Upgrade to Windows7

[Ed Mc]

I'm building a new computer with Windows 7. Can I use my current,
retail, legal Windows XP disk to install onto new build and then use
an Upgrade version of Windows 7? I would not be able to activate this
install (of XP) because I am keeping my current XP box. Or must I
purchase a Full version of Windows7? Thanks.

 

[Seth]

I'm building a new computer with Windows 7. Can I use my current, retail,
legal Windows XP disk to install onto new build and then use an Upgrade
version of Windows 7? I would not be able to activate this install (of XP)
because I am keeping my current XP box. Or must I purchase a Full version
of Windows7? Thanks.

Technically, no as it has to be a legitimate prior OS and if your XP is
still tied to a different machine it is not eligible for use on this new
machine to be upgraded from.

Will it work, sure will. Heck, don't even need to use the XP disk as there
are instructions online on how to use a Win7 upgrade disk on a new/bare
machine.

But form a license standpoint what you propose is not legitimate.

 

[R. C. White]

?Hi, Seth.

Did you overlook Ed's description of his WinXP? He said, "current, retail,
legal Windows XP disk".

With the word "retail" in there, this seems to NOT be an OEM version, tied
to a specific machine.

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-9/30/10)
Windows Live Mail Version 2011 (Build 15.4.3502.0922) in Win7 Ultimate x64
SP1 RC


"Seth" wrote in message

I'm building a new computer with Windows 7. Can I use my current, retail,
legal Windows XP disk to install onto new build and then use an Upgrade
version of Windows 7? I would not be able to activate this install (of XP)
because I am keeping my current XP box. Or must I purchase a Full version
of Windows7? Thanks.

Technically, no as it has to be a legitimate prior OS and if your XP is
still tied to a different machine it is not eligible for use on this new
machine to be upgraded from.

Will it work, sure will. Heck, don't even need to use the XP disk as there
are instructions online on how to use a Win7 upgrade disk on a new/bare
machine.

But form a license standpoint what you propose is not legitimate.

 

[Seth]

?Hi, Seth.

Did you overlook Ed's description of his WinXP? He said, "current,
retail, legal Windows XP disk".

With the word "retail" in there, this seems to NOT be an OEM version, tied
to a specific machine.

Did you overlook this part...

" I would not be able to activate this install (of XP) because I am keeping
my current XP box"

....which means he is NOT transferring the XP license to the new machine thus
making this XP license (retail or otherwise) unavailable for use as a
jumping off point on an upgrade license?

He (the OP) is keeping the license tied to a specific machine by not
decommissioning it.

 

[ray]

Did you overlook this part...

" I would not be able to activate this install (of XP) because I am
keeping my current XP box"

...which means he is NOT transferring the XP license to the new machine
thus making this XP license (retail or otherwise) unavailable for use as
a jumping off point on an upgrade license?

He (the OP) is keeping the license tied to a specific machine by not
decommissioning it.

Exactly. Boy - life is so much better with Linux - none of this crap to
worry about!

 

[VanguardLH]

I'm building a new computer with Windows 7. Can I use my current,
retail, legal Windows XP disk to install onto new build and then use
an Upgrade version of Windows 7? I would not be able to activate this
install (of XP) because I am keeping my current XP box. Or must I
purchase a Full version of Windows7? Thanks.

One host per license. Since you have Windows XP installed on your
"current XP box" and do no mention wiping it or placing a different OS
or another license of Windows on that host, you can't copy its license
elsewhere. One license (or seat), one box.

As regards to upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7, not doable. See
below.

Windows 7 upgrade paths
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyId=e170eba1-5bab-401f-bbf5-00f0ee7fe0fb

There is no upgrade path from Windows XP to Windows 7. You can migrate
but you cannot upgrade. If you have Windows XP (installed or its
install CD), the install of Windows 7 does a *fresh* installation. The
OS partition gets wiped when Windows 7 gets installed. A data transfer
wizard is provided that is to help you move your data files into the
fresh install of Windows 7; however, if you want to ensure your data
files survive the migration, do a backup of them onto other media before
the migration so you can restore them from that backup media.

 

[VanguardLH]

Exactly. Boy - life is so much better with Linux - none of this crap
to worry about!

Uh huh, like users of an already familiar OS wouldn't have a steep
learning curve to be just as proficient in a new OS. Oh yeah,
suggesting a switch to another OS is oh so much more production.

So you really didn't reply to provide any help to the OP. You just
wanted to proselytize your personal OS choice and stroke your, um, ego
in public. If the OP was looking for an alternative to Windows then
they would have asked for that. Did YOU overlook the original post to
see the OP wants to CONTINUE using Windows? Yeah, thought so.

 

[SC Tom]

One host per license. Since you have Windows XP installed on your
"current XP box" and do no mention wiping it or placing a different OS
or another license of Windows on that host, you can't copy its license
elsewhere. One license (or seat), one box.

As regards to upgrading from Windows XP to Windows 7, not doable. See
below.

Windows 7 upgrade paths
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyId=e170eba1-5bab-401f-bbf5-00f0ee7fe0fb

There is no upgrade path from Windows XP to Windows 7. You can migrate
but you cannot upgrade. If you have Windows XP (installed or its
install CD), the install of Windows 7 does a *fresh* installation. The
OS partition gets wiped when Windows 7 gets installed. A data transfer
wizard is provided that is to help you move your data files into the
fresh install of Windows 7; however, if you want to ensure your data
files survive the migration, do a backup of them onto other media before
the migration so you can restore them from that backup media.

It is possible to upgrade from XP to Vista to Win7, using upgrade versions
of Vista and Win7. Probably not recommended, but I've had no problems
upgrading in the past.

 

[Nil]

So you really didn't reply to provide any help to the OP. You
just wanted to proselytize your personal OS choice and stroke
your, um, ego in public.

He didn't propose that they guy should switch anything. He just made a
comment which happens to be true: there are no such licensing issues
with Linux.

 

[R. C. White]

?Hi, Seth.

Did you overlook this part...

Yes, I'm afraid I did. Sorry 'bout that. :^{

RC
--
R. C. White, CPA
San Marcos, TX
(e-mail address removed)
Microsoft Windows MVP (2002-9/30/10)
Windows Live Mail Version 2011 (Build 15.4.3502.0922) in Win7 Ultimate x64
SP1 RC


"Seth" wrote in message

?Hi, Seth.

Did you overlook Ed's description of his WinXP? He said, "current,
retail, legal Windows XP disk".

With the word "retail" in there, this seems to NOT be an OEM version, tied
to a specific machine.

Did you overlook this part...

" I would not be able to activate this install (of XP) because I am keeping
my current XP box"

....which means he is NOT transferring the XP license to the new machine thus
making this XP license (retail or otherwise) unavailable for use as a
jumping off point on an upgrade license?

He (the OP) is keeping the license tied to a specific machine by not
decommissioning it.

 

[Seth]

?Hi, Seth.


Yes, I'm afraid I did. Sorry 'bout that. :^{

No worries...

 

[ray]

Uh huh, like users of an already familiar OS wouldn't have a steep
learning curve to be just as proficient in a new OS. Oh yeah,
suggesting a switch to another OS is oh so much more production.

Should be no more difficult to switch to a new OS that to go to a new
version of MS.

So you really didn't reply to provide any help to the OP. You just
wanted to proselytize your personal OS choice and stroke your, um, ego
in public. If the OP was looking for an alternative to Windows then
they would have asked for that. Did YOU overlook the original post to
see the OP wants to CONTINUE using Windows? Yeah, thought so.

It did NOT seem like he was anxious to put out the money for a new, legal
copy though, did it?

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Should be no more difficult to switch to a new OS that to go to a new
version of MS.

What a great sense of humor you have!

 

[Ed Mc]

I'm building a new computer with Windows 7. Can I use my current,
retail, legal Windows XP disk to install onto new build and then use
an Upgrade version of Windows 7? I would not be able to activate this
install (of XP) because I am keeping my current XP box. Or must I
purchase a Full version of Windows7? Thanks.

Thank you all,
What I'm after is a legal, clean, complete, fresh install of Windows7
on a brand new hard disk. This OS will be starting from scratch. I'm
not going to migrate, transfer, merge, or otherwise copy anything from
the XP machine. Just wondering if the upgrade and full versions of
Windows7 will accomplish the same end result. One is obviously much
cheaper than the other, but I'm not against paying for either one.

 

[VanguardLH]

It is possible to upgrade from XP to Vista to Win7, using upgrade versions
of Vista and Win7. Probably not recommended, but I've had no problems
upgrading in the past.

Under that logic, there is an upgrade path from DOS 1.25 to Windows 7.
Just go through all the upgrades. Yeah, it's possible. Didn't sound
like something the OP wanted to do.

 

[Ken Blake]

It is possible to upgrade from XP to Vista to Win7, using upgrade versions
of Vista and Win7.

Yes.


Probably not recommended, but I've had no problems
upgrading in the past.

I don't recommend it, since it doubles the risk of problems. But the
one time I personally tried it, it worked successfully.

 

[Bob I]

Exactly. Boy - life is so much better with Linux - none of this crap to
worry about!

Sorry, but Linux doesn't qualify as a valid operating system for an
Upgrade version of Win7.

 

[Gene E. Bloch]

Sorry, but Linux doesn't qualify as a valid operating system for an
Upgrade version of Win7.

Have you tried it?

Just joking...

 

[Stan Brown]

[quoted text muted]
Uh huh, like users of an already familiar OS wouldn't have a steep
learning curve to be just as proficient in a new OS. Oh yeah,
suggesting a switch to another OS is oh so much more production.

Should be no more difficult to switch to a new OS that to go to a new
version of MS.

I'm a big fan of (the idea of) Linux, but the above statement is just
silly. To take just two examples: Switching from XP to Win 7, it's
easy to find where to configure hardware settings. Switching to
another OS altogether, you'd have to learn that from scratch. You'd
also have to find applications to replace the ones you were used to
using.

Switching to Linux might make sense in the long term, but in the
short term it's significantly harder than just upgrading Windows.

 

[VanguardLH]

He didn't propose that they guy should switch anything. He just made a
comment which happens to be true: there are no such licensing issues
with Linux.

No licensing issues, either, if I buy a ream of paper. I can use any
sheet of paper from that ream wherever I want. It was an irrelevant
response.