Installation and Wiping the Hard Drive

[FallenMorgan]

Will upgrading to Windows 7 wipe my hard drive? Because, I'm looking to upgrade to Windows 7 under that assumption. Not only do I want to move on up, but I want to wipe away a number of problems I'm having with my computer. All of them probably have to do with the harddrive.

For example, the sleep button is eternally replaced by the "install updates" button, but there are no updates to install and it just sits on an infinite loop. There are some updates that refused to install at all. And there are weird little things that happen with my computer every day, that make it seem as though there's a virus even if there isn't.

I essentially want to start with a clean slate. All of the files and such I consider important will go onto a flash drive.

I will probably get Windows 7 for Xmas, and install it at the beginning of the new year. So I'm wondering - will the update wipe my harddrive? And if not, how can I easily make this happen?

 

[Brink]

Hello Morgan, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Since you want to start fresh, you would be better off doing a clean install with a full version of Windows 7 instead. We are not sure if it's possible to do a clean install with a upgrade version of Windows 7 yet.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[HughShaw]

We can't do a clean install with the upgrade version? Noooo...

Edit: Did a Google search here and found out the answer should be YES!

 

[FallenMorgan]

Thanks.

 

[gregrocker]

This particular Upgrade disk Custom "clean install" is started from the qualifying OS desktop (not from boot) and does not format the partition/drive, but overwrites the OS and places the files is windows.old for later distribution. But you can also install the Upgrade to another primary pre-formatted partition, or primary pre-formatted second HDD if you want the cleanest possible install.

 

[Nosmo]

So gregroocker, can the upgrade disk set up Win7 on any drive/partition.
We were told that win7 had to be installed on the same partition as held the OS being upgraded.

 

[gregrocker]

So gregroocker, can the upgrade disk set up Win7 on any drive/partition.
We were told that win7 had to be installed on the same partition as held the OS being upgraded.

According to the debate on Technet here WIn7 like Vista can be installed to another partition or HDD as long as you start the upgrade from an activated qualifying XP/Vista/RC and don't continue using the original qualifying OS which is the only restriction.

I just tried it by installing to the first partition from my XP second partition on a laptop and it worked fine. I then deleted the XP after copying files over. I wanted to see if it could install to formatted metal using Upgrade.

 

[Dickstar]

So this means you can't format the drive the previous install was on before installing 7?

 

[FallenMorgan]

Wow, I never realized how compter illiterate I was. :shock:

 

[gregrocker]

So this means you can't format the drive the previous install was on before installing 7?

No you have to start an UPgrade from the qualifying activated OS. Then you can UPgrade (resinstall programs, files, settings) Vista, or Custom clean install Vista/XP/RC over itself, to another partition, or HDD.

 

[zrtom]

So this means you can't format the drive the previous install was on before installing 7?

No you have to start an UPgrade from the qualifying activated OS. Then you can UPgrade (resinstall programs, files, settings) Vista, or Custom clean install Vista/XP/RC over itself, to another partition, or HDD.

Are you saying an Upgrade version can't be installed clean from boot (and then activated, which is really the issue here)? If so, I think that goes against what MS told me in writing (and posted here: http://www.sevenforums.com/installa...pgrade-installation-process-4.html#post307199)

I think this will be sorted out real soon after today's launch.

 

[gregrocker]

The ability to clean install from boot using Upgrade was foreclosed when MS announced the Vista "upgrade over upgrade" trick would not be allowed on Win7. It had, after all, made Upgrades effectively the same as full retail disks for those willing to install twice (at half the price, always nice).

Instead the focus by us clean install freaks has been on either installing to a second formatted HDD, or another partition. Both of these have NOT been foreclosed by MS, were allowed in the past and meet the EULA as long as the install is started from the qualifying OS, and the old OS is not used except for reinstall .

 

[dnelms]

The ability to clean install from boot using Upgrade was foreclosed when MS announced the Vista "upgrade over upgrade" trick would not be allowed on Win7. It had, after all, made Upgrades effectively the same as full retail disks for those willing to install twice (at half the price, always nice).

Instead the focus by us clean install freaks has been on either installing to a second formatted HDD, or another partition. Both of these have NOT been foreclosed by MS, were allowed in the past and meet the EULA as long as the install is started from the qualifying OS, and the old OS is not used except for reinstall .

OK, quick question based on this. If I install a clean formatted new HDD in the computer. Computer running Vista selects G as the next drive letter for it. I then install Win 7 upgrade to that disk G. Once installed and activated, I shut down and remove my original C drive with Vista on it and reboot. Will the registry and everything still reference my install to the G drive or will it pick up that I no longer have a C drive and I can change the letter designation of the new HDD as C? (or will Win7 pickup the fact there is no physicall HDD for C and use the last letter drive G and change it). Just curious as I'm just being wierd and would like the OS to be on the C drive.

 

[gregrocker]

Unplug all other HDD's besides Vista and formatted Primary target drive. Install Win7 to target drive. At this point you have dual boot. You might want to copy your files over from Vista.

Unplug Vista drive, plug cable into Win7 drive (or change boot order in BIOS), mark active, run Startup Repair.

Here is the forum where this was thrashed out at MS Technet:

XP upgrade to win7 using a new hard drive

 

[gregrocker]

So this means you can't format the drive the previous install was on before installing 7?

From all that I have read it must be run from that drive.

That said, a guy is posting on Neowin right now that he booted from Upgrade disk and installed/activated, something MS said could not be done.

 

[zrtom]

gregrocker,
I think you are giving bad advice on the upgrade install process. Your advice goes directly against what I have in writing from Microsoft. Heresay, TechNet blogs, MSDN blogs and what happened or didn't happen with Vista is not pertinent. What is pertinent is what can physically and legally be done. The Neowin guy is validating what MS told me. The clean-install-boot-from-DVD searches for an activated qualifying MS version and sets up a flag for activating the clean upgrade install on a completely formatted hard disk.
Tom

 

[gregrocker]

gregrocker,
I think you are giving bad advice on the upgrade install process. Your advice goes directly against what I have in writing from Microsoft. Heresay, TechNet blogs, MSDN blogs and what happened or didn't happen with Vista is not pertinent. What is pertinent is what can physically and legally be done. The Neowin guy is validating what MS told me. The clean-install-boot-from-DVD searches for an activated qualifying MS version and sets up a flag for activating the clean upgrade install on a completely formatted hard disk.
Tom

ZRTom, since you claim I am giving out misinformation about the Upgrade needing to be started from the qualifying OS, and not boot, I re-read the message to you from MS which you say proves this.

Although not an issue for me directly as a TechNet subscriber, the "Upgrade" install process was still bugging the hell out of me and some of my House Party guests are beginning to inquire about the exact upgrade details. So I wrote to Microsoft. I've attached the reply I received yesterday.

Most of the folks I will be doing upgrades for are Dell users so I phrased my questions in that context to alleviate their particular fears.... not that it should matter for others. Dells are a bit unique in that they ship a pre-activated full OS disk and not a "System Restore" disk.

The rumors of clean installs with an upgrade disk apprear to be true.
But, it also appears that one doesn't just slip in the Vista disk when prompted. The upgrade process must see a fully installed and activated qualifying version before it will allow a complete disk format to pass a flag that allows the upgrade key to activate Windows 7. I guess the "flag" would be held in the RAMdrive during installation or placed in the System Reserved partition.

I think this is the pertinent part:
" If you choose to use the upgrade version of Windows 7, if you ever had to format your computers you would have to install your original copy of Windows Vista and then install the upgrade to Windows 7. This must be done using either method of installation with the upgrade version.
If you wish to bypass the requirement of installing your Vista during every computer reformat then I suggest you purchase the full version and perform a clean installation. This would enable to re-install your operating system and get your computer up and running much quicker."

So, the clean install process is clearly more complicated but doable. And in the case of Dell users, the process will be a little quicker for future reinstallations because we can get Vista installed and activated from a USB key in about 10 minutes. Won't have to sit through all of the driver and crapware installations of some "System Restore" processes. It shouldn't matter that many of the drivers aren't present, just that Vista is installed and activated.

View attachment 31321


Tom

Can you show me where in this MS message it says or even implies
that one can boot from the Upgrade disk to perform their clean install?

The only previous method for clean installing from boot using a Upgrade disk was the Vista "upgrade over upgrade" trick, which MS specifically foreclosed months ago.

So what again is the misinformation I am giving?

 

[gregrocker]

dup

 

[zrtom]

gregrocker,
I think you are giving bad advice on the upgrade install process. Your advice goes directly against what I have in writing from Microsoft. Heresay, TechNet blogs, MSDN blogs and what happened or didn't happen with Vista is not pertinent. What is pertinent is what can physically and legally be done. The Neowin guy is validating what MS told me. The clean-install-boot-from-DVD searches for an activated qualifying MS version and sets up a flag for activating the clean upgrade install on a completely formatted hard disk.
Tom

Well all I can say is you are the first guy who has said this, but I really hope you are right because that means we can format the install.

I posted the contents of my letter from Microsoft a week ago here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/installa...pgrade-installation-process-4.html#post307199

 

[gregrocker]

gregrocker,
I think you are giving bad advice on the upgrade install process. Your advice goes directly against what I have in writing from Microsoft. Heresay, TechNet blogs, MSDN blogs and what happened or didn't happen with Vista is not pertinent. What is pertinent is what can physically and legally be done. The Neowin guy is validating what MS told me. The clean-install-boot-from-DVD searches for an activated qualifying MS version and sets up a flag for activating the clean upgrade install on a completely formatted hard disk.
Tom

Well all I can say is you are the first guy who has said this, but I really hope you are right because that means we can format the install.

I posted the contents of my letter from Microsoft a week ago here:
http://www.sevenforums.com/installa...pgrade-installation-process-4.html#post307199

Yes, I read it then and just re-read it again.

Where in the message to you from MS does it say or even imply that you can boot from the Upgrade DVD to clean install?