Windows 7 REINSTALL Vista to prepare for Windows 7 RC

[oscarjk58]

Link Removed due to 404 Error Looks like we are going to have to earn RC.

 

[PurpleHaze420]

It's not too much of a biggy, always do a clean install. Never been a fan of "upgrading" OS's anyhow, let-alone upgrading a BETA release with another BETA release, is always going to end up buggy.

 

[Kyle]

... there's also this thing called a clean install.

 

[oscarjk58]

My upgrades went well but I'll do a clean install this time. The "scars in fine leather" discription doesn't sound too good for an OS!

 

[djwayne]

Interesting. I already have a hard drive set up with a fresh install of Vista with SP1, so I'm ready to go. I agree, that a clean install, not an upgrade is the best and most trouble free way to set up a hard drive. So we'll see what becomes available.

 

[Macguier]

I agree with everyone that a clean install is best, especially for this release. But I see no reason why we should be required to reinstall Vista first, especially if we're just wiping the partition to install the RC.

I will do a clean install, but if MS does offer a way that I don't have to reinstall Vista on my 7 partition, that's the route I'm going. Then, I'll just wipe and install 7.

 

[Radenight]

If you do a clean install than you won't have to install Vista first.. hence the term.. CLEAN INSTALL... If you were to install Vista first then Windows 7 RC that would be upgrading... I think what they mean to say is don't upgrade from the beta builds to the RC... Most would so they word it this way to help avoid that problem.. I'm willing to bet this forum will be polluted with threads of people whining that the RC isn't working right because they didn't do a clean install and tried to upgrade from build 7xxx to the RC and it didn't work.. just watch, there will be..

 

[Macguier]

Yup, I agree with you (about the whining that will happen).

However, the way the linked article reads above is that MS wants us to wipe and install Vista even before a clean install:

"We want to encourage you to revert to a Vista image and upgrade or to do a clean install, rather than upgrade the existing beta," Microsoft said in the blog.

I guess that doesn't say it's required, but I just want someone to say expressly that if I'm wiping a partition for this, I shouldn't have to install another OS before I do that.

 

[Radenight]

Yeah that's right.. you shouldn't have to install one OS just to install another OS, I don't know why they would say that other than like I said, they know just as well as you or I do that there are alot of people out there using the beta's that wouldn't even bother and would just upgrade from one beta to the RC, resulting in errors and who knows what else.. which of course would lead to bad publicity for Microsoft... And I guess they want to see how well the upgrading process will go from Vista to 7 too... But still I know I'm not doing it that way.. Clean install (without Vista installed first) for me!

 

[jimbo45]

Hi all -- I think the reason you *might* need to re-install VISTA is that you can qualify for an UPGRADE price for W7 rather than pay the full retail price.

You'll still be able to do a "Clean install" but the DVD will probably insist that it's actually started from the VIST aystem -- it will then make a Windows.Old folder (like now) which you can delete.

If you boot directly from the DVD and do a clean install without an intital VISTA installation you will surely get a problem when trying to activate as it will say "This copy of Windows is only licensed as an Upgrade version".

I had the same issues with a VISTA ULTIMATE upgrade disk.

Cheers
jimbo

 

[intwtl]

Oh, Well, OK,

I will first try to do a clean install and if a vista installation is REALLY necessary I'll just install it without any of my programs then upgrade. I'm certainly not jumping up and down with joy if I have to re-install vista but if that's what it takes so be it.

When the retail comes out I will certainly do a complete clean installation.

Let's just hope for the best !!!!

 

[Macguier]

So I'm assuming that will work in a dual-boot system then. I can boot from Vista in partition 1 and then do clean install in partition 2? If so, that's exactly what I want to do, so I'll be happy!

 

[Rammitt]

Initial thoughts.....

I have to admit, after using Win 7 for a month, it is everything that Vista should have been and more.
Vista reminds me very much of Millenium (ME), and that was an appaling OS. Microsoft have had more than enough time and practice to get this right - without trying to re-invent the wheel each time.

It would appear that they have actually listened to what users want, rather than giving them a bloated OS that has always been full of bugs.

Soap Box away!

 

[jimbo45]

... there's also this thing called a clean install.

Agreed.

Some of the journalists who write this stuff have just about got beyond the typewriter stage. I think it was as far back as William Shakespeare who said very correctly "A little learning is a dangerous thing".

(It's possible that at retail time one might have to have VISTA installed to qualify for an update -- this should work on a bare VISTA install without anything else added -- and then you should still be able to do a clean install. anyway. The VISTA data will merely be moved to a "deleteable" folder called Windows.Old. This will qulify you for an "Upgrade price" of W7 rather than the full retail version.

If it works as VISTA upgrade did then if you do a clean install from a freshly formatted disc then the activation will fail saying this version of W7 is licensed only by an upgrade. However if you had VISTA on the system you CAN do a clean install. So if you have to re-install VISTA just install the base OS and not your applications to qualify for the upgrade price.

(That's one reason I kept a backup image of a VISTA installation - for just this eventuality).

Cheers
jimbo

 

[djwayne]

Hmmm. The way it works with my XP upgrade is that when installing XP, it asks me for my original 98 disk, to verify that I am a licensed user. I put the disk into my cd-rom and it reads a verification number and then asks for the XP update disk and continues on with the install. It doesn't require that I have 98 on my hard drive, it just checks that I actually have the original 98 disk. Then it goes on to install the XP upgrade which is a full version of XP.

This maybe the way the Windows 7 program will work too. I think what they are saying is you have to be a licensed Vista owner to install the Windows Release candidate, and eventially the upgrade version of Windows 7. The upgrade may not work from a beta of Windows 7. I'm not sure though, so don't hold me to it..... Microsoft may have other plans that I don't know about yet.

 

[wjanowski]

As I recall, when Vista was first released, if you tried to do a clean install with an upgrade disk, it would install a 30-day trial and give you a chance to puchase a full version. If you then RE-installed the upgrade onto the 30-day trial, it would recognize the trial as a previous Windows installation and proceed with a full install.

 

[whoosh]

Hi all -- I think the reason you *might* need to re-install VISTA is that you can qualify for an UPGRADE price for W7 rather than pay the full retail price.

You'll still be able to do a "Clean install" but the DVD will probably insist that it's actually started from the VIST aystem -- it will then make a Windows.Old folder (like now) which you can delete.

If you boot directly from the DVD and do a clean install without an intital VISTA installation you will surely get a problem when trying to activate as it will say "This copy of Windows is only licensed as an Upgrade version".

I had the same issues with a VISTA ULTIMATE upgrade disk.

Cheers
jimbo

I agree with most of that but I just like a clean install . No clutter and minty fresh