Windows 7 Yes,I have installed Windows 8 on my netbook. But it has wiped out my Windows 7 completely. What sho

Andrea Borman

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Link RemovedLink RemovedLink RemovedSee images above and as you can see Widows 8 is installed on the X drive that used to be my C drive. And the Windows 8 E drive partition I created is empty. So my Windows 8 install has wiped out my Windows 7 and replaced it with Windows 8. And it has also deleted my data on my recovery partition.

Readers of this forum may know me from the thread I posted 2 weeks ago about Windows 8. Well I decided to test Windows 8 out for myself and I installed the developers preview. And as you can see from above,these are pictures from my desktop from my netbook that is now running Windows 8.

The netbook used to have Windows 7 Professional,and installed Windows 8 by following the step by step instructions on the How To Geek website.

But because I have a netbook with no CD drive,I installed Windows 8 by mounting the ISO file on virtual clone drive. And I downloaded the windows 8 ISO file from the Microsoft website.

I though that it would just install Windows 8 on the spare 19GB partition that I managed to create by following the instruction from the How To Geek website. But instead of this the install has upgraded my Windows 7 to Windows 8. And Windows 7 is no longer on my netbook. It has been overridden or replaced with Windows 8. And not only that but it has wiped out data on the recovery partition. So now if I had any problems,i cannot do a factory restore to get back Windows 7.

But Windows 8 is working and as you can see from my pictures I have disabled the Metro theme after reading your tutorials on the Windows 8 forums. And I now have a Windows 7 desktop and start menu. And also all of the Windows Vista and XP software i used on Windows 7 works on Windows 8. Except for Windows Mail.

But the problem is that Windows 8 is only a developers preview and I have just read that it will expire some time this year.And that after this time we will no longer be able to carry on using it,after then. But because the Windows 8 install wiped out my Windows 7 completely and it also wiped out the data on my recovery partition. That is needed to do a factory restore.

This means I cannot do a factory restore and go back to Windows 7 after the Windows 8 developers preview expires. Also when I looked on my hard drive the install has changed my drive letters from C drive to X drive. And all that is left of is my Windows old folders that have some of my old program files from Windows 7. But the data on the recovery partition is gone.

I know that other members of this forum have also installed Windows 8 developers preview. But I don't know if they installed it over their Windows 7 or just alongside of it.

I have limited experience with computers and on the websites I read it said that.You could install Windows 8 on a netbook using virtual clone drive and that if you created a partition of your hard disk,which I did. That it would install Windows 8 alongside Windows 7.
But on my computer it did not do that.It installed Windows 8 OVER my Windows 7. And I did know this was going to happen.

And although I can still carry on using the Windows 8 at the moment and it seems to be working okay. What am I going to do when it expires. As know that you cannot use the developers build permanently. And that after this time,you have to either upgrade or go back to your previous version of Windows. As I have read that Windows will no longer be activated after the preview expires.

And as the install deleted the data on my recovery partition. How do I back up my operating system in case something goes wrong? I do not know how to do this.

What do you advise me to do. As I have asked my friends and they don't know what to do. Andrea Borman.
 

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Andrea, Congratulatiuon for biting the bullet. Sorry to hear that you wiped your Win7. But that you can easily get it back. Download a Win7 Professional .iso from the web (there are several sites), put it on a stick and install it. You can activate it with the product Key that is on the COA sticker on the bottom of your netbook.
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Also, I repeat:

Cannot do an upgrade from Win7 to Win8 DP nor DP to Win8 Beta nor from Beta to RC nor RC to RTM or GA. Any & all of these migrations must be clean installs.

YES, Upgrade discs can be used to do clean installs.

And, Yes, ALL the Windows 7 SKUs are on any Win7 disc... what you get or install is determind by the KEY. When the OS is purchased, one is not buying the disc, they are buying a license for a particular flavour of the OS & that is tied to the KEY.

Cheers,
Drew
 
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No Naiya,I cannot.

Because I looked on the web and on Digital River and there are no ISO files for Windows 7 Starter no.And also Windows 7 Starter on my netbook came without Service pack 1. Because I bought it before they brought out the service pack. And most ISO have service pack 1 included. Which is another problem.

There are ISO files for Home Premium,Professional,and Ultimate. But none for Windows 7 Starter which is what I would need like you said.

So my only option now, to reinstall Windows 7 is to buy a valid and legal copy,either from Microsoft or from the local computer store that sells them.

But it must be a full installation CD, not just an upgrade installation CD.And this will install Windows 7 from scratch. And I will also need to buy a CD drive because my netbook does not have a CD drive. But I can plug the CD drive into one of my 3 USB sockets on my netbook.And it will work.

But they do not sell Windows 7 Starter edition. Only Windows 7 Home Premium and above.

But if I am going to do a clean install of Windows 7,I don't need Windows 7 Starter.
Because if I buy a Legal and valid copy of Windows 7,if it be Windows 7 Home premium, Professional or Ultimate. Then it will come with a product key in the box or on the CD I am not sure. But I will have a legal copy of Windows with a valid product key. And once I have finished the Installation,Windows should activate.

But I was warned that once I install say Windows 7 Home Premium on one computer,and activate it. I cannot install it on a different computer.Because according to the Microsoft website and what the customer service adviser told me. I can only use and activate one copy of Windows per computer. So if my copy of Windows has already been activated on another computer. Activation will fail and Windows won't activate.So you can only use and activate one copy of Windows per computer.

So if I wanted to install Windows on 2 computers,I would have to buy 2 different copies of Windows 7. And they would each have different product keys.

So if I want to reinstall Windows 7 there is no way out,I will have to buy a Windows 7 CD and a CD drive to install Windows 7 again.And if I cannot do this myself. I will have to take it into a computer repair shop and they can install Windows for me.But they will charge me for it but Windows will be reinstalled.

But I know there is no upgrade from Windows 8 developers preview. But what I meant was that before the preview expires,we may be able to do a clean install of the Beta version of Windows 8. The same way we did a clean install of Windows 8 developers preview from our Windows 7. Andrea Borman.
 
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Drew said:
Also, I repeat:

Cannot do an upgrade from Win7 to Win8 DP nor DP to Win8 Beta nor from Beta to RC nor RC to RTM or GA. Any & all of these migrations must be clean installs.

YES, Upgrade discs can be used to do clean installs.
.....
Drew
Click to expand...

That is inacurate, you can upgrade from XP and 7 to 8 DP. that is stated on the MSDN website under the heading Notes about installing the Windows 8 Developer Preview.

Link Removed

It is true that you might not be able to upgrade from DP to Beta, but after that it is such small changes that it might be possible to do. Some upgrade disks can do full clean installs, but the product key will no be valid.

Andrea you are right about the SP 1, that could be a problem. The worst that can happen is you have to reinstall again. No worse then you are now. With the DVD drive, just make a bootable copy on flash media. Flash media can be anything SD, Smart Media, xD, MMC, RS Memory Stick, Compact Flash, Microdisk, or even a flash drive/thumb drive/USB drive. I know I have the Microsoft DVD to USD Drive, that creates a bootable disk on a flash media, then you don't to have a DVD drive to install the OS any more. It is inacurate that the COA will not authinticate again after the first time. There is a limit on how many times you can to do it, but I think it is up in the 20s still, I'll have to do research to be sure about a exact number. It is true you are only allowed to have it on as many computers as you have licences for at one time. So one licence, one computer at one time. If you remove it from that computer then you are allowed to install it to another computer, then remove it from that computer and you can install it to another computer, so forth and so on. If you install your copy on two differnt computers it might validate on both, though you are violating the EULA and that could get you in a little bit of hot water.
 
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Naiya,I am getting confused when you said I have to reinstall Windows 7 Starter and then upgrade to Professional again from that.
As I don't want Windows 7 Starter anyway because of the restricted features. And also Microsoft and the shops do not sell Windows 7 Starter CDs.They only come with the netbook pre installed. So installing Windows 7 Starter is not an option.

But my plan is that I want to buy a Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional full installation CD.That I could buy direct from Microsoft or at my local computer store. And also buy a plug in CD drive for my netbook. And do a clean install of Windows 7 Home Premium or Professional to get back Windows 7. And I was told on the phone from the shop keeper that a legal Windows 7 CD has a valid product key. Which I must use to activate Windows.

But my question is if I buy a Windows 7 CD and do a clean install of Windows 7,will I be able to activate Windows with the product key that will be on my Windows 7 Home premium or Professional CD that I will have bought? Or will this not work? Andrea Borman.
 
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If you get a new copy, unless it is another any time upgrade to the same edition, you will have to use the key that comes with it. The anytime upgrade key will only work corectly for updrading from one edition of 7 to a higher edition. So in your case going from 7 Starter or Home to Pro. I still say try using the 7 Home disk using your key for starter then upgrading to Pro, but it is up to you what to do. The SP 1 may cause a problem, but you wont know till you try. Other than that I don't see any reason it wont work. It will save you a good bit of money as well.
 
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Naiya,

We are both sorta right & sorta wrong & moreover I am talking Best, Acceptable, Recommend or Supported practises or Paths; but, anyway, here are the specifics:

If you are running Windows XP and trying to install Windows Developer Preview, it will overwrite your Windows XP installation unless you do a Dual Boot.[h=2]Notes about installing the Windows 8 Developer Preview[/h]A clean install is supported on all builds, but you can upgrade if you are installing a download without the developer tools. You will receive the full set of migration options when setup is launched in Windows. To dual-boot, you must first boot from media and choose an alternative partition.
[TABLE="width: 745"]
[TR]
[TD="bgcolor: #EDEDED"]Install on:[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #EDEDED"]Windows 8 Developer Preview with developer tools[/TD]
[TD="bgcolor: #EDEDED"]Windows 8 Developer Preview without developer tools (32-bit or 64-bit)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Windows 7 and Windows Vista[/TD]
[TD]Clean install only[/TD]
[TD]You can keep accounts, files, and settings[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Windows XP[/TD]
[TD]Clean install only[/TD]
[TD]You can only keep accounts and files[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]
 
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Yes, that is what an upgrade dose, it upgrades what you have. One of my professors defined it well, any install that is started inside your current OS and replaces the current OS is an upgrade. It doesn't matter how it dose it, just that those two requirements are met. So setting up a dual boot can be started inside the current OS, though that is still considered a full install, because you have and can run both OS instances.
 
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As you can see Vista & Win7 are grouped together while XP is separate. XP does not share the same platform @ the kernel level w/ the other 2.

The term 'upgrade' gets used rather loosely by many ppl. There are Paths that are not possible or not wise. Throughout the entire time I was Beta Testing Vista & Windows 7 for MS none of the Builds were to be done by 'upgrading'. We, also, have found that the success rate using any upgrade route was poor... unreliable & problematic. Not only are upgrade paths often impossible, they can often come back to haunt you later.

Drew
 
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NaiyaShamiso said:
If you get a new copy, unless it is another any time upgrade to the same edition, you will have to use the key that comes with it.
Click to expand...

But I was asking about if I bought a full installation CD of Windows 7 Home Premium that come with a product key on the CD on in the box.So I am told. can I not just use the product key that came with the copy of Windows 7 Home premium that I am going to buy to activate Windows?

But I thought that if you download say a Windows 7 professional ISO from the internet,that you CANNOT activate a Windows 7 Professional install or OS with a Windows 7 Starter product key.

The SP 1 may cause a problem, but you wont know till you try. Other than that I don't see any reason it wont work. It will save you a good bit of money as well.
Click to expand...


But my netbook came with Windows 7 Starter without any service packs. And my any time upgrade to Professional on that same netbook was done long before I installed Service pack 1. So that version I has of Windows 7 professional did not have a service pack either.That was installed long afterwards.

So if I were to install a Windows 7 Professional for example which had service pack 1 included in it. The activation could fail because my Windows 7 Professional did not have a service pack . So the upgrade or product key which did not activate anyway. Was a Windows 7 Professional without the service pack.Which is what I had. That is a version of Windows 7 without the service pack.

So if I buy a Windows 7 CD and do a clean install of Windows 7 that way. Will windows activate or not?

Windows 7 Starter is not an option as they don't sell Windows 7 Starter CDs only Home premium and above. And I cannot restore to factory condition because the Windows 8 install wiped out my recovery data or partition. It is not there any more.

So I think a clean install of Windows 7 any version,Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate is the only option. And there should be a product key in the Windows 7 CD or copy of Windows I am going to buy.Andrea Borman.
 
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Diferences in the kernel are there, though that is not the major issue. Notice that upgrading from Vista and 7, accounts, files and settings can be transfered. Then upgrading from XP accounts and files can be transfered. Notice that neither one said anything about software. My guess would be that both will run like upgrading from XP to 7. It will take information from the existing install and keep it to the side, then do a format on the drive. Then transfer into the new system the old information. This could be a reason that neither will allow the transfer of software, like has been done in previous versions of Windows. I'm not sure why you say the term is used loosely. It is prety simple, start from Windows, replace current Winodws...that is an upgrade.

You can do that, but it costs money, and I am trying to save you as much money as posable. Right, your key wont activate anything but Starter. Though if you enter your key the very first time it asks for it, not matter what 7 disk you are using it should install 7 Starter. Then you can use your anytime upgrade to go Pro. I know that back in the day with XP our product key didn't work with SP 1 included versions. Though I was informed that this is no longer the case. So I cannot tell you 100% if it will work or not, because I have not tryed it.
 
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Andrea, stop turning everything into a long, drawn out repetitive saga of epic proportions!!

1. The SP on the OS disc or not is meaningless. A Service Pack is just an Update not, an OS or an OS version. I've rebuilt many machines for my clients. This scenario is no different than what you're on about... Buy a machine before a SP release, it has attained the SP via Windows Updates after it was owned for a while, then it crashes. It gets rebuilt w/ ITS disc that does not have the SP. As, I've said before, recently... after the OS is live the SP gets put in again via Updates. You're going in circles, ranting (again) over nothing.

And, of course, if one buys & installs a new Win7 it will activate. And, yes, in a case like that, certainly, one uses the KEY that came w/ it.

Drew
 
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But I cannot get a Windows 7 starter CD because they don't sell it. that is what i am trying to tell you.
But what I really want to do is just buy my Windows 7 Home Premium CD,and also Microsift sell it online. And install Home premium with that. Microsoft call it a custom install or clean install of Windows. So I don't understand why I cannot just install the version of Windows 7 I want. And as it will be a legal version of Windows and full installation not an upgrade CD. And it will have a product key. why won't Windows activate.

And I have looked on my netbook and I cannot even find my Windows 7 Starter product key. Maybe the makers HP have hidden it.

I have seen videos on You Tube about how to do a clean install of Windows 7 on a Windows XP computer. They insert the Windows 7 CD and then they type in the Windows 7 product key that comes with the CD during the install. And then they I presume activate Windows 7 with that same Windows 7 product key.

But the clean install of Windows 7 wipes out the Windows XP.Or it did in the videos I saw. So what i want to do is get my Windows 7 Home premium or what ever version CD. install that version of Windows 7 with it. Enter the product key during the install if it asks me to.

And then it should wipe out the Windows 8 and replace it with the Windows 7. Unless I want to keep the Windows 8 for duel boot.But it's due to expire soon,so I cannot.

And then once Windows 7 Home Premium or whatever version I get is installed.I should be able to activate Windows with the product key that came with my windows 7 CD that I have bought.

As for my Windows 7 Starter product key I cannot find it. Andrea Borman.
 
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Andea, For the product activation in the UK, these are the numbers you can call:

(800) 018 8354 ----> This is an 800 number in the UK, not US
(203) 147 4930

Tell them your story and I am sure they will reactivate your system. After all, you do have a valid product key.

As far as Windows 8 goes, the free Beta version (they now call it 'Consumer Preview') will come out at the end of this month (Febr. 29). That will remain valid for about 1 year. You can download it once we know from where and use it then. It will be a major upgrade from what you have now and hopefully it will serve us desktop users better.
 
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Thank you that is a relief to know that when my Windows 8 developers preview expires. I will then be able to install the beta version or consumer preview and use it for a year. So if this is true then this means that I won't have to go back to Windows 7. Or look for another operating system to use just yet.

So when the time comes and the preview expires or just before the expiry date. I can just install the beta version the same way I installed this version of Windows 8. And I won't be stuck without an operating system on that computer.

I am finding Windows 8 to be a pleasant surprise. As when I downloaded it I wanted to try it to see if it was as bad as some people said it was.My curiosity got the better of me.

However when I installed Windows 8 I found that I could use it with the Metro theme. Even though it was a bit slower than with the Windows Start menu.

But the best and most practical way to use Windows 8 or any other version of Windows is to disable the Metro theme. Then you get the Windows 7 and Windows Vista start menu.

And I downloaded the app to disable the Metro theme. And you can also do it by changing the registry key value from 1 to 0. That worked too.

Now I am using Windows 8 just the same way do with Windows 7 and Windows XP. And also all of my windows Vista and windows XP software that I was using on windows 7 works on windows 8. Even Windows Calendar and the Vista Sidebar.The only one that did not work was Windows Mail,which works in Windows 7 but not on Windows 8.

But Windows Live Messenger for Windows XP and Windows Live Essentials for Windows XP works on Windows 8. And Windows Movie Maker 2.1 for Windows XP works on Windows 8 just like it did on Windows 7.And so do all of the other Windows Movie makers 2.6 and 6.
And I have even installed WMP 11 on Windows 8 just like I did on Windows 7. And that works to on Windows 8.

But more important I have got a normal Windows 7 desktop and start menu on Windows 8. So I cannot complain. I would like to keep Windows 8 now that I have got it. But this version is not a permanently version of Windows. So of course we cannot. But the next build you say is for one year. And then after that we will then pay for an upgrade of Windows 8 I assume. And that will be permanent.

So at least I know know that I can use Windows 8 and so can you. I have limited experience with computers. But if I can use Windows 8,anybody can.

So now I won't have to stock up on computers after all. I was going to buy 20 or 30 computers to stock up but now I won't have to. Andrea Borman.
 
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Andrea, I am glad you are making such great strives with Windows 8. It looks like you are becoming a real Windows 8 expert and maybe you can help us in the future when we have questions.

Come March 1, I am sure someone will post the link from where we can download the Consumer Preview - if not, I will. Then we will have a system that is close to the final version. That will be a lot more fun.

Btw: I you have enough space on your disk, you can make a seperate partition and install your Windows 7 professional there and get it activated by MS on the phone numbers I posted earlier. Then you have a choice which system to run.
 
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By "loosely", the reference was to the word being used for things like going from say XP to Windows 7 as opposed to say Vista Business to Windows 7 Pro. The 1st is a change needing a clean install, the other an actual Upgrade path. Just saying ppl use "upgrade" because they are modenizing, so to speak and even when a true Upgrade is not being done. It gets used as moving to something 'better or more contemporary' but, not via a 'Upgrade' process. Lemme put it this way... if you have an XP machine & you go buy a new Windows 8 machine, you can maybe say you upgraded BUT, an 'Upgrade' was not done. I feel it often skews people's understanding of things, what they do & what they expect.

Like I've seen it said, "I will upgrade the Win8 DP to the Win8 Beta."... that cannot be done as an Upgrade. But, can be changed via a clean install. I trust I'm making this clear as mud, lol.

Or, "I upgraded Win7 32-bit to 64-bit.". No, you changed it, .. cannot be done as an Upgrade using Upgrade Install choice/option.

Drew
 
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Well whs, I have just telephoned Microsoft on that telephone number that you gave me above. I spoke to the customer service advisor and I told him my story as you advised me to. He told me that Microsoft do not sell Windows 7 Starter CDs.As starter is only put on the netbooks by the makers HP,Dell etc. But I could install one of the other versions of Windows 7,Home Premium,Pro,or Ultimate.

But he told me that because I have a netbook. I would have to buy a plug in USB CD drive, to plug into the netbook, to boot the Windows CD.

I also asked him about the Windows 7 downloads on the web at Digital River. And I asked the customer service advisor-If I were to download a Windows 7 Home premium or Ultimate ISO install from the Internet?Could I activate Windows with my Windows 7 Starter product key which is valid? But he said no,that product key I have will only activate on Windows 7 Starter not on Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate.

So although my Product key is legal and valid, it will only work if the ISO install is Windows 7 starter,nothing else. As it is a Windows 7 Starter product key.

So Naiya was wrong when she said I could use my Windows 7 Starter product key to activate Windows on Home Hremium or Professional. Microsoft said I cannot.It will only activate Windows on Windows 7 Starter.But they don't sell Windows 7 Starter.

But Microsoft did say that I could buy another edition of Windows 7,Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate. And install it on my netbook and it will activate. And they said I could buy it in a PC store, if I don't want to buy it online. And they were quite helpful.

And the customer service advisor I spoke to on the phone yesterday.From the PC store-PC World told me they do sell Windows 7 CDs and that they can help me install Windows 7 again. So now all I have got to do is get myself down to the store PC World and get myself a CD drive and a Windows 7 CD. And then install Windows 7 over the Windows 8. But Microsoft said it must be a full installation CD not an upgrade or Windows any time upgrade CD.

And they also advised me to take my netbook with me when I go to the store to make sure I get the right CD drive that is right for my netbook.

So there is my answer. Andrea Borman.
 
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So although my Product key is legal and valid, it will only work if the ISO install is Windows 7 starter,nothing else. As it is a Windows 7 Starter product key.
Click to expand...
This is wrong. He gave you a snow job answer. You have a valid Win7 Professional product key and that will activate any Win7 Professional installation from any source. He is right though that you need to put the .iso on a USB stick since you have no CD reader. Look how big the .iso is (I think appr. 3GB) and get a stick of a size where it fits.
 
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No I don't. I have a valid Windows 7 Starter Product key. The Windows 7 professional I had on my netbook was upgraded from Starter using Windows any time upgrade.
But when I bought the netbook it came with Windows 7 Starter which I then upgraded myself to Professional. So the Windows 7 professional product key is only an upgrade key nothing else.

So it won't work in a clean or full installation.

I could download one of the Windows 7 ISO files from the web. And install Windows 7 that way. But what I will have is a copy of Windows that won't activate and will not be legal. And that could cause me more problems. As eventually it will go into restricted mode. Andrea Borman.
 
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Hmm, I see. So the upgrade did not generate a new key (which is a bit strange). I never do in-place upgrades, only full installs, even with an upgrade disc.

I guess it would first be back to Win7 Basic. There are several sites from where you can download the .iso. Then there is Link Removedthat helps you to install the .iso on a USB stick from which you can install it. Go down to about the middle of the webpage (appr, half a page before the first picture). The stuff in the front you already know.
 
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