Windows 7 gurus...need build advice

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Wolf-R1

[H]ard|Gawd
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Aug 30, 2004
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We're upgrading our machines at our office. We're a small biz so we've abstained for quite some time from jumping on the Vista/Win7 bandwagon. However we're running into interoperability issues due to aging OSes.

There are upgrade licenses for Win7 Pro. For the cost I'd really like to get a few of these as opposed to the full versions of Win7 Pro however every vendor I've talked to states that I cannot do a clean install with this option. According to them I must do an upgrade. So essentially if I buy new hardware I have to waste the time to put WinXP on it then upgrade it to Windows 7 Pro.

Does anyone have experience with this? Do we really have to waste that kind of time or can we go with the upgrade path, keeping the XP licensing filed away and work clean installs of Win 7 Pro?
 
Buy OEM copies of Win 7 Pro. It's like $125 if I remember correctly, you just don't get MS phone support.
 
OEM is single activation. If/when these machines die we'd like to be able to move the license to a new machine. Otherwise we'd go OEM.
 
Wolf-R1 said:
OEM is single activation. If/when these machines die we'd like to be able to move the license to a new machine. Otherwise we'd go OEM.
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then you would need a full retail license, not upgrade, to follow the EULA/license agreement 100%.

When you buy new computers, they will come with the OS already, but may not come with Professional. In which case the upgrade, per the EULA, won't work since it's for upgrgading from XP or Vista I believe.
 
CrimsonKnight13 said:
I posted this in an older thread

http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows-7/clean-install-windows-7-with-upgrade-media

There are 3 methods to pick from in regards to upgrade copies. Have your pick. :)

Go for the upgrade licenses & don't listen to clueless vendors since even MS supports at least one of those methods.
Click to expand...

Thanks however this specifies install with upgrade media. Guess I should have stated that we'd be getting licenses with no media and have to download the ISO from MS.

j-sta said:
then you would need a full retail license, not upgrade, to follow the EULA/license agreement 100%.

When you buy new computers, they will come with the OS already, but may not come with Professional. In which case the upgrade, per the EULA, won't work since it's for upgrgading from XP or Vista I believe.
Click to expand...

Seriously? This keeps getting more and more difficult. :(
 
Wolf-R1 said:
Thanks however this specifies install with upgrade media. Guess I should have stated that we'd be getting licenses with no media and have to download the ISO from MS.
Click to expand...

So what type of licenses are they than? OEM, retail, volume?
 
We had a volume licensing key at a major university I worked for and we set up a Key Management Server. I know some of our VLK keys were go for like a 100 activations. I can't remember the cost.
 
Wolf-R1 said:
We're upgrading our machines at our office. We're a small biz so we've abstained for quite some time from jumping on the Vista/Win7 bandwagon. However we're running into interoperability issues due to aging OSes.

There are upgrade licenses for Win7 Pro. For the cost I'd really like to get a few of these as opposed to the full versions of Win7 Pro however every vendor I've talked to states that I cannot do a clean install with this option. According to them I must do an upgrade. So essentially if I buy new hardware I have to waste the time to put WinXP on it then upgrade it to Windows 7 Pro.

Does anyone have experience with this? Do we really have to waste that kind of time or can we go with the upgrade path, keeping the XP licensing filed away and work clean installs of Win 7 Pro?
Click to expand...
You can use the Upgrade media to do a clean install but there are 'work arounds' necessary to activate it. The link provided is a good guide on getting it to work.

As for moving the licenses to new machines, when you buy the new machines they will already have 7 Professional installed as long as they are business model machines. So just buy the OEM for now to save money.

Wolf-R1 said:
Thanks however this specifies install with upgrade media. Guess I should have stated that we'd be getting licenses with no media and have to download the ISO from MS.
Click to expand...
It's not any different at all. You download the software from Microsoft, burn it to DVD, then install it. How do you see that as different? The Windows 7 media is the same, regardless of your license type or version. In fact, there is a small file on the media that you can edit to change it to install any version you want, and even change the media from OEM to Retail. You just need the right key to activate it. But for your situation, if you decided to go the upgrade route, just download the version CDW sends you a link to.
Seriously? This keeps getting more and more difficult. :(
Click to expand...
It's not difficult at all ;)
 
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