Windows 7 Win 7 and PC upgrade questions

[win7q]

Hello,

I am currently using Windows XP Media Center Edition on my desktop PC which came pre-installed from the vendor. I dont have any license/serial number for this OS. The PC came with a recovery partition on the hard disk from which I can boot and reinstall Windows XP Media Center Edition, if necessary. I have now ordered Windows 7 Professional Upgrade.

1. Will the Windows 7 Pro Upgrade version get installed/activated properly, given that I dont have the XP license/serial number? (Clarification: I dont need to preserve any data/programs. I can wipe out the hard disk completely)

2. Assuming the install/activation is possible if I start it from within XP, I am planning to upgrade my motherboard/processor/RAM sometime in the next few months. After this upgrade, I am guessing I would likely have to reinstall Windows 7 directly booting from the install-disk. Will the install/activation work now, if I dont have the license/serial number for XP?

Any alternate suggestions on doing the Windows 7 upgrade and the upcoming motherboard/processor upgrade with only a pre-installed XP with no serial number, would be greatly appreciated! Would it, for example, help in any way to do the motherboard/cpu upgrade before the windows 7 upgrade? Not sure how I would install XP first given that I may not be able to boot into the recovery partition after the motherboard upgrade.

If this is not going to work, I am going to have to cancel my Windows 7 Upgrade pre-order ASAP!

 

[Saltgrass]

I'm not sure anyone can give you a definite answer, and I know I can't.

Something you might consider, if you have an OEM version of XP, will you be able to reinstall it after the hardware upgrade?

You might want to check with someone to see if an OEM version can be upgraded at all, since I have no experience with that. Maybe someone else here would know, or you might try contacting Microsoft or your PC maker.