Vista Retail Box to Win7 Upgrade

A

Alpha736

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 17, 2004
Messages
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Currently I have Windows 7 RC installed, but with March 1st coming soon, I need to buy Windows 7 soon.

I own a Full Retail Box copy of Vista Ultimate x64, and I'm thinking about buying the Windows 7 Upgrade version since it's so much cheaper, but I also want to do a clean install from a freshly wiped/formatted/(no windows installed anywhere) drive, is that possible? Or is Microsoft going to force me to jump through some hoops first, such as reinstalling Vista again and then upgrading it (I really hate upgrade installs)?

I tried googling my issue a bit, but couldn't find answers for my exact situation.
 
Back in the day Windows "upgrade" installations would require you to stick your old disk in the drive for verification and then proceed with the clean install. I'm betting there is a modern equivalent like having the 25 digit product key available.
 
Starting with Vista, the Upgrade versions could be clean installed without previous version media. Google harder. I've read that upgrade keys work on clean installs in some instances, there is a change to the registry you can make to make 7 think it was an upgrade install, and there is the double install method that Vista pioneered.
 
Alpha736 said:
Currently I have Windows 7 RC installed, but with March 1st coming soon, I need to buy Windows 7 soon.

I own a Full Retail Box copy of Vista Ultimate x64, and I'm thinking about buying the Windows 7 Upgrade version since it's so much cheaper, but I also want to do a clean install from a freshly wiped/formatted/(no windows installed anywhere) drive, is that possible? Or is Microsoft going to force me to jump through some hoops first, such as reinstalling Vista again and then upgrading it (I really hate upgrade installs)?

I tried googling my issue a bit, but couldn't find answers for my exact situation.
Click to expand...

http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/clean_install_upgrade_media.asp
 
Or forget all of that nonsense and just do this

Install the OS but choose not to input the key, untick automatically activate online

Open elevated command prompt and type

slmgr /ipk <product key> no <>

slmgr /ato

done.
 
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