Thread: Windows 7 Upgrade

Microsoft will generally send you a 64-bit disc for the cost of shipping if you purchased a 32-bit version. At least that's what they did with Vista. I don't see why they wouldn't do the same for 7.

Originally Posted by WileECyte

Microsoft will generally send you a 64-bit disc for the cost of shipping if you purchased a 32-bit version. At least that's what they did with Vista. I don't see why they wouldn't do the same for 7.

Well all of this came as a surprise from me cuz I had red someplace that there was no "one disk" for Windows 7.

Am I to assume that a 32 bit key will work for a 64 bit version? Say it ain't so...

Yes. The key from 32-bit works for 64-bit and vice versa.

Originally Posted by Cybs

Am I to assume that a 32 bit key will work for a 64 bit version? Say it ain't so...

Originally Posted by Veovis

a home premium key will work for either 32 or 64 home premium.

Round and round we go...

Originally Posted by WileECyte

I just got my W7 upgrade disc from ASUS for my laptop. Instead of using it, I tried installing from my W7 Home Premium OEM CD I got for my desktop and just used the upgrade key printed on the envelope. Low and behold. A clean install of Windows 7 with none of the ASUS crapware installed. Just activated the computer online and didn't have to call the 800 number. Good to know it works.

Here's something strange.

As I already reported, I had a similar experience as you with my Win7 "upgrade" from HP for my lappy.

But my fiancee's lappy is about a year old (i.e. before free upgrade promo started), so to get her Win7 we had to sign her up for the Digital River upgrade for students ($30 for Home Premium upgrade). They gave us a key and a link to an iso that we were supposed to use for clean installs. Well, just for the hell of it, I used my other retail disc to clean install instead, and then entered the key. Got an error "this key is only good for upgrades, not clean installs." Grr. Downloaded the "upgrade clean install" (oxymoron) iso from Digital River, burnt it, and did another clean install that way. Used the key, it worked fine. Very strange. So somehow that disc is different, in that it installs an "upgrade OS" that allows "upgrade keys"... but you can do it as a clean install so the whole thing makes no sense.

Well, I'd imagine that the key that most OEMs give you for their "upgrades" is a full license key... Since that's generally what they deal with.

On a side note, I had to rebuild my in-laws' PC and used an OEM copy of XP Home with the key on their PC and it installed & activated fine.

Originally Posted by WileECyte

Well, I'd imagine that the key that most OEMs give you for their "upgrades" is a full license key... Since that's generally what they deal with.

Exactly, so why when I installed from a retail Home Premium disc was I told the key couldn't be used for clean installs?

But when I installed from the downloaded Digital River iso (a CLEAN install) the key worked?

Originally Posted by Veovis

Originally Posted by WileECyte

Well, I'd imagine that the key that most OEMs give you for their "upgrades" is a full license key... Since that's generally what they deal with.

Exactly, so why when I installed from a retail Home Premium disc was I told the key couldn't be used for clean installs?

But when I installed from the downloaded Digital River iso (a CLEAN install) the key worked?

I'd imagine that the keys from Digital River are flagged a certain way to prevent them from being used by anyone not having the ISO directly from Digital River. Microsoft is likely uber paranoid about those keys since it's digital distribution that's out of their direct control.