Windows 7 upgrade version without previous OS

Soldato
Joined
15 May 2010
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Out of Coventry
A mate of mine said he bought and downloaded the upgrade version of windows home professional 64bit using the student offer on at the time for £35 (now £45 so still cheaper).
He used this to get the OS on the new machine he built by apparently installing it as a trial version without entering the serial, and then updating the trail version using the serial he downloaded, he hasn't had any problems with it at all.

Bearing in mind this was towards the start of the year, I'm sceptical as to whether this will still work or not.
Does anyone have any experience/ideas with regards to if it will work or not. Also how legal is this process :s.

Could save be a lot of money so its certainly worth looking into
 
Soldato
Joined
17 Oct 2007
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3,800
To qualify for an Upgrade license of Windows 7, the system you're looking to install Windows 7 on needs to already be licensed to a legitimate copy of either Windows XP or Windows Vista and thus, your friend does not qualify for such a license. If he does install it on a brand new system, he will not be correctly licensed. Your friend really needs to purchase either an OEM or a Retail license of Windows 7.
 
Soldato
OP
Joined
15 May 2010
Posts
10,110
Location
Out of Coventry
To qualify for an Upgrade license of Windows 7, the system you're looking to install Windows 7 on needs to already be licensed to a legitimate copy of either Windows XP or Windows Vista and thus, your friend does not qualify for such a license. If he does install it on a brand new system, he will not be correctly licensed. Your friend really needs to purchase either an OEM or a Retail license of Windows 7.

How much is XP these days?
 
Soldato
Joined
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Bath
Back when XP was new I bought an upgrade version of it (as I really was upgrading!) but as I'd FDISK'dmy HDD (might even have been when I OCD DBAN'd it!) it of-course couldn't find my install of ME. Took the XP disc out (this was back in the day of only having one optical drive) and stuck the ME disc in and pointed the XP install to that as the previous version. Then once it was happy with that swap the XP disc back in, and Robert is your mother's brother.....

This was all back in the olden days mind, so it could have changed. And if you’re not upgrading you shouldn’t be using the upgrade license!
 
Soldato
Joined
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How much is XP these days?

You'd be very lucky to find it anywhere for sale. It was like hen's teeth before 7 was released, wouldn't even want to attempt to find it now!

Will you transfer a couple of £100 into my account if I find it? Really? Excellent.

Found it!!!!! :D:p

How much is XP these days?

Going by the prices on Overclockers, you can get a Windows 7 Home Premium OEM license for a couple of pound more and a Windows 7 Home Premium Retail license for £12 more. If you're going to purchase either license though, I would go for the Retail one. :)
 
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