Windows 7 Upgrade 'question' - disc from big manufacturer (HP)

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thenixhex311

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I have a question. Ive googled and searched on here and cant find any DEFINITE answer. I just recently bought a slimline HP for my wife and it came with the whole 'free windows 7 upgrade' etc.

I did the automated thing they have online once we received it, where you enter your order #, SN, etc. and pick which version of windows 7 you want.

Her computer I just got 32 bit Home Premium on it. I chose 64 bit Home Premium Windows 7 on my order. So far its still accepted.

My question is:

I know if I were to order Win 7 upgrade disc(s) from Newegg, etc. *i missed out on the 49.99/99.99 deal* that they come with both 32bit and 64bit versions.

Am I stuck having to wait (unless I call HP, obviously) to see if they also ship out a disc(s) that have both, or would big manufacturers have separate 32/64 bit OS'es?

Basically am I screwed and stuck with a 32bit version of Windows 7 and have to just pre-order one from the egg now.

That make sense? Felt like i was rambling on there!

Thanks for the help!
 
If I read that right, it says you ordered the x64 version of Windows 7. I would assume then, that's what you will get.
 
I expect only Retail editions of Windows 7 to include both 32 and 64 bit disc. If you get an OEM version, which is what you likely will, then I would guess it only will come with the 64 bit disc. If it were going to include both, it wouldn't of given you the option to choose 64 bit.
 
K.

Im wondering what HP will do since the system was a 32bit system and i selected windows 7 64bit. Wonder if that will flag as a big NO to them...
 
I'm wondering too, because what I'm hearing here simply doesn't make sense!


HP machines do NOT come with 'reinstallation' media and facilities. They instead come with 'recovery' media and facilities. They don't just have Windows installed on them, and the recovery image includes other pre-installed software and tools, including the tools used for customer warranty and support queries.

And, whilst a Windows 7 64-bit Upgrade disk can be used to upgrade the Windows license on that rig, it cannot possibly be used to upgrade the Windows installation on that rig. 32-bit -> 64-bit is not a 'valid upgrade path', so the license upgrade needs to be conducted via a 'custom clean install' procedure.

And whilst people might well pooh-pooh the bundled software (some of which at least will be 'trial' versions) it's gotta be remembered that the system device drivers are in that recovery image also! HP do not provide software installation disks or driver installation disks. They bung everything onto the recovery partition or recovery disks.


So:

If they're providing an upgrade for that system from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit Windows 7 they'd need to provide a complete replacement recovery media set, not just a Windows upgrade disk.
 
If it's like the previous upgrade situation with Vista, OEMs will simply provide a Windows 7 Upgrade disc and not a complete set of recovery media. If you have the original media or you've created the recovery set (as HP pretty much forces you to do, and you can only do it once), then they'll expect that customers have the media already and so you're just going to get the single Upgrade DVD for Windows 7.

I can't and don't believe for a second that they'd all (meaning the OEMs) start supplying entirely new recovery sets. That's just not going to happen... it didn't with Vista, and it's seriously doubtful they'd do it with Windows 7.
 
I don't believe they'll be providing new recovery media either.

But can that previously made set of physical recovery disks be used to afterwards reinstall the bundled software, if the 'upgrade' involves a move from 32-bit OS install to 64-bit OS install? Did the major OEMs allow a change to 64-bit when the XP -> Vista upgrade occurred?

Those kinda questions come into it all, which is why it's all got me curious. I'd have thought that if the rig shipped with 32-bit then the upgrade would also be 32-bit :)
 
Catweazle said:
I don't believe they'll be providing new recovery media either.

But can that previously made set of physical recovery disks be used to afterwards reinstall the bundled software, if the 'upgrade' involves a move from 32-bit OS install to 64-bit OS install? Did the major OEMs allow a change to 64-bit when the XP -> Vista upgrade occurred?

Those kinda questions come into it all, which is why it's all got me curious. I'd have thought that if the rig shipped with 32-bit then the upgrade would also be 32-bit :)
Click to expand...


Yeah, i wasnt thinking that at the time. All this searching online previously to the computer order, i saw that windows 7 discs had 32 and 64bit versions on the disc. I didnt even think twice when i ordered my wifes system.

Years back when vista came out, i ordered an XP laptop for my dad (from dell) that came with the free vista (home premium) upgrade, that i was going to use in MY system. It just came with a DELL looking CD, but it didnt have any dell crap on it, just the windows disc. I guess I figured it would be like that, and looking at how Windows 7 was listed, i figured it would be all one disc.

THEN when the free upgrade option came up online and i had to pick 32 or 64 bit, i thought OH CRAP!

Guess ill have to throw this one on my HP laptop, and just buy the upgrade from newegg, sucks i missed out on the cheap ass upgrade deal!!
 
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