Windows 7 Beta to Windows 7 Retail

[Landmine]

So basically I had XP, then installed Windows 7 Beta. I fell in love and now I'm getting Windows 7 in about 10 hours and I want to know if I need to install XP OR if I could upgrade my current Windows 7 Build 7100 into the Retail.

Thank you all for everything.

My Copy of Microsoft Windows 7 Professional Upgrade - Retail
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16832116714

 

[Night Hawk]

The only option you will have there will be using the custom install option. But you will need either an XP or Vista installation disk for verification that you already own a previous version of Windows when using a 7 upgrade disk.

In the guide on performing an upgrade install from Vista to 7 seen at http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1818-upgrade-install-windows-7-a.html another guide for the "Upgrade the Windows 7 RC to any retail version" is one to look over closely at Icrontic » Upgrade the Windows 7 RC to any retail version

You should have the retail 7 up and running before I see the retail/RC dual boot of the 64bit 7 here since the RC will remain on a separate drive for the time being in order to make comparisons as well as the RC still being used as a test subject!

 

[Landmine]

Very cool. Thank you. As always, I'm currently backing up my data, then going to sleep. Wake up tomorrow, pick it up and try it out. Hopefully I will not need to dig up my XP Key and CD but if I do, oh well.

Thanks again Night Hawk

 

[Night Hawk]

Let us know how things work out for you there just the same. This is a question that many are going to be asking now the 22nd has arrived!

 

[Landmine]

I'll post with details here tomorrow.

Basically, for those who need explaining, my situation is that of Installing Windows 7 on a blank hard drive using the upgrade disk.

I do have a copy of Windows XP, disk and serial, just wondering if I will need it for the install.

 

[Night Hawk]

You shouldn't have to install XP but simply have the disk present when the prompt is seen by the Windows 7 installer. The idea is to boot up from the 7 upgrade disk for the first of two 7 installs.

With the first you don't enter the product key or plan to activate it. When that is finished you start up the 7 installer again and choose the upgrade option and this time you enter the product key and have the XP disk ready when prompted for previous version of Windows. From there you can see the second install activated.

This is how it worked for the Vista upgrade disks. So far no one had posted results on 7 since today was the first day for retail purchase other then preorders or downloads from TechNet/MSDN by subscribers there.

In fact when going to out to buy the full version of Ultimate... SURPRIZE! the few stores in one office store chain were "SOLD OUT"! and only some 40 copies were available online! All the stores has was blank mock up sleeves placed in the slots alloted for 7 with no copies onhand.

Well I've been warning people 7 would fly off of store shelves once released! (had to reserve a copy to be shipped out early next week. ) With these delays many won't have disks onhand to find out if the same method works on 7 unless someone comes in here on that.

 

[Landmine]

NewEgg has a delay on mine, so I havent gotten my disk yet.

 

[Night Hawk]

I'm not surprized one bit! When going to a local office supply store to grab a copy of Utimate full all they had on the shelves was a mock sleeve of each with none of any stocked. The few stores in the large chain that did have some were wiped out! The online warehouse only listed some 40 copies there for the nationwide retailer!

Fortunately I was able to still hold one in their warehouse for delivery early next week getting me out of that one fast! The distribution is actually slower it seems now that the release date has arrived as if production on disks is late as well as the actual distribution to wholesalers. MS rushed that part a bit for the 22nd deadline while manufacturing takes a bit longer?

 

[Saltgrass]

You shouldn't have to install XP but simply have the disk present when the prompt is seen by the Windows 7 installer. The idea is to boot up from the 7 upgrade disk for the first of two 7 installs

Just wondering if you have personal experience with this process???? You probably tested it to make sure it works...

 

[gregrocker]

I'll post with details here tomorrow.

Basically, for those who need explaining, my situation is that of Installing Windows 7 on a blank hard drive using the upgrade disk.

I do have a copy of Windows XP, disk and serial, just wondering if I will need it for the install.

I installed to a formatted drive using Upgrade disk without any other OS present. It took the key and auto-activated after install. Many others have reported all across the net the same results.

Others have had to use the old VIsta "upgrade over upgrade" trick: install Upgrade from boot without key, then run an Upgrade (also known as a repair) install over it from the desktop which should take the key and activate.

 

[Saltgrass]

Others have had to use the old VIsta "upgrade over upgrade" trick: install Upgrade from boot without key, then run an Upgrade (also known as a repair) install over it from the desktop which should take the key and activate.

Wouldn't it be funny if they went to all that trouble for no reason. If it activated after doing this, since you activated with no OS, the fact it activated doesn't mean much yet.

When, or if, it is determined the requirement for a qualifying OS to be installed is enforced, then perhaps someone using the above procedure will have some credibility.

 

[gregrocker]

Others have had to use the old VIsta "upgrade over upgrade" trick: install Upgrade from boot without key, then run an Upgrade (also known as a repair) install over it from the desktop which should take the key and activate.

Wouldn't it be funny if they went to all that trouble for no reason. If it activated after doing this, since you activated with no OS, the fact it activated doesn't mean much yet.

When, or if, it is determined the requirement for a qualifying OS to be installed is enforced, then perhaps someone using the above procedure will have some credibility.

Exactly the point I was trying to make in the heat of it all last night. I ended up with several guys infuriated that I suggested they might have had their "upgrade over upgrade" hat trick activate because it was a full product key to begin with. They anklebit me through multiple forums insisting that only the double install trick would work, while dozens and now hundreds of reports were piling in of straightaway success on formatted boot installs with Upgrades.

And the double install might not even have been necessary for those who got key fail errors, since some got it to work by just going ahead with the install without key and activating afterward.

 

[Night Hawk]

You shouldn't have to install XP but simply have the disk present when the prompt is seen by the Windows 7 installer. The idea is to boot up from the 7 upgrade disk for the first of two 7 installs

Just wondering if you have personal experience with this process???? You probably tested it to make sure it works...

The last upgrade disk I used here was for 95! I've staying stricly with full version disks since. Since many are now receiving the retail upgrade disks preordered many are running into problems like the product key not being recognised on the first install while not trying the double install method used for Vista upgrades.

Mainly upgrades are instended to do just that since product activation was brought in with XP. A previous activated version or installation disk was a requirement

Here the solution was simply buying the full version for use on custom builds and not simply upgrading any preinstalled OSs. I think we're all waiting what will be the working solution when no previous version is seen like a brand new drive on a brand new system lacking any OS.

 

[gregrocker]

You shouldn't have to install XP but simply have the disk present when the prompt is seen by the Windows 7 installer. The idea is to boot up from the 7 upgrade disk for the first of two 7 installs

Just wondering if you have personal experience with this process???? You probably tested it to make sure it works...

I think we're all waiting what will be the working solution when no previous version is seen like a brand new drive on a brand new system lacking any OS.

Here is the fix for Upgrade clean install to brand new drives: http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/clean_install_upgrade_media.asp

It is also being given by MS for formatted drives that reject Upgrade key.

I have boot clean installed several today which all took the Upgrade key upfront. Others have had to insert key afterward, or upgrade over itself to get it to take key and activate.

The Vista upgrade over itself trick was widely used but thought to be defunct for Win7, but its baaaack. Previous OS keys have not been asked for since XP.

 

[Night Hawk]

Not previous product keys but detection of a previous version already installed and activated for an upgrade or disk for seeing a clean install. As far as that site it's when you see things like...

Since Windows 7 is simply a slightly updated version of Windows Vista ...

you have to start doubting the credibility of the author there unfortunately.

The guides here at SF are generally far more reliable and better to go by!

To add a further note on the Supersite I just ran into something to see on that.

Windows 7 install trick saves up to $100

Popular blogger details how to do a 'clean' install using cheaper upgrade editions

By Gregg Keizer
October 23, 2009 03:57 PM ET

Computerworld - Users can do a "clean" installation of Windows 7 using an upgrade license to save $80-$100 over the price of a "full" edition, a popular blog reported today.
According to Paul Thurrott, who writes the Supersite for Windows blog, Microsoft's upgrade media and product keys can be used to do a full installation of Windows 7 on PCs that do not have an earlier version of the OS.
Microsoft's Windows 7 upgrades are designed to do "in-place" or "custom" installs on PCs running Windows XP, Windows Vista or one of the preview editions of Windows 7. But Thurrott said that a few simple steps lets users install upgrade editions, which are considerably cheaper than the full versions designed for fresh installations.

More at: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9139837/Windows_7_install_trick_saves_up_to_100

Yet why is some are able to install 7 clean without any of that? A better reference to look over is seen at http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html

 

[Landmine]

Night Hawk, again. Thank you so much.