your discs. make sure your drivers are all up to date. Call me crazy, but I certainly wouldn't switch to an OS that's going to limit my memory availability to ALL programs, without even boosting my gaming scores.

 

[gregrocker]

I don't believe a Dell warranty is voided because the operating system has changed. I've read quite a few threads by people that were told by Dell tech support that the warranty was voided because the OS was changed, only to be told by the warranty department that, in fact, the hardware warranty was not voided. Also, the Dell online policy states that the limited hardware warranty covers defects, and does not cover oeprating systems or any software.

YOU NEED TO REGISTER WITH YOUR MANUFACTURER TO GET WIN7 UPGRADE!

Regardless, do not tell them that you made any OS install change. If you need to discuss it with them, talk about it as something you are thinking about doing to test their response. I had Toshiba tell me that my warranty is voided if I clean install the same O.S. version to overcome file corruption from removing all of their bloatware. They actually told me that I had to have the bloatware or it voided the warranty. Acer is nicer and says that I can try a clean install of same OS with my own OEM disk (told them I got it from MS) but that I would have to deal with MS if it didn't activate since the key on the box is now a batch key that will take when first typed in but require you to call to sort it out after install. (Don't type it in - some OEM's will recognize the motherboard tattoo). Acer also offered to send me free recovery disks (since I called with 90 days of purchase) in case I needed to revert, but I didn't.

With the ACER, due to file corruption from removing 12 bloatware programs, I simply did a repair install (upgrade over same version) which worked perfectly to fix file corruption since it replaces the entire OS while preserving your programs, files and most settings but not Advanced video choices.

 

[kegobeer]

I don't believe a Dell warranty is voided because the operating system has changed. I've read quite a few threads by people that were told by Dell tech support that the warranty was voided because the OS was changed, only to be told by the warranty department that, in fact, the hardware warranty was not voided. Also, the Dell online policy states that the limited hardware warranty covers defects, and does not cover oeprating systems or any software.

YOU NEED TO REGISTER WITH YOUR MANUFACTURER TO GET WIN7 UPGRADE!

Regardless, do not tell them that you made any OS install change. If you need to discuss it with them, talk about it as something you are thinking about doing to test their response. I had Toshiba tell me that my warranty is voided if I clean install the same O.S. version to overcome file corruption from removing all of their bloatware. They actually told me that I had to have the bloatware or it voided the warranty. Acer is nicer and says that I can try a clean install of same OS with my own OEM disk (told them I got it from MS) but that I would have to deal with MS if it didn't activate since the key on the box is now a batch key that will take when first typed in but require you to call to sort it out after install. (Don't type it in - some OEM's will recognize the motherboard tattoo). Acer also offered to send me free recovery disks (since I called with 90 days of purchase) in case I needed to revert, but I didn't.

With the ACER, due to file corruption from removing 12 bloatware programs, I simply did a repair install (upgrade over same version) which worked perfectly to fix file corruption since it replaces the entire OS while preserving your programs, files and most settings but not Advanced video choices.

I'm wondering why you quoted my post and replied with contact the manufacturer for the upgrade.

As for your experiences - did those responses come from the Toshiba warranty department, or the technical support department? I reviewed several of the online warranty documents on the Toshiba website, and I didn't see anything about voiding a warranty by changing operating systems. Of course, things might have changed since you had your issue, but I have a sneaking suspicion that isn't the case.

 

[Antman]

[As for your experiences - did those responses come from the Toshiba warranty department, or the technical support department? I reviewed several of the online warranty documents on the Toshiba website, and I didn't see anything about voiding a warranty by changing operating systems. Of course, things might have changed since you had your issue, but I have a sneaking suspicion that isn't the case.

Are you saying that Mr. Rocker is wilfully misrepresenting his experience?

 

[kegobeer]

As for your experiences - did those responses come from the Toshiba warranty department, or the technical support department? I reviewed several of the online warranty documents on the Toshiba website, and I didn't see anything about voiding a warranty by changing operating systems. Of course, things might have changed since you had your issue, but I have a sneaking suspicion that isn't the case.

Are you saying that Mr. Rocker is wilfully misrepresenting his experience?

Certainly not. I don't doubt someone at Toshiba told him he would void his warranty, but I suspect it didn't come from the warranty department. Once he replies, I'll know for sure.

When I said "... I have a sneaking suspicion that isn't the case", I was inferring that I doubt there was a recent change in the warranty, where any reference to voiding when installing/removing software was removed.

 

[Antman]

Without regard to warranty, no manufacturer will provide technical support service to a system that they did not sell. System includes software.

The warranty department does not provide tech support.

As a VAR, I provide a warranty on hardware. I do not provide a warranty on software. I do provide an extended warranty that addresses software, but the inclusion of software it is expensive and draconian. I guarantee that I will correct your software issues - with a format and system restore. System defined by contract.

My employees do sell a handful of these agreements. I will not.

 

[gregrocker]

I don't believe a Dell warranty is voided because the operating system has changed. I've read quite a few threads by people that were told by Dell tech support that the warranty was voided because the OS was changed, only to be told by the warranty department that, in fact, the hardware warranty was not voided. Also, the Dell online policy states that the limited hardware warranty covers defects, and does not cover oeprating systems or any software.

YOU NEED TO REGISTER WITH YOUR MANUFACTURER TO GET WIN7 UPGRADE!

Regardless, do not tell them that you made any OS install change. If you need to discuss it with them, talk about it as something you are thinking about doing to test their response. I had Toshiba tell me that my warranty is voided if I clean install the same O.S. version to overcome file corruption from removing all of their bloatware. They actually told me that I had to have the bloatware or it voided the warranty. Acer is nicer and says that I can try a clean install of same OS with my own OEM disk (told them I got it from MS) but that I would have to deal with MS if it didn't activate since the key on the box is now a batch key that will take when first typed in but require you to call to sort it out after install. (Don't type it in - some OEM's will recognize the motherboard tattoo). Acer also offered to send me free recovery disks (since I called with 90 days of purchase) in case I needed to revert, but I didn't.

With the ACER, due to file corruption from removing 12 bloatware programs, I simply did a repair install (upgrade over same version) which worked perfectly to fix file corruption since it replaces the entire OS while preserving your programs, files and most settings but not Advanced video choices.

I'm wondering why you quoted my post and replied with contact the manufacturer for the upgrade.

As for your experiences - did those responses come from the Toshiba warranty department, or the technical support department? I reviewed several of the online warranty documents on the Toshiba website, and I didn't see anything about voiding a warranty by changing operating systems. Of course, things might have changed since you had your issue, but I have a sneaking suspicion that isn't the case.

I was talking with the Toshiba tech support people while preparing to reinstall Vista Premium from my own all-versions OEM. They were quite blunt that if I did that it would void the warranty for tech support. They said I needed to use their bloaty recovery disk. I had just removed their bloatware and gotten the (customary in Vista) System File Checker results that corruption existed which could not be fixed.

It taught me to never outright admit to a reinstall using your own OEM media. Test them first by speaking hypothetically.

Acer was much nicer but told me I was on my own if I couldn't get the OEM activated since the key affixed to the machine is now a batch key. I put the key in upfront for the upgrade repair install (again to repair corruption from bloatware removal), which I thought had worked since it self-installed Premium from the all-versions disk. But when I checked Properties page it said I had 3 days to activate, then that I had put in the wrong key, directing me to call MS which sorted it out in about 5 minutes.

 

[stormy13]

Which Studio 15?

Dell Studio 15 Laptop Details

If it came with the Intel 4500MHD then your chances of playing much of anything beyond solitaire are slim to none,

Notebookcheck: Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 4500MHD (GMA X4500MHD)

scroll down and they even have results for Doom 3. Not too good when even at all low and at 640x480 it only averages ~17 FPS.