I'm trying to not get screwed by Microsoft

[BouncingSoul]

And its harder than I expected.

Either that or I'm just looking for a reason to not pay for Windows 7.

At any rate here's the deal. Win7 preorders are available. Yet I can't seem to find some simple answers to simple questions. For example, my XP Pro license is a completely legit volume license. I have the certificate of authenticity thingy and its never once failed any of the MS Windows Genuine Advantage tests. Yet I'm still concerned that if I buy the upgrade there will be some issue and it won't work. Like I can't go from XP Pro to Win7 Home Premium or something.

Also, I want 64 bit. I can't find a place that sells the 64 bit version. So it's either going to be a pain to locate or its already on the DVD and I'll have to decide to install the 64 bit version when I install. I'm hoping its the later, but I want to know before paying the money.

And finally (so far) I keep reading that there is no upgrade from XP to Win7. I don't wan to upgrade, I want to do clean installs. So I figured I'd just buy the full version. But then I see thats exactly what the XP upgrade is, the full version. Rather than Win7 backing up your stuff from XP and copying it into Win7, you have to do it and your Windows 7 disk is just a full version at the upgrade cost. Which would be sweet, if its true.

Any ideas?

 

[LordOfLA]

The retail DVD's come with both 32 and 64bit installs on the disc.

If you have volume license XP you'll need to contact your licensing vendor for volume licensing on windows 7 the upgrade won't upgrade volume XP.

There is no automated upgrade from XP only vista. To upgrade your PC you should backup all your data and perform a full clean install.

 

[assclown]

The retail DVD's come with both 32 and 64bit installs on the disc.

If you have volume license XP you'll need to contact your licensing vendor for volume licensing on windows 7 the upgrade won't upgrade volume XP.

There is no automated upgrade from XP only vista. To upgrade your PC you should backup all your data and perform a full clean install.

Well that pretty much sums it all up

 

[BouncingSoul]

Thanks Lord,

Reps!

 

[dreamliner77]

I'll also add that if you order the upgrades from MS, you'll have the option of downloading 32 bit or 64 bit when they are released.

 

[Arniestan1]

Yes upgrade versions of windows are full versions. During the clean install proccess it'll ask to look at at previous version of Vista or XP. If your're worried about it not accepting your volume lic. XP just get a friend to burn a retail copy of XP. You're not installing it your're just presenting it to Win 7 at install.

 

[Remar]

Yes upgrade versions of windows are full versions. During the clean install proccess it'll ask to look at at previous version of Vista or XP. If your're worried about it not accepting your volume lic. XP just get a friend to burn a retail copy of XP. You're not installing it your're just presenting it to Win 7 at install.

Full install, very true, as is every install disc micro-crap has ever presented. They are all full installs, it simply asks you to present it with another version of windows that you have. Which is why I have install disks for windows, all the way back to win95. And yeah, for XP users, it will be a clean install, because it is going to verify you have XP already installed, then it is going to format your hard drive and do a clean install because XP and Win7 are very different for dll and driver files.

 

[epk]

theres no way to install the upgrade on a clean machine right? like pointing the installation to an xp/vista cd or entering a legit vista/xp product key?

 

[American Zombie]

With Vista upgrade media you could perform a clean install and not enter your key then perform the upgrade/enter key.

How to do it was covered in this thread.

I think 7 will be the same.

 

[epk]

oh right.. i remember that
i wish there was a way to do it in one step tho

 

[Remar]

theres no way to install the upgrade on a clean machine right? like pointing the installation to an xp/vista cd or entering a legit vista/xp product key?

Yes, you just pop in the XP/Vista install cd when it asks you to during install.

 

[epk]

really? woah, thanks.. had no idea that was possible

 

[Remar]

Yeah, whenever you installed a microsoft OS it would auto search your drives to see if you had another microsoft OS installed, if you did, fine you wouldn't see any messages. If you don't, it is gonna tell you that a "qualifying microsoft product" could not be found, "please insert your installation cd" into a cd-rom drive. So basically you get a clean machine, start your install, and have another microsoft install cd handy to pop in. For 7 you will need an XP or Vista install disc. For vista and earlier even a win 95 cd would work...lol... know this one from experience. That is why I have every install disc all the way back to 95a.

 

[American Zombie]

You can install upgrades without having any previous version installed.
Just need the key that came with your upgrade media.