Windows 7 downgrading with CD key

Ihaveworms

Ihaveworms

Ukfay Ancerkay
Joined
Jul 25, 2006
Messages
4,628
I have a copy of 7 professional and a friend bought 7 home premium. If I use my 7 professional disk to install the operating system, can he use this 7 key to "downgrade" it?

Ok now I have another question. I installed home premium 64 bit and now he needs to activate it. Turns out the key he got from that $30 for students deal is a upgrade key. Is there a way he can input a vista key and his upgrade key and activate it? I am trying to find a way to get his windows activated without having to reinstall.
 
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you should be able to choose home premium off the disk and use his key.

but no you cant install pro and use another key to downgrade, you have to install the version you have the key for.
 
Ahh this is sad panda...

I think my disc is pro only. I got it off MSDNAA.
 
I'm pretty sure all CDs contain all versions, and you just choose which you'd like to install/have a key for during setup.
 
If you delete the ei.cfg file before burning the Windows 7 RTM install disk you'll end up with an install disks which prompts you for which version to install. If you instead edit the ei.cfg file to alter the settings contained within it, you can create an install disk which is for a different version than the one the image was originally for.


I have downloaded on x86 Windows 7 install disk image, and one x64 Windows 7 install disk, rather than wasting my internet quota downloading all of the 'versions' offered as Technet downloads. No poiunt to wasting my quota, because it's too easy to turn it into different version install disks.
 
Ihaveworms said:
I think my disc is pro only.
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No such thing with Windows 7.
Catweazle said:
If you delete the ei.cfg file before burning the Windows 7 RTM install disk you'll end up with an install disks which prompts you for which version to install. If you instead edit the ei.cfg file to alter the settings contained within it, you can create an install disk which is for a different version than the one the image was originally for.
Click to expand...
Exactly. He can just edit the ie.cfg with notepad and make his friend an Premium disc by replacing Professional with Premium. Burn the disc, then change it back.
 
bigdogchris said:
Burn the disc, then change it back.
Click to expand...


Anybody who directly edits their one and only source file is a complete bloody goose!

Make a copy of the originally downloaded ISO file, and go stuffing about with the copy! Leave the original untouched, for goodness sake!


:eek:
 
bigdogchris said:
No such thing with Windows 7.
Click to expand...
Without deleting that file, you can have discs that are one version only. You contradicted yourself. All the TechNet downloads are one specific version, until you delete the ei.cfg file and reburn it.
 
Ok now I have another question. I installed home premium 64 bit and now he needs to activate it. Turns out the key he got from that $30 for students deal is a upgrade key. Is there a way he can input a vista key and his upgrade key and activate it? I am trying to find a way to get his windows activated without having to reinstall.
 
Was the 'upgrade' key actually tried?

The product distributed by Digital River via the so-called 'student upgrade' deal is actually supposed to be a full install version. The people advertising it didn't understand that "upgrade" has a specific meaning in relation to licensing, and assumed that because they were encouraging students to use a newer version they must necessarily be encouraging them to "upgrade".


I'd strongly suggest actually trying the key, rather than just assuming it won't work. Plenty of other people have reported success in clean installing with the Digital River download :D
 
Catweazle said:
Was the 'upgrade' key actually tried?

The product distributed by Digital River via the so-called 'student upgrade' deal is actually supposed to be a full install version. The people advertising it didn't understand that "upgrade" has a specific meaning in relation to licensing, and assumed that because they were encouraging students to use a newer version they must necessarily be encouraging them to "upgrade".


I'd strongly suggest actually trying the key, rather than just assuming it won't work. Plenty of other people have reported success in clean installing with the Digital River download :D
Click to expand...

Half of the people got upgrades and the other half got full versions. :(
 
Doesn't really matter if your key was an upgrade key rather than a full install key anyways, really. The workarounds linked above work perfectly well for conducting a fully clean install with an upgrade disk/key.
 
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