Bruce Baker

There’s a bit of a tempest in a teapot brewing over what one can and can’t do with a Windows 7 upgrade disk.

My hope with this post is to help things simmer down as opposed to boiling over, but we’ll see. So here goes.

The upgrade version of Windows 7 (as opposed to the higher-price full version) lets one move from any properly licensed version of Windows XP or Windows Vista to Windows 7 on that same computer. Only certain of these upgrades, however, can be done as a simple update–what Microsoft calls an “in-place upgrade.” Users moving from Windows XP, switching from 32-bit to 64-bit versions, or moving from a higher-end version of Vista to a lower-end version of Windows 7 can use an upgrade disc but will have to do a more cumbersome upgrade, known as a custom, or “clean,” installation.

The difference between an in-place upgrade and a “clean” installation, in this instance, means backing up one’s data, installing Windows 7, restoring the data, and reinstalling all Windows programs. Windows 7 upgrade disks can be used to do this clean installation and will recognize the previously installed version of Windows. So if you don’t have any previously installed Windows on the machine, you will want to get yourself a full copy of Windows 7.

While it might be technically possible to use the upgrade disks to do an installation of Windows 7 without a previous version, doing so, as Microsoft points out, is not properly licensed.

Some of the confusion has come after enthusiasts noted a way to get an upgrade disc to install on a fully erased hard drive.

Again, the main issue here is whether one is properly licensed to do so. If you have a licensed copy of Windows XP or Vista for that computer, you are good to go, and Microsoft technical support should be able to help you activate that machine. If not, you may be able to get it to install, but you could well run into technical or legal hurdles.

I think that ZDNet blogger Ed Bott put it well in his post on this topic:

The answer is really simple. If you qualify for an upgrade license, then yes, you can use any number of work-arounds to install the operating system legally. If you don’t qualify for an upgrade license, then those same workarounds might technically succeed, but your license is not valid.

Will you get away with it? Probably. But if you’re running a business, you run the risk that an employee will turn you in to the Business Software Alliance, which could lead to an audit, civil charges, and eventually some stiff penalties.

It should also be pointed out that beta test and pre-release versions of Windows don’t count as a previously licensed version of Windows, but if you have the RC installed over a previous version, for example, you can do a custom upgrade rather than having to reinstall XP or Vista before installing 7. (The upgrade version can detect the previous versions used before Windows 7.)

Nor is it allowed to count the version of Windows that came installed on a previously bought PC, if that’s not the machine you’re upgrading. (Retail boxed copies can be transferred from one machine to another; ones that came pre-installed on the PC are licensed only for that machine.)

This is also relevant to Mac users who want to run Windows 7 on their machines. Such users also need to have a previously licensed full copy of Windows to properly qualify for upgrade pricing, whether they are using Windows in Boot Camp or using a virtualization product like Parallels or VMWare’s Fusion.

I hope that this overview helps more than it adds to the confusion. Either way, please let me know.

During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina.

Windows 7 upgrade version: The dos and don’ts | Beyond Binary – CNET News.

Upgrade type: Custom

While there were once valid reasons for skipping 64-bit versions of Windows, those reasons have disappeared over the past year or so. As a result, it should come as no surprise that many Windows users are now interested in upgrading their 32-bit version of Windows XP or Vista to a 64-bit version of Windows 7. And because all retail versions of Windows 7 Upgrade come with both 32-bit and 64-bit Setup discs, it would seem that doing so is both supported and straightforward.

Well, it’s neither: Microsoft does not support a traditional, in-place upgrade of any 32-bit version of Windows to any 64-bit version of Windows. (Well, I guess that statement is technically straightforward. So maybe they’re 1 for 2.)

Here’s what you’ll see if you try to use your Upgrade version of Windows 7 Setup media to go from a 32-bit version of Windows Vista/XP to a 64-bit version of Windows 7.

But don’t despair. If you are the owner of a valid, activated copy of Windows XP or Vista (32-bit), you can still migrate to a 64-bit version of Windows 7. As with other Windows migrations, this process involves four steps:

1. Backup your valuable data, settings, and other information. You can use the Windows Easy Transfer utility, included on the Windows 7 Setup disc, to accomplish this.

2. Boot the PC with the 64-bit Windows 7 Upgrade media and perform a “Custom” install type, wiping out your old Windows install in the process and replacing it with a new Windows 7 install.

3. Reapply your data, settings, and other information to the new Windows 7 install by using the Windows Easy Transfer utility, which is included with Windows 7.

4. Manually reinstall all of the applications you were previously using.

The big difference between this type of migration and the one we discussed in Scenario 1 (Upgrade from a Higher-End Vista/XP Version to a Lower-End Windows 7 Version) is that, this time, you’ll launch Setup by booting the PC with the Windows 7 Upgrade media. In the previous scenario, we started Setup from within the previous OS.

Triggering Setup this way changes a few things. When you reach the “Where do you want to install Windows?” phase, where you choose between Upgrade and Custom, you will still need to choose Custom. But, unlike with Scenario 1, you get the advanced options (delete, format, and so on) in the disk partitioning phase. What you choose here is important. If you simply choose the system disk (e.g. the disk on which your previous OS is currently installed), you’ll get the familiar warning message noting that Setup will backup your old install in the Windows.old folder structure. However, if you wipe out the disk by formatting and/or deleting it, no Windows.old folder structure will be created. And there are worries that Windows 7 won’t activate if you do wipe out the old install.

Fortunately, I’ve tried it both ways. And both ways have worked for me. That is, Windows 7 activates in both cases, which is what you’re looking for. However, I recommend not wiping out the previous install by formatting or deleting the partition with the current Windows version. Instead, simply choose the existing partition and let Setup create windows.old. Once Windows 7 is up, running, and activated, you can choose to delete windows.old to regain the disk space (which could be many, many gigabytes.) It’s better to be safe than sorry. (Imagine how awful it would be if you wiped out the old install and then Windows 7 wouldn’t activate. Well. I actually do have two workarounds for that too. See Methods 2 and 3 in this article.)

More soon…

–Paul Thurrott
October 28, 2009

By: Nicholas Kolakowski

2009-10-29

Microsoft posts a response to information drifting around the Internet that Windows 7, its new operating system, can be installed using an upgrade disk on a blank hard drive. Such an installation would violate Microsoft’s End User License Agreement, and Microsoft insists that this is illegal. The large number of full Windows licenses already in circulation may prevent this so-called hack from becoming a huge issue.

In response to news that the Windows 7 upgrade disk can be used to install the entire operating system on a blank hard drive, Microsoft issued a firm message: Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

Microsoft, of course, would like the community to follow its EULA (End User License Agreement), which stipulates that in order to upgrade a user must already have a “qualifying full license” attached to a previous version of Windows.

However, a number of blog and message-board posts circulating on the Web since Windows 7’s Oct. 22 launch have suggested that if a Windows user wants to save anywhere from $74 to $91 (based on Amazon.com’s prices), he or she can purchase a Windows 7 upgrade disk in place of the full version. From there, a number of paths exist for loading the upgrade onto a blank hard drive and then using that as a basis for activating the Windows 7’s full package product version.

Resource Library:

Windows 7 in Government: Streamlined IT Management Reaps Cost Savings

Stop the IT/User Tug-of-War with Microsoft’s Windows Optimized Desktop

Best Practices for Windows 7 Migrations Using Microsoft Application Virtualizati

How to Drive Down IT Costs by Leveraging Next Generation Virtualization on Windo

But those doing so will risk the wrath of Redmond.

“When you purchase software, you are purchasing the rights to run the software according to the terms of the End User License Agreement … that comes with that software,” Eric Ligman, global partner experience lead for Microsoft Worldwide Partner Group, wrote in an Oct. 27 post on the Microsoft SMB Community Blog.

“When these posts and write-ups state that you can install clean from an Upgrade piece of software and they fail to mention that you need to own a qualifying software license to be legal to use the Upgrade software for installation,” Ligman continued, “they give the impression that because it is technically possible, it is legal to do so.”

It is, apparently, not.

“For you, Windows 7 is available preinstalled on PCs around the world,” Ligman told anyone tempted to engage in any sort of “special” upgrading. “Or you can purchase a full Windows license from one of the many Microsoft Partners we have, or you can download it today.”

Despite any cost savings that might be achieved by installing an upgrade without a previous license, the “hack”—as Ligman terms it—may not prove to be huge problem for Microsoft, considering the massive number of Windows users who already own full Windows XP or Windows Vista licenses.

via Microsoft Says No to Windows 7 Upgrade ‘Hack’.

Offers customers option to download disk image after error stymies upgrade

By Gregg Keizer

October 27, 2009 06:31 AM ET

Computerworld – Microsoft executives yesterday acknowledged that they were surprised by the snafu that prevented some college students from upgrading their Vista PCs to Windows 7, but said the company had taken steps to remedy the problem.

“I would say that the way that customers were taking advantage of the student offer was somewhat of a surprise,” said Ben Bennett, the director of Microsoft’s Windows consumer global support group. “We didn’t think there would be a large demand for upgrades from 32-bit to 64-bit.”

The problem, which Bennett confirmed has been one of the leading issues Microsoft’s support staff has faced since Windows 7’s launch last Thursday, popped up when students tried to upgrade a 32-bit version of Vista to a 64-bit edition of the new operating system. The copy of Windows 7 they had downloaded from Minneapolis-based Digital River — which fulfills download orders for Microsoft’s $29.99 Windows 7 upgrade offer to students — stalled with an error message when users tried to upgrade.

Microsoft does not support an “in-place” upgrade from 32- to 64-bit, or vice versa, on any edition of Windows 7. In a message posted to the company’s support forum last weekend, a Microsoft support engineer said that the error, which appeared when the downloaded .exe file users would not “unpack,” was part of a “by design” process to block impossible upgrades.

Monday, Bennett defended Microsoft’s decision to offer only the packed .exe file to students, but said that the company would soon add the option to download an .iso file, as it does for customers ordering a Windows 7 download from its own online store.

“In the Windows ecosystem, there are hundreds of possible configurations, and we tuned [the discount] to students who were updating to 32-bit Windows 7,” Bennett said, adding that Microsoft believed that path was the one that the majority of students would take. “We think hard about how our customers are going to take advantage of our offers, but we never get it exactly right,” Bennett admitted.

Microsoft plans to tweak the student discount to account for users who want to migrate from 32-bit Vista to 64-bit Windows 7. “We’re obviously seeing people who want to upgrade to 64-bit,” said Bennett. “That’s good feedback, so let’s respond.”

Bennett said Microsoft and Digital River would offer the option of downloading an .iso file, which customers can then burn to a DVD or copy to a USB flash drive for conducting a “clean” upgrade, the only type of upgrade possible from 32-bit to 64-bit. A clean upgrade, also the only one allowed for Windows XP users, requires users to back up data and settings, install Windows 7, then restore the data and settings before finally reinstalling all applications.

via Third Day Web Designs.

Microsoft’s ad campaign is a lie. Let’s set the record straight about who really shaped the Windows 7 development process

Windows 7 was made by you. Windows 7 was made by me. Windows 7 was made by Wally down in accounting. By Beverly in sales. By Joe in building maintenance. Windows 7 was made by all of us millions of beta testers who eagerly shared our feedback and helped shape Microsoft’s new OS into the marvel it is today!

At least that’s what the company wants everyone to believe. However, those of us who actively participated in the beta process — either officially, as part of the formal beta program, or unofficially by grabbing and testing every wayward build leak — know the real story.

[ Get InfoWorld's 21-page hands-on look at the new version of Windows, from InfoWorld’s editors and contributors. | Find out what's new, what's wrong, and what's good about Windows 7 in InfoWorld's "Windows 7: The essential guide." ]

For example, we know that, despite Microsoft’s feel-good message about customer input, the truth is that Windows 7 was created largely through a hermetically sealed development process driven by Stephen Sinofsky and a select group of his closest advisers.

We also know that major design decisions — like the new task bar — were finalized months, if not years, before the first milestone builds leaked. And we know that, despite a massive public beta program, virtually nothing in the OS changed from the time it was first made available in January until the final bits were frozen in July.

The truth is that Microsoft’s entire marketing campaign for Windows 7 is predicated on a lie. The company spin machine claims an unprecedented level of customer involvement, while our own truth detectors tell us that the exact opposite is true: Microsoft ignored the Windows community like never before with Windows 7. Even its “private” beta testers — the exclusive group Microsoft invited to test the OS and then very publicly ignored — are on the record as complaining about the lack of access.

Now to be fair, Microsoft probably didn’t need a lot of input to figure out what it had to accomplish with Windows 7. Vista was and is a spectacular flop, and its many warts — sluggishness, instability, an overbearing security model — are still visible for all to see. As product lifecycles go, Vista’s was dead on arrival; Microsoft executives have admitted as much in interview after interview.

via Third Day Web Designs.

By: Nicholas Kolakowski

2009-10-26

Microsoft and partner Digital River are working to solve the problem of users experiencing download and install errors with the Windows 7 student edition. Recent messages on the Microsoft Answers forum seem to indicate that many of those users attempted to download and install a 64-bit version of Windows 7 onto machines running 32-bit versions of Windows operating systems.

For some of those who ordered Microsoft’s Windows 7 student edition for $29.99, the low price is coming with a heap of download issues.

A number of customers have experienced installation failure with the upgrade, which comes through e-commerce company Digital River. As the installation reaches the “Unloading the Box” phase, various error messages pop up, including “We are unable to create or save new files in the folder in which this application was downloaded” and “This version of the file is not compatible with the version of Windows you’re running.”

According to a message posted by Microsoft on the Microsoft Answers forum, that particular error message hits users attempting to download and install the 64-bit version of Windows 7 onto a machine running a 32-bit version of Windows such as XP or Vista 32-bit.

Microsoft and Digital River are continuing to explore why some customers are experiencing messages that say, “An error has occurred. Unspecified answer,” or else stalled downloads. Microsoft has also offered a help link to a Digital River site here.

Resource Library:

Stop the IT/User Tug-of-War with Microsoft’s Windows Optimized Desktop

Best Practices for Windows 7 Migrations Using Microsoft Application Virtualizati

The Hidden Costs of Data Migration

SaaS Solutions for Remote Systems Management

A Microsoft spokesperson suggested in an e-mail to eWEEK that only “a small number of customers” were experiencing what the company termed “challenges” with the download.

“We are working with Digital River to provide an ISO file option for future purchases, which will allow customers to install more easily for this scenario. Customers that contacted Digital River with this issue will be proactively contacted with the details on how to download the ISO,” the Microsoft spokesperson added. “We hope to have this available as part of the download process within the next few days.”

Despite the reported issues with Windows 7 student edition, reviews of Microsoft’s new operating system have generally been positive. In order to help avoid the problems that initially plagued Vista, Microsoft enlisted some 8 million beta testers for Windows 7, eventually producing a platform generally agreed to be stable on a wide variety of desktops and laptops. Despite later service packs that fixed many user issues, Vista never managed to shake its reputation as a memory-intensive and application-incompatible system, a situation that Microsoft seemed particularly anxious to avoid this time around.

A backup DVD with a custom install is also being made available to customers for a $13 fee.

On Microsoft’s Answers forum, the messages posted were understandably irate.

“Has anyone [spoken] to a customer service rep? I’ve had –zero- luck getting hold of an actual person from Digital River or Microsoft,” wrote one user.

In its attempt to disseminate its new operating system as widely as possible, Microsoft has been giving users the option of downloading Windows 7 onto their computers. Timed to Windows 7’s Oct. 22 launch, Microsoft also offered owners of the ever-popular netbooks the ability to download a version of Windows 7 from Microsoft’s revamped online store onto a bootable USB or DVD.

via Third Day Web Designs.

By Rick Broida

October 26, 2009 03:21 PM ET

PC World – Here’s what happened last week in case you missed it: Instead of performing an in-place upgrade to Windows 7 or wiping my hard drive and starting with a fresh install, I’m making the move at my own pace.

The hardest part was partioning my hard drive (as described in Part 2), which, thankfully, has ample room for both Windows Vista and Windows 7. And the only hard part there was running a third-party disk-defragmenting utility so Vista would give me all the available space.

With that step done, it was time for the next one: installing Windows 7. All I did was reboot my PC with my 7 disc in the drive, then follow the boot-screen option to Press any key to boot from CD.

(If you don’t see a similar option upon booting, you may need to venture into the BIOS to change the boot order, with your CD/DVD drive ahead of the hard drive. Consult your system manual if you don’t know how to do that.)

Once the Windows 7 installer starts running, just follow the prompts–making sure to choose the Custom option when asked which type of installation you want. Next, you’ll have to choose where to install Windows 7. Select New Simple Volume, which is the partition you created previously.

Now go get a cup of coffee. My install went pretty quickly–about 20 minutes in all–but yours could take twice as long depending on the speed of your system.

When it’s all done and you restart your PC, you’ll immediately see a menu with two boot options: Windows 7 and your previous version of Windows. Choose the former to start working the new the OS, the latter when you need to get back to your stuff.

In the coming days, we’ll talk about reinstalling software, migrating data, and more.

via Migrate to Windows 7–Slowly, Part 3.

By Rick Broida

October 23, 2009 06:09 PM ET

PC World – As I wrote the other day, I’m making my way to Windows 7 a little bit at a time. It’s getting a fresh install on a new hard-drive partition, then a gradual load of software, settings, and data.

If you’re interested in taking the same approach, your first step needs to be partitioning your hard drive. Vista has a built-in partitioning tool, but you may need third-party software to take full advantage of it. (Windows XP users should check out Easeus Partition Manager, a free utility.)

Keep in mind that this requires a reasonably large drive, preferably one with at least 50GB of free space–more if you have a lot of video files and other data you’ll be copying over from the old partition. (On my system, which has a 750GB drive, I’m creating a 300GB partition for Windows 7.) Here’s how:

1. To create a new partition in Vista, click the Start button, type diskmgmt.msc, and press Enter to open the Disk Management utility.

2. In the Volume column, find your C: drive, right-click it, and choose Shrink Volume.

3. Vista will calculate how much “shrinkage” is allowed. And here’s where you may run into trouble. My aforementioned 750GB drive had close to 400GB free, but Disk Management was willing to shrink the partition by only about 80GB. That would have been fine, but I wanted more breathing room. Thus, I turned to PerfectDisk, a drive-defragmenting utility that can perform the all-important function of moving system files to the beginning of the partition, thus freeing up much more of the available space. (You can find out more in this Ghacks post.)

4. With that step done (or not, if you’re okay with Vista’s default findings), enter a size for your new volume (I entered 300000 for 300GB, for example) and click OK. After a few minutes, Disk Management will show you a new “Unallocated” space on your drive.

5. Right click Unallocated, choose New Simple Volume, and then follow the steps indicated by the utility.

When you’re done, you’ll have a brand spankin’ new partition that’s ready to receive Windows 7. I’ll cover that part of the process next week. Stay tuned!

via Migrate to Windows 7–Slowly, Part 2.

Migrate to Windows 7–Slowly

Rick Broida

Oct 21, 2009 6:17 pm

I’m a dip-a-toe-in-the-water kind of guy. Although I’ve been playing with Windows 7 for a couple months now, I’m not quite ready to dive in. I want to make a more gradual move, keeping my Vista-based PC up and running while I slowly transition to the new OS.

Why? I have my reasons. For one thing, I don’t want any driver- or software-related surprises. An all-at-once move could leave me with programs that don’t run or even a system that won’t boot.

What’s more, I don’t have a full afternoon to devote to the tedious process of offloading my data, installing Windows 7, reinstalling all my apps, restoring the data, and so on and so on.

So I’ve come up with a plan. Instead of wiping my system for a fresh install or doing an in-place upgrade from Vista to 7, I’m going to get the best of both worlds.

First, I’m going to partition my hard drive–which, thankfully, has more than enough room to accommodate both Vista and 7.

Then I’m going to load 7 onto the new partition, which will give me a fresh install (always the best approach, in my humble opinion).

Next, I’ll make sure 7 “agrees” with all my hardware and peripherals. Assuming it does, I’ll start installing the apps I use daily and copying over my data from the Vista partition.

Because I’ll be running a dual-boot setup for awhile, I’ll bop back into Vista as needed–for games I’m halfway through playing, for instance, and for any apps that aren’t running quite right in Windows 7.

Eventually, after a few weeks (or even months), I’ll shrink down and ultimately remove the Vista partition. I’ll need to figure out how to make 7 the primary partition so I don’t run into boot issues, but that’s a problem for a much later day.

And that’s my solution in a nutshell. Stay tuned for more details on each individual step of the process, like how to create a partition and install Windows 7 on it. Who knows? This might turn out to be the ideal option for you as well. In the meantime, don’t miss Lincoln Spector’s indispensable How to Upgrade to Windows 7.

via Migrate to Windows 7–Slowly – PC World.

Spotty support for networked all-in-one printers in particular may be a testing, QA, and certification issue; some notebook drivers aren’t yet available either

Back in July, when there were premature rumors of Windows 7’s RTM, I observed that my 64-bit desktop couldn’t scan from my HP networked all-in-one printer, although it could print. Any hope that Microsoft and HP would surprise me by releasing working drivers for all devices supported by Windows Vista in time for the official Windows 7 release have been dashed, and those who rely heavily on peripherals may be frustrated by their Windows 7 experience for some time.

Yesterday, with the official release of Windows 7, the drivers download page for my printer showed Windows 7 32-bit and 64-bit links for drivers. In both cases, the “driver” is just a notice: “Installing the Product with the USB Cable and Using the Driver Located in Windows 7 Until the Product Driver is Available for Download.” The work-around is unsatisfactory, and the projected date for the “real” product driver is “late January 2010.”

[ Get the full scoop on the new Windows 7 with InfoWorld's "Windows 7: The essential guide" compendium and the 21-page "Windows 7 Deep Dive" PDF report. ]

I’m surprised, but not pleasantly. I’m also sympathetic, but in a limited way. There was supposed to be plenty of time for vendors to upgrade their drivers from Windows Vista to Windows 7. On the other hand, the driver certification process for Windows 7 is more rigorous than was the driver certification process for Windows Vista.

Is this a widespread problem? Not compared to the driver situation at the Vista launch. At that time, many people couldn’t even print, including Steve Sinofsky, who is currently running the Windows division at Microsoft. That situation evoked memories of IBM OS/2; as I recall, people couldn’t print for years unless they caved in and bought supported IBM printers. (I kept my HP LaserJet II and booted to Windows 3 when I needed to print.)

As it stands, I can print with Windows 7 and have been able to since the Windows 7 beta; I can even print over the network. I could also scan from my Windows 7 PC if I wanted to connect the all-in-one with a USB cable; I don’t want to do that, since I can scan from the other PCs on my network — or from this PC, if I rebooted to Ubuntu. I haven’t tried installing the XP drivers for this device into XP compatibility mode on Windows 7; that would be another avenue if you experience similar difficulties accessing your peripherals.

A spot check of other all-in-one printer-line-support Web sites suggests that Brother doesn’t yet support Windows 7 for its networked all-in-ones, but Epson has. Further spot checks tell me that not all notebook drivers have made it through QA in time for the Windows 7 launch: HP’s Web site lists all its notebooks that support or will support Windows 7. HP notebook series not on the list won’t include support for Windows 7.

In short, the driver situation for Windows 7 isn’t as bad as it could be, but it hasn’t been smooth. Are you missing Windows 7 drivers for your hardware? If so, what is your work-around plan?

This story, “Windows 7 driver support remains dicey,” was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Follow the latest developments in Windows and Windows 7 at InfoWorld.com.

via Windows 7 driver support remains dicey | Developer World – InfoWorld.

via Third Day Web Designs.