Windows 7 Can you buy license for RC1 to keep it before expiration?

[kbouter]

Since I have been beta testing Win 7 Ultimate and now have RC1 as my OS, I would like to be able to just purchase a license for it and prevent the expiration in August 2010.

Is there any difference between RC1 & OEM or store bought Win 7?

If not, can I just buy the new license & some how apply it before expiration?

If it is better to get the store version, can I somehow use the existing install or will I need to clean install.

I always prefer the clean install but would like to know.

Thanx

 

[Highwayman]

the Rc is exactly that...and obviously it didnt pass to RTM so has bugs or missing features that RTM 7600 has got....therefore yes a proper copy freshly installed is the way to go.

 

[busydog]

the Rc is exactly that...and obviously it didnt pass to RTM so has bugs or missing features that RTM 7600 has got....therefore yes a proper copy freshly installed is the way to go.

I agree with Highwayman that a fresh install is the best way but if you have spent hours and hours in setting up RC1 and don't want to do that again, there are ways to upgrade RC1 to RTM. Just do a search in this forum for the necessary steps. Unless you think you need Ultimate, you can upgrade with HomePremium (again, search for the necessary steps). There are those that will either say it is not possible to upgrade RC1 or insist even if it is possible, you want to do a clean install. I happen to believe there is a time and place for either method. It's your call.

 

[kbouter]

That is great information.

I will do the fresh install.
Will the upgrade version of pro, home or ultimate work since it is a fresh install or do I need to get the full version of one of these?

I have read much on installations but still uncertain of this.

 

[busydog]

That is great information.

I will do the fresh install.
Will the upgrade version of pro, home or ultimate work since it is a fresh install or do I need to get the full version of one of these?

I have read much on installations but still uncertain of this.

You can do a clean install with an upgrade disk of your choice, e.g. HomePremium. (Again the steps to do that are in this forum.) You can install once w/o a s/n followed by a registry hack or install w/o a s/n and then install on top of that with a s/n.

 

[kbouter]

Excellent.

Exactly what i needed to know.

Thank you all so much for the direction.

 

[kbouter]

Excellent.

Exactly what I needed to know.

Thank you all so much for the direction.

 

[kbouter]

I have been reading on the OEM version which in my case would be a white box, system builder. Can this be done without the OPK?
If not, can an OPK be acquired?

• As with the royalty OEM versions, your copy of Windows is locked to the PC on which it is installed and cannot be transferred to a PC, nor can the motherboard be upgraded.
• Under the terms of its agreement with Microsoft, the OEM must use the Windows OEM Preinstallation Kit (OPK) to install Windows. When you first turn on the PC, you accept a license agreement with the OEM and with Microsoft. The OEM is required to provide support for your copy of Windows.
• Activation of your new PC is required within 30 days. The product key should already have been entered as part of the OPK installation and activation should be automatic and transparent to you.
• Although it is possible for an individual to buy a System Builder copy of Windows 7 and install it on a new PC, that scenario is specifically prohibited by the license agreement, which requires that the software be installed using the OPK and then resold to a non-related third party. (As I noted in a September 2008 post, Microsoft once allowed “hobbyistsâ€Â￾ to use OEM System Builder software to build their own PCs, but the company switched to a hard-line stance on this issue sometime after Vista shipped in early 2007.)
• When you purchase a white-box PC from a system builder, the PC maker preinstalls the Windows version you purchased. The package you receive includes reinstallation media and a product key that is similar to a full packaged product but cannot be used for an in-place upgrade. You may or may not receive both 32-bit and 64-bit media. If you receive both types of media, you can switch from 32-bit to 64-bit Windows or vice versa by performing a custom reinstall using your product key.