Windows 7 Upgrade Question

[Exley]

I have been searching this question on Google for about a half hour and can't seem to find the answer I’m looking for. Hopefully you guys can help me out.

I have a retail copy of windows vista. I like the retail copy because I can legally install it as many times as I want, as long as it is not on more than one machine at a time.

I saw recently that Microsoft was offering an upgrade to windows 7 for $30 to students.

My question is if I bought that upgrade and used it on my retail vista key, could I install vista on a new computer I build down the road and upgrade it again? This is important for me to know as I often change motherboards and windows sees this as a "new computer"

 

[thee_rook]

It used to work out that way, but we are talking about microsoft here. Will that version of Win7 upgrade off of XP?

 

[Exley]

I think you can upgrade from xp to 7 but you have to wipe you hard drive and install clean. I think most people on [H] would do that anyway though.

 

[AMDXP]

I think you can upgrade from xp to 7 but you have to wipe you hard drive and install clean. I think most people on [H] would do that anyway though.

So, you can use the upgrade disc as a clean win 7 install, using only the win 7 disc... do you follow what I'm saying?

 

[Menelmarar]

So, you can use the upgrade disc as a clean win 7 install, using only the win 7 disc... do you follow what I'm saying?

No one knows. The upgrade licenses/discs haven't shipped to anyone yet. Oct. 22.

If Vista is any indication, then yes if you play the trick of a double install. However; MS may or may not have altered that.

 

[Catweazle]

I think most people on [H] would do that anyway though.

Yes, that is the required procedure, and yes, most (knowledgeable) people here would do it that way anyways.

But unfortunately not too many people seem to understand the difference between upgrading your 'license' (which is what you hand the money over to do) and upgrading your 'installation' (which is simply a practical procedural thing.)


Your actual question relates to the license upgrade of course, and the answer to it is, unfortunately, a wee bit complex.

In general, an upgraded license inherits the characteristics and legal restriction of the qualifying license upgraded from. It's a retail Vista license being upgraded from, so the end result ostensibly should be a retail license.

However the Upgrade package you are contemplating is an educational offering, so you need to determine precisely what additional restrictions may or may not be imposed in accordance with the program via which it is offered. The end result may be a 'personal use only' restriction. It may be an 'only whilst enrolled as a student' restriction. It may even be an 'evaluation purposes only' restriction. A link to the website where you saw the offer mentioned would be helpful, as that would help to track down the terms of use applicable.


Where two different licensing mechanisms come into play any additional restrictions imposed by one or the other will have effect.



Bear in mind, though, that this is a legality/legitimacy issue, not a practical issue. "Not allowed to" is not necessarily the same thing as "cannot". In actual fact, in a practicality sense, you'll almost certainly be able to use that upgrade media and install key (with a qualifying Windows install of course) to bung Windows 7 on any machine you choose to, and get it activated. Depending upon how long it has been since the previous activation, you may need to activate by telephone rather than internet auto-activate. But it will be a fully working install in every practical sense.

If you've breached license terms it'll simply not be a legal/legitimate install - just a working one!



But we can't be certain until we know precisely under which program the upgrade is being offered.

 

[AMDXP]

Yes, that is the required procedure, and yes, most (knowledgeable) people here would do it that way anyways.

But unfortunately not too many people seem to understand the difference between upgrading your 'license' (which is what you hand the money over to do) and upgrading your 'installation' (which is simply a practical procedural thing.)


Your actual question relates to the license upgrade of course, and the answer to it is, unfortunately, a wee bit complex.

In general, an upgraded license inherits the characteristics and legal restriction of the qualifying license upgraded from. It's a retail Vista license being upgraded from, so the end result ostensibly should be a retail license.

However the Upgrade package you are contemplating is an educational offering, so you need to determine precisely what additional restrictions may or may not be imposed in accordance with the program via which it is offered. The end result may be a 'personal use only' restriction. It may be an 'only whilst enrolled as a student' restriction. It may even be an 'evaluation purposes only' restriction. A link to the website where you saw the offer mentioned would be helpful, as that would help to track down the terms of use applicable.


Where two different licensing mechanisms come into play any additional restrictions imposed by one or the other will have effect.



Bear in mind, though, that this is a legality/legitimacy issue, not a practical issue. "Not allowed to" is not necessarily the same thing as "cannot". In actual fact, in a practicality sense, you'll almost certainly be able to use that upgrade media and install key (with a qualifying Windows install of course) to bung Windows 7 on any machine you choose to, and get it activated. Depending upon how long it has been since the previous activation, you may need to activate by telephone rather than internet auto-activate. But it will be a fully working install in every practical sense.

If you've breached license terms it'll simply not be a legal/legitimate install - just a working one!



But we can't be certain until we know precisely under which program the upgrade is being offered.

You write like a Lawyer. I like you.

 

[Catweazle]

Update: Just noticed the linky to this deal in AMDXP's thread.


That's most certainly a retail license being offered cheaply in that special deal. It'll be made available via a special download link so you can download the ISO image and burn it to DVD, and you'll get the option to order a genuine install disk to be sent to you. It's a retail license, but it doesn't come in the retail product packaging. Here in Australia such student promotional deals are handled on behalf of Microsoft by a mob called 'Digital River' who do the eCommerce for them and also supervise the download access. From a relevent FAQ there, in relation to other MS products offered in this way:

Are these products Academic license(s)/version(s)?

No, these are retail versions, which provide all the benefits you would receive if you bought it at the store.

 

[AMDXP]

So, it's a full re-tail disc and not an upgrade disc?

 

[B_Naughty]

So, it's a full re-tail disc and not an upgrade disc?

It sure looks like a Retail Upgrade copy, not full. As others have stated we don't know how that will impact the installation process yet. I'm wondering if I can install a copy now under an evaluation period then activate it with this key.

 

[Exley]

However the Upgrade package you are contemplating is an educational offering, so you need to determine precisely what additional restrictions may or may not be imposed in accordance with the program via which it is offered. The end result may be a 'personal use only' restriction. It may be an 'only whilst enrolled as a student' restriction. It may even be an 'evaluation purposes only' restriction. A link to the website where you saw the offer mentioned would be helpful, as that would help to track down the terms of use applicable.

Thanks for your responce! This is the offer i was refering to http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=1452604

 

[Catweazle]

Check out post #8 in the thread, Exley. I already noticed which 'offer' you were referring to and have given a fuller answer.

 

[Exley]

Check out post #8 in the thread, Exley. I already noticed which 'offer' you were referring to and have given a fuller answer.

Thanks I just wanted to put the link up for others looking for the offer or more details.

I understand that no one really knows until the upgrade media comes out, but can those that have done previous upgrades (like XP retail to Vista upgrade) verify that this worked in the past?