Comments, Questions and Thoughts on Windows 7

shipley.c:

From what I've read, the Upgrade DVDs for Windows 7 are not bootable.  You have to boot into the qualifying upgradable OS first (like, run Windows XP or Vista) then stick the DVD in.  It will still give you the option to do a custom (clean) install and wipe the drive for you, then reboot and continue the install.

That would sure put a crimp in my plans.  I read an article about creating a 2nd partition on the bootable HD and installing win7 into that.  Than install your programs and data at your own pace.  If you run into problems you still have your old OS.  After everything is working ok, I would delete the old partion to end up with a single boot system.

I think this kind of install would require the win7 DVD to be bootable.  I wonder if it's possible to do the clean install into the new empty partition after booting up in the old partition with the old OS?  I'm thinking not.  Do you have any links to what you read about these DVDs not being bootable?

 

MS may have "screwed" you with the upgrade process here...  but I have a couple ideas about how to accomplish the same goals without losing functionality.  You could virtualize your current system using the VMware Converter and put it to a file on an external drive - then after Windows 7 is loaded, install VMware Player or VMware Server and use your old system.  Or you could use a partitioning software like gparted and make the empty partition and see if it will install into that empty partition.

If you were reading about how to install Win 7 into an empty partition and dual boot into either operating system, you would have to find instructions on how to do that.  I am drawing an assumption that the Upgrade DVD is not bootable from the Windows 7 Upgrade Considerations page.  When you read the section about "Understand the installation process", it all indicates to stick the DVD in the machine and follow the prompts on screen.  It doesn't say boot from the DVD at all, and from what I remember of the Vista Business Upgrade DVD, I had to boot a qualifying OS first (Win 2000 Pro), then I could install Vista - couldn't boot to DVD at all.

Anyhow, go back to wherever you read from people doing this with Upgrade media - see if they have links on how-to's.  Or, go check the Microsoft EOpen website, register your license agreement you received, and then go to Product Downloads and see if they provide you with a link to the Full version of Windows 7 professional or not.  I have no confirmation if they allow this, so you could help me answer other people's questions if you could check for me.

Aha, here's another thought.  Clone your current partition onto another partition on the drive.  Hide the partition (or not) - I think you can do all of this with GParted.  then install over the main partition with Win 7 clean install.  Find another bootloader, or mess with the nt boot loader, that will allow you to boot to either partition.

Radek,

   I am not certain if your question got answered since there have been many posts in this thread. For more information about upgrading Vista Home, please read the thread Upgrading to Windows 7 Professional from Vista or Windows 7 Home. Please let us know if you have any other questions.

Autumn

Johnny,

  I think this question may have been a bit buried so not sure it got answered! Though Microsoft did allow for an extra request for Windows 7, all other restrictions still apply. However, the licenses that you have will work with both x64 and x32 bit so all you need to do is get the installation media from eOpen as a download or disk through Software Assurance.

 

Autumn

autumnt:

 I think this question may have been a bit buried so not sure it got answered! Though Microsoft did allow for an extra request for Windows 7, all other restrictions still apply. However, the licenses that you have will work with both x64 and x32 bit so all you need to do is get the installation media from eOpen as a download or disk through Software Assurance.

Thanks for that answer.  I forget the exact number of licenses I bought, but say I bought 5.  That means I can install 3 64 bit and 2 32 bit, or any other combination thereof.  Now that's flexibility I like.  I just wish the installing media was bootable as was being discussed above.  I really like the idea of installing into a new partition and then migrating my programs over one at a time, while still having the functionality of my previous OS until I'm fully migrated.

What to order?

My org has 20 workstations of varying age running XP Pro from TechSoup.  Some of us are ready to try 7.  

I don't know that anyone needs Enterprise features, but for only $1 extra, is there a reason not to choose Enterprise over Professional?

Similarly, some systems have 64-bit capable processors (but currently run 32-bit XP).  Might as well run 64-bit if the hardware is right, no?  It sounds like the Microsoft retail media has discs for both 32-bit and 64-bit installations - is this true for media ordered through TechSoup?  If I order 10 licenses of 64-bit, can I still install some of those licenses as 32-bit? (as a custom installation, not an upgrade)

I'm hoping there is flexibility in how we use our TechSoup order.  Are our installation options determined by the TechSoup order, by the media we receive, or by the license keys?

Thanks for your thoughts - I've been wading through the forum but didn't see these questions answered. 

 

heya r.f.p.

You have flexibility between 64-bit and 32-bit.  The order technically just decides which media is sent to your office.  You probably won't want the media anyway because we have discovered that the Upgrade DVD is not-bootable.  You have to boot from an existing OS in order to get a clean install (possible, actually, the DVD will wipe and start fresh - only after running from within an existing OS though).  So, you would then go to the EOpen website from Microsoft and download the ISO of Windows 7 Pro (or Enterprise) - and you can get both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions, full DVD copies, and make your own installation media.  The license allows you to install either.

I would buy 20 licenses.  I would check EOpen with your current license and see if Software Assurance doesn't already give you Windows 7 Professional (its good for XP Pro licenses bought within 2 years of the release date of Windows 7).

64-bit vs 32-bit?  Well... try Securable from GRC - most PCs have been shipped with 64-bit processors for some time now.  Best benefit?  RAM access...  do you have more than 4GB of RAM in any of these PCs?  If not, just go 32-bit.  I know in Vista and XP there were driver issues because manufacturers are slow (or never did) release 64-bit drivers and 64-bit Windows requires them to be digitally signed, another step many manufacturers have avoided for awhile.  So there might be some lag before the manufacturers catch up, and they may make decisions to just not support Windows 7 on their older hardware.  (In that case, Vista or XP drivers may work in their place...  but again, 64-bit versions of those can be scarce at times).

shipley.c:

 You probably won't want the media anyway because we have discovered that the Upgrade DVD is not-bootable. ... So, you would then go to the EOpen website from Microsoft and download the ISO of Windows 7 Pro (or Enterprise) - and you can get both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions, full DVD copies, and make your own installation media.  The license allows you to install either.

64-bit vs 32-bit?  Well... try Securable from GRC - most PCs have been shipped with 64-bit processors for some time now.  Best benefit?  RAM access...  do you have more than 4GB of RAM in any of these PCs?  If not, just go 32-bit.  I know in Vista and XP there were driver issues because manufacturers are slow (or never did) release 64-bit drivers and 64-bit Windows requires them to be digitally signed, another step many manufacturers have avoided for awhile.  So there might be some lag before the manufacturers catch up, and they may make decisions to just not support Windows 7 on their older hardware.  (In that case, Vista or XP drivers may work in their place...  but again, 64-bit versions of those can be scarce at times).

Ok, two questions.  First, when I download the ISO to make my own installation media, is that ISO media bootable?  I'd like to create a separate partition and install Win7 into that and slowly migrate to Win7.  Can I do that with the ISO media.

Well, maybe the second question is more of a comment.  I have 4gig of memory and I think that's a lot.  Combine that with the possibility of driver issues with the 64 bit version, I'm seeing less and less of a need for 64 bit Win7.  I will probably do 32 bit, at least partially based on your comments.

Thanks for all the help.

Help! I just did a clean install of Windows 7 on a Windows XP computer. When I went to install our Symantec AntiVirus Corporate Edition 10.2 on it, I got an error stating that it is not compatible with Windows 7. What I was able to find on Symantec's website, it's supposed to be compatible. What must I do to be able to protect this computer? Any helpful suggestions will be greatly appreciated!

Teija

@jangell2: It depends on which ISO you download.  When I checked it out, he seemed to have the ability to download either "Windows 7 Professional Upgrade" or "Windows 7 Professional"  so...  don't click on the one that says Upgrade.  As for RAM to 64-bit OS - I would agree with you that you don't need to install 64-bit Windows 7 if you don't plan on using more than 4GB of RAM.

@Teija: here is a link on how to install a different product from Symantec on Windows 7 that I think might work for your 10.2 AntiVirus...

Follow-up: Turns out that, after Windows 7 complained about the program not being compatible, it offered up a solution with a pop-up stating that the program did not install correctly and would I like to install it using the recommended settings. I agreed and it installed. Hooray.

@Teija I am glad to hear that, but I am skeptical that it is working properly.  Windows 7 is vastly different with its security and it may not be giving Symantec all the security it needs in order to be truly effective.  I haven't seen anything that suggests to me that its supported in Windows 7, at least not on this site.  It installed, sure - but is it working correctly?  I don't believe so.  You may need to upgrade, though I know that's not possible at TechSoup yet.

I was hoping someone could help me clear up some confusion about valid licensing and upgrade paths. I've read through the forum, but I am still unclear on a few things...

1. If  machines with Win98 and WinXP Home stickers were upgraded with WinXP Pro 'upgrades'  (clean install) from Techsoup, are the licenses on those machines considered legally upgradeable to a Win7 license?

In other words, can you 'upgrade' an 'upgrade' license and be considered legally licensed, or is it dependent on the sticker on the machine?

2. In the list of  "can" and "can't" upgrade paths, Windows 7 Home Premium is not mentioned. Does not seem to state definitively one way or another whether that particular version can be upgraded via Techsoup. What should be made of that?

3. If 'software assurance' is invoked to upgrade a Tech Soup donated XP Pro license to a Win7 license, does that mean the XP Pro license becomes invalid at the time of invoking 'software assurance'?

In other words, we have a handful of WinXP Pro licenses that can be upgraded via SA within the next month or so only. I think I'd like to take advantage of that so that we have the licenses for Win7. However, I don't know when we'd actually decide to physically install the upgrade. So, do the WinXP Pro licenses become invalid when we take possession of the Win7 license, or only after Win7 is installed? Could we revert back?

4. If 'software assurance' is invoked, does it in anyway reflect on the count towards the 2 year cycle? Would it count as a software request?

In other words, if we have not ordered any MS products in the last year (or 2 for that matter), and SA is invoked, would it still be the case that we have not ordered any MS products in the last year?

Thanks for any help!
 

Hello!

  I can help with some of your questions directly and I'm sure that others will chime in for anything I wasn't able to cover.

1) I do believe that you can upgrade an upgrade - I certainly haven't heard otherwise and it is something that in theory you could do through Software Assurance anyway.

2) I can verify that, at least in terms of the licenses available through TechSoup Stock & the Microsoft Volume Licensing Center,  you cannot legally upgrade any version of a home product to the business (pro, enterprise etc) products.

3) Microsoft is assuming that if you upgrade a product, once you install the new, upgraded version, that you are "retiring" the previous product / license. This is part of the upgrade offer and one of the reasons they provide upgrades (in general) at a discounted rate.

4) Software Assurance is offered directly through Microsoft and is, in no way, associated with or part of the Microsoft Donation Program - other than being provided with each of the products. Anything you may do with your Software Assurance benefits will be completely outside of the TechSoup program and entirely through Microsoft's Volume Licensing Center.

I hope this information has been helpful. Please let us know if you have other questions.

Autumn