Installing Retail/Upgrade/OEM over RC; XP, Vista

[skygodtj]

Here's a question I have.. I have several computers, each running clean installed 7RC.. With the Beta deadline approaching (in March I believe), I'm trying to decide to go with either Full or OEM versions of 7 and install them on each of these(seperate purchases for each, of course).. so now...

Other than running backups on each (save to DVD or thumb drives) to save/preserve my data, since the 7RC is the Ultimate version, if I choose to go with Upgrade (I have both orgininal XP Home and Vista Ultimate disks), I need 7 Ultimate Retail or OEM or can I clean install any 7 version? If I go with Full or Upgrade, will it drop the RC folders in Windows.old? I even had a thot of buying new larger drives and installing on those, leaving the old drives (with RC in place) and having all my data undisturbed, so to speak.

Lastly, I have XP Home Premium, OEM Vista Ultimate, can I dual (actually triple) boot them with 7? I know, I know, why on earth would I want to??? If I go with just XP and 7 and do a dual boot, is there anything I do with Vista? Just shelve it?

Thanks,

TJ

 

[Jonathan_King]

Go ahead and buy the Upgrade version; you have a qualifying OS on your machine now. Buy whatever version you want, but you will need to do a clean install.

See the tutorial here: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html

 

[gregrocker]

Many have even succeeded in doing an in-place Upgrade from the RC using this popular workaround: Upgrade the Windows 7 RC to any retail version Icrontic Tech