Is a Second Clean Install Possible?

[richc46]

I am anxiously waiting for my Home Premium, upgrade disk, to arrive, shortly after 10/22. Because I am new at changing OS, I am becoming a bit apprehensive and have a question. If I do a clean install from Vista to Windows 7, but after a short period, I feel that the install has corruption; can I do another clean install with the upgrade disk?

 

[Tews]

Why not make an image of the partition/drive, then simply restore it in case of an emergency ....

 

[myzr7]

Rich
Hello good luck to you with your upgrade install. Have a look at this tutorial to see how to make a image backup.
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/663-backup-complete-computer-create-image-backup.html

 

[richc46]

Thank you for the quick responses. I would still like to know if a second clean install is possible. I would prefer to cancel my order for an upgrade disk, and order a full install disk, if I cannot install a second time with an upgrade disk. I do not have a second hard drive etc, to make an image.

 

[Tews]

Keep the upgrade disc and spend the money you saved on the full retail disc on a 2nd hard drive...

 

[myzr7]

Thank you for the quick responses. I would still like to know if a second clean install is possible. I would prefer to cancel my order for an upgrade disk, and order a full install disk, if I cannot install a second time with an upgrade disk. I do not have a second hard drive etc, to make an image.

You can do a repair install with your upgrade disc. Or you can install your vista back onto your drive then upgrade again.
Repair install tutorial is included here
http://www.sevenforums.com/installa...ck-reference-list-installing-windows-7-a.html

 

[Dave76]

I am anxiously waiting for my Home Premium, upgrade disk, to arrive, shortly after 10/22. Because I am new at changing OS, I am becoming a bit apprehensive and have a question. If I do a clean install from Vista to Windows 7, but after a short period, I feel that the install has corruption; can I do another clean install with the upgrade disk?

Thank you for the quick responses. I would still like to know if a second clean install is possible. I would prefer to cancel my order for an upgrade disk, and order a full install disk, if I cannot install a second time with an upgrade disk. I do not have a second hard drive etc, to make an image.

No one will know for sure until Thursday.

The best guess, including some contradicting info from MS, is that the Upgrade version of Win7 will be required to be installed onto an activated Vista/XP equivalent version.

It is possible to do a second Clean install, but you will likely have to re-install Vista first, which might take a call to MS for a new key as the old OS key used to upgrade will be invalid afterwards.

If you do this procedure the first time, get everything loaded, drivers (most will be done during the install), updates, your programs (or load you programs after the backup), etc. activate it and then do an image backup, you can use this instead of a Clean install. With the money you save you can get a good external HD, I would get one with the eSATA connection if your XPS has one. You should be using a backup/restore plan anyway, It will take you 20-30 minutes to restore a backup versus at least a couple of hours to re-install via DVD, check drivers, install updates and reload all your programs.

It's you call in the end. Even if you decide to get the full version I would recommend getting a backup/restore plan started, for your personal data if nothing else.

 

[L.P.]

I am anxiously waiting for my Home Premium, upgrade disk, to arrive, shortly after 10/22. Because I am new at changing OS, I am becoming a bit apprehensive and have a question. If I do a clean install from Vista to Windows 7, but after a short period, I feel that the install has corruption; can I do another clean install with the upgrade disk?

yes, You can definately do that..

But it will run for only 30days! you will need to get a full install key!!
Upgrade will not help you!
Cheers
LP

 

[Nosmo]

I think the key to win7 upgrade media is to have a second drive and good backup software that can image a drive and/or partition byte for byte.
These two purchases will still be cheaper than buying a full version. If you are entitled to purchase the upgrade media, go for it....

 

[Perrybucsdad]

I'm not sure if I am going to answer your question or not, but let me try. If I read your question correctly, I think it would be the same in me saying, I install windows 7, and then a month or so down the line, something goes haywire on my PC or it crashes and I have to reinstall the OS on the same PC. If that is the question, then yes, you may reinstall the OS.

Sometimes I have run into a scenario when I was testing something and did two installs in a very short period of time on the same PC with a valid license that I owned, and it gave me a message that this OS was already registered and I had to call an 800 number to validate it. If that is the case, just call the number and explain your situation, and more than likely they will activate the software. I've only had that happen once on me personally.

 

[Roll]

Well that answers one question. Can I install my upgrade version of Win 7 on my Desktop and also on my laptop. I gather the answer is no, you can only get Win 7 to validate on one machine; so 4 machines, 4 separate copies of Win 7. Ugh!

Next question.

I have been running an upgrade installation of Win 7 for months now, currently that's the RC 7100 version. I'm going to be an unhappy customer if I have to reinstall dreaded Vista which I own, in order to install the retail version of Win 7. That's a lot of work for 4 different machines including all the Apps and data.

Didn't Win 7 validate my Vista install and won't that carry over to the retail Win 7 upgrade?

Thanks all....

Roll

 

[gregrocker]

MS has announced you can use the activated RC to upgrade using Win7 upgrade, but as with XP it will be a Custom clean install which can overwrite the RC or be installed to another partition or second HDD. But be sure to make an image since if it otherwise needed reinstall you would have to use XP/Vista once RC expires!

You can reinstall the underlying XP/Vista (or RC til it expires) for the purpose of reinstalling the upgrade. In fact the underlying systems are not disabled or deactivated but only unuseable according to the license agreement except for reinstall. (Source: Technet)

Backup imaging is the way to go here so that reinstalls may never again be necessary. It is my favorite feature of Windows 7: 20 minutes to image my entire HDD, 20 minutes to reimage it. I store the image in a primary Recovery partition and on an external in case of HDD failure.

 

[Roll]

MS has announced you can use the activated RC to upgrade using Win7 upgrade, but as with XP it will be a Custom clean install which can overwrite the RC or be installed to another partition or second HDD. But be sure to make an image since if it otherwise needed reinstall you would have to use XP/Vista once RC expires!


Backup imaging is the way to go here so that reinstalls may never again be necessary. It is my favorite feature of Windows 7: 20 minutes to image my entire HDD, 20 minutes to reimage it. I store the image in a primary Recovery partition and on an external in case of HDD failure.

Good news about installing the retail upgrade version of Win 7 over the Release Candidate version even if it has to be a clean install.

Regarding the Win 7 backup image, is it a true sector by sector image? An exact duplicate like Ghost (Symantec) creates or just a more traditional backup function?

Thanks, Roll

 

[gregrocker]

Regarding the Win 7 backup image, is it a true sector by sector image? An exact duplicate like Ghost (Symantec) creates or just a more traditional backup function?

Thanks, Roll

Doesn't specify, but I've reimaged a half dozen times on computers here and it works flawlessly.