Windows 7 upgrade of Windows 7

[kemical]

May I remind forum users of the rules regarding posting:

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If you find that you cannot get along I suggest that you either learn to get along or avoid each other.

 

[EveningStarNM]

Using the workaround to do a clean install from a Windows 7 Upgrade... Here is a list of the first 20 links that Google finds: There is another page after this one.

1. All of those links are to one article. It should be noted that tblount scrolled the page down enough so that we couldn't see the search terms that he used.
   
   
2. While tblount quoted a tiny part of that article and did not discuss its content, the entire article can be found here. It is clear from the article itself that it should have been entitled "Microsoft Says Windows 7 Install Workaround is Sometimes Legal".
   
   
3. That article mentions a "workaround" that could be used both legally and illegally.
   
   
4. That workaround is completely different from the two always illegal hacks that tblount has suggested in Windows 7 Forums:
   
   tblount advocated an illegal hack in his blog of 10/26/2009, even noting that "Microsoft doesn't want you to do it". In other words, tblount knew that it was illegal when he wrote that blog entry. Similarly, he posted another illegal hack the day before, the illegality of which I have discussed previously. Both hacks involve altering the official installation media in ways that violate the Microsoft EULA.

I'm surprised that "an expert" like tblount (to quote him as he describes himself) has failed to explain these facts. I hope this helps people avoid the pitfalls of following his advice.

 

[fjgold]

If you have to do a clean install... which is recommended by the most experienced here as well as Microsoft, here is some info you may find useful. It's a partial quote from Windows 7 Tweaks, Tricks, Tips, Secrets, Shortcuts, Solutions and Fixes

Install Win 7 from a bootable 4gb USB drive with 1 click.

* Download UNetbootin tool (free) from here:
Download UNetbootin, Universal Netboot Installer from SourceForge.net

If your upgrade is from Digital Rivers, you'll need to put the files in an ISO format first.

Run the tool, and browse to your Windows 7 ISO image file and click OK and
select the drive letter of your USB. That’s all!

It takes about 15 minutes to finish. (Remember the boot sequence in your bios
must be set to use the USB first.) Windows installs in about half the time
from USB... even the cheap ones read about 25 kb/s ...while dvd reads about 5
kb/s

3 days after Microsoft released Windows 7 they were getting so many tech support
calls about upgrading problems that they - basically copied the Unetbootin utility
*idea* and released one that does the same thing. However they were found to be in violation
of open source code standards and had to remove it from their website. However, it's
still available if you Google because once you let something out on the Internet.... well as they say
information wants to be free. Note: in releasing this utility Microsoft re-wrote their EULA in
regards to using an UPGRADE key with a clean install. They are working on re-writing
this utility from the ground up, using their own code. For those who don't know about
Unetbootin it is a very useful tool, especially for someone running XP or installing on
a laptop.

At least for me I had to make sure to format my USB Flash drive to NTFS prior to using unetbootin.
When I used a Flash drive formatted to Fat 32 it would not boot properly.

I tries this with several Flash drives and with all of them NTFS was the ticket.

 

[tblount]

At least for me I had to make sure to format my USB Flash drive to NTFS prior to using unetbootin.
When I used a Flash drive formatted to Fat 32 it would not boot properly.

I tried this with several Flash drives and with all of them NTFS was the ticket.

Yes, information wants to be free.

Unetbootin works.... like Microsoft's USB tool to help you do a clean/custom install when upgrade fails.

Download Windows7-USB-DVD-tool.exe, upload your files and earn money.

Microsoft explains where and how to edit ei.cfg ... the same day Win 7 was released.

Windows Setup Installation Process - Microsoft technical library
Published: October 22, 2009
EI.cfg ... located on the product media under the \sources folder... make sure the settings in your EI.cfg file match the installation source.
Windows Setup Installation Process

 

[fjgold]

Thanks for the link to the tool M$ "stole" from unetbootin.
You have mentioned this before but this is the first link I've seen.
Other than they both do the same thing I don't see the resemblance to unetbootin.
MS may have run with the idea but any programmer can create a program to do what either
unetbootin or the MS tool does. Besides unetbootin is open source so anyone even MS has access to the source code.

The major difference between the two is the GUI is much more basic with the MS tool.
BTW, the MS tool works with Flash drives formatted in both Fat 32 and NTFS (actually the MS tool automagicaly formats the Flash device to NTFS regardless of it's initial FS).

 

[tblount]

Thanks for the link to the tool M$ "stole" from unetbootin.[\quote]

I'm not sure exactly where they got source code for the tool... but clearly the *idea* came from unetbootin.

Other than they both do the same thing I don't see the resemblance to unetbootin.

Yeah... you can tell that Microsoft did a rush job and unetbootin is a much richer program with a lot of features. They both will take the DR upgrade download files and make a bootable USB which makes it easier than the other method of using Microsoft's Oscdimg program.

BTW, the MS tool works with Flash drives formatted in both Fat 32 and NTFS (actually the MS tool automatically formats the Flash device to NTFS regardless of it's initial FS).

Good catch... I didn't notice that.