Right, currently I own a laptop and desktop. My laptop is running Vista Home Premium at the moment, however, came with windows XP Professional installed and such I have this CD key sitting idle. My desktop has been running windows 7 RC for quite a while now and I have come to like it and as such am looking to formalise this. As a student I have the option to purchase the UPGRADE version Windows 7 Home Premium and Professional for the same price. If I am not mistaken I would need a previous home/professional CD key in order to make this legitimate. As mentioned I have my XP one still available. I have no problems buying it, however, as a poor student; my question is that: My flatmate has already got an upgrade DVD for Windows 7 Professional. Can I simply use his and insert my old XP serial?
Don't use upgrade media. Really. You'll be forced to have a previous OS installed. Meaning every time you want to "Upgrade" to 7, you need to load XP or Vista first. Second, an XP key is valid for XP, and XP alone. You can't use it for 7. You'll need a 7 serial for that. If you're a student, have a sulk about MSDNAA - you should be able to get W7-Pro for the equivalent of $30.
What you can't do is use your XP key in place of a Win7 key, if that's what you're asking. Btw, do you need to have an OS installed first? I remember with 98 and XP, if you were using an upgrade XP CD, you could use it to perform a fresh install and it'd only ask to read the 98 cd momentarily.
I'm pretty sure the answer to that is no. I've got Vista x64 HP on my desktop at the moment, and the student W7 x64 Pro disc literally on my desk's top. When I bought the latter it said I would not under any circumstance be able to upgrade from the former; I have to do a format and clean installation (which I would've done anyway). If I am expressly prohibited from upgrading from an existing installation, there's no way they require you to have it pre-installed. It may be that it will require my Vista software key, though. Not sure, we'll wait and see.
Nope sorry. Since Windows 7, Microsoft allows clean install of Windows 7 UPGRADE. This was done because MANY people have OEM computer without their XP or Vista disk, therefor can't re-install it. Some OEMs doesn't even provide an image disk. All you get is some software on the desktop to do an image, and by most average computer user, their XP is currently packed with junk and probably damaged OS. You want to backup that?! I don't think so. Or if they have a "recovery partition" it's probably gone due to a new HDD. Also it was done for users that requires to do a clean install, because they had a 32-bit OS, or XP, or 2000, and booted Windows setup form the disk, and hit on the format button. To do this, follow "method #2" on the following page. This is no hack... it was purposely put under Win7, and these instruction comes from Microsoft. http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/clean_install_upgrade_media.asp
Hah, don't hold your breath. I need my monthly download allowance for L4D2, a new OS and assorted installers is going to have to wait. The general consensus is that you can do a clean install but you might need your current OS's key. There are ways of getting that out of the OS if it's not already written on a sticker somewhere on your computer.
if you are a student you might want to try this: http://www.microsoft.com/uk/education/studentoffer/ for 30 quid you get the FULL version of windows 7 HP or Pro (disregard what it says about it being an upgrade). This will let you do a clean install.
Oh so it is the full version. Useless descriptions I was looking at this deal when I said I could get it. Thanks for the responses guys and I won't be holding my breath Silver xD
