📎 AI Summary:
The thread discusses upgrading from Windows Vista Ultimate to Windows 7 Home Premium, with advice emphasizing that a $50 upgrade is possible and can be performed as a clean install, even without a qualifying upgrade disk. The original poster considers dual-booting Vista and Windows 7 RC for testing purposes and inquires about how dual-booting might affect the upgrade process, with responses confirming that a clean install onto a new partition is straightforward and won't interfere with the upgrade. Overall, the conversation is helpful and mainly positive, providing guidance on optimizing the upgrade and dual-boot setup.
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colinsncrunner

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So I have Vista Ultimate right now, which I was given through my college. I want to upgrade to Windows 7, but I don't need Professional or Ultimate. Home Premium would be just fine. Is there a way I can buy the 50 dollar upgrade to Home Premium or am I SOL because I have Vista Ultimate? If so, I still have my XP Professional installation discs, so would I be able to downgrade from Vista to XP Pro, then upgrade from XP pro to Windows 7 Home Premium?
 

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Hi Colin,

It is worth getting the $50 deal - you can easily do a clean install with the upgrade media - even if you do not already have the qualifying version of Windows to start with.

You don't to install a different o/s - 7 installer will recognize your current Vista install as qualifying.

Another way is to start the 7 install - it asks to see a qualifying version of Windows - pop a 2000 or XP or Vista dvd in the drive - it will accept that.

Another way is to boot 7 dvd - select Custom install - do not enter product key - highlight Edition you have purchased - tick the box saying I have selected the edition I purchased - install to partition of your choice . ( That will run as a 30 day trial )

While booted into that fresh 7...
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SIW2

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Hi Colin,

It is worth getting the $50 deal - you can easily do a clean install with the upgrade media - even if you do not already have the qualifying version of Windows to start with.

You don't to install a different o/s - 7 installer will recognize your current Vista install as qualifying.

Another way is to start the 7 install - it asks to see a qualifying version of Windows - pop a 2000 or XP or Vista dvd in the drive - it will accept that.

Another way is to boot 7 dvd - select Custom install - do not enter product key - highlight Edition you have purchased - tick the box saying I have selected the edition I purchased - install to partition of your choice . ( That will run as a 30 day trial )

While booted into that fresh 7 install, put the 7 dvd in the drive - run setup - select Upgrade install - this time enter product key.

If you actually want to do an upgrade install ( rather than a clean install) over your Vista Ult - afraid not - you will need to do a clean install.

Vista to Windows 7 upgrades:

- No upgrade options for Windows Vista Starter (SP1, SP2), not even to Windows 7 Starter;
- Windows Vista Home Basic (SP1, SP2) 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) can be upgraded to Windows 7 Home Basic, Home Premium and Ultimate 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64);
- Windows Vista Home Premium (SP1, SP2) 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) can be upgraded to Windows 7 Home Premium and Ultimate 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64);
- Windows Vista Business (SP1, SP2) 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) can be upgraded to Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise and Ultimate 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64);
- Windows Vista Enterprise (SP1, SP2) 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) can be upgraded to Windows 7 Enterprise 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64);
- Windows Vista Ultimate (SP1, SP2) 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64) can be upgraded to Windows 7 Ultimate 32-bit (x86) and 64-bit (x64);
- No upgrade options for Windows Vista Home Basic N (SP1, SP2), not even to Windows 7 N or E;
- No upgrade options for Windows Vista Business N (SP1, SP2), not even to Windows 7 N or E.
 
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colinsncrunner

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Sweet, so really all the upgrade disk needs to know is that I'm running some version of Vista, and then I can install Home Premium from there? I was planning on doing a clean install anyway, so that's not a big deal. I presume the fact I'm going from 32 bit to 64 bit wouldn't be an issue either then since it'll be a clean install?
 
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SIW2

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Yes you will be fine changing bit versions with a clean install.

You might want to dual boot.

Just shrink the Vista partition in Disk Management and create another one. Then install 7 onto that.

Shame we can't get the $50 deal in Europe.😡
 
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colinsncrunner

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Stupid European Union/Microsoft and their little tiff. Would it be worthwhile to dual boot the Windows 7 RC and Vista now? I won't lie; it would be my first foray into dual booting territory, so I'm sure it'd be a blast.
 
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loathe

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colinsncrunner said:
Stupid European Union/Microsoft and their little tiff. Would it be worthwhile to dual boot the Windows 7 RC and Vista now? I won't lie; it would be my first foray into dual booting territory, so I'm sure it'd be a blast.
Click to expand...

Try the Australian/New Zealand market 🙁 As for dual booting, you have the right attitude lol. Its easy as.
 

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SIW2

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LOL.

Actually , their little tiff does not affect EU pricing - if MS were providing upgrade discs to EU - they would still charge the same as they do now.

We get the Full version ( because there are no upgrade versions) at the Upgrade price for a limited period to encourage take -up.

Our Upgrade price is much higher than U.S.

It would still be the same higher Upgrade price even if we got the upgrade dvd's.

MS have actually said that. They always charge us more.

Dual boot now? Sure try it out - always fun to try something new . I am triple booting at the moment.
 
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colinsncrunner

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Ha, oh Microsoft, you are a delight. Gotta take it to the out-of-towners apparently. In any case, if I dual-boot, do you know how that will affect the upgrade process on the 22nd? Or once again, will it recognize that Vista has been installed, and then I can just clean install the whole thing? Thanks for the help by the way; it's fantastic.
 
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SIW2

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You will be fine.

You can just install your purchased 7 onto the new partition you are just about to install the RC on .

You won't want the RC ( or whatever beta build you have ) then anyhow.

During the purchased 7 install, go to Drive Options ( advanced ) and highlight the RC partition - click Format, it takes a few seconds - then make sure that partition is still highlighted - click Next.
 
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