Zardon

Microsoft are sending a clear message to many bloggers who are discussing how to break their rules and perform a clean install of Windows 7 using the upgrade media.

This really is a move to save people money, as the upgrade options cost significantly less than the full versions. Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade for instance sells for $80 less than the full version while The Professional and Ultimate upgrades are $100 less than full price. Microsoft's EULA only allows Windows 7 upgrades to be installed on PCs that have a previous version of Windows already installed.

Eric Ligman, Microsofts global partner experience lead has claimed this is illegal and seems to be very unhappy about the situation. "For those of you without an existing Windows license to upgrade from, you should be aware that an upgrade license by itself is not a license to install and run Windows on your computer," Ligman wrote in a blog post.

Ligman also was keen to mention unnamed sources who've recently published instructions on how to use a Windows 7 upgrade disk to install Windows 7 on a blank hard drive. "Regardless of what any hack says, a Windows 7 upgrade is an upgrade," Ligman wrote.

This really is nothing new however as the same situation occurred right after the Vista launch. Surprisingly Microsoft failed to close this loophole in Vista Service Pack 1 which made many journalists conclude thay they felt it was a way for Microsoft to keep the official media a sweeter deal for those enthusiasts with enough knowledge to use the 'hack'.

Will Ligmans' recent blog posts fall on deaf ears? I think we can safely assume that they will.

Allan Campbell: Heaven Media

CitySlicker

In my case the upgrade went wrong and I needed a clean install to correct the problem. If they would have disabled the clean install Win7 (for me) would clearly have gone into the BIN - I did not pay for it as it was "free" with Vista.

Ligman seems to have no idea what he is talking about and better should get a clue..

BlueMak

So there is no legal way to install 7-upgrade but on top of Vista? That would suck.

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CitySlicker

Hey, I gotta notification email from this thread!

IvanV

OMG, it's alive! Joking, are you subscribed to this thread (maybe you did it inadvertently)?

I've got no experience with upgrade versions so I'll ask a noobish question: Are those who buy an upgrade never allowed to perform a clean install?! Because in some cases when system gets corrupt for whatever reason (virus, major hardware upgrade, disk gets badly corrupted due to a power outage...) a clean install is the easiest and sometimes perhaps the only way to get the system running reliably and as quickly as it's supposed to. Shouldn't this simply be a discount for loyal customers, where people prove that they own the previous version and get the new one cheaper, without catches and restrictions?

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Zardon

It sounds logical, but technically for an upgrade disc to install it works over 'the top' of an older OS. I hate the idea and I dislike Microsoft for selling it cheaper. they just need to ditch this option entirely and charge slightly less for the full disc. Their whole pricing system and list of options is so convoluted.

Judas

Yeah upgrades i HATE..

What i'd like to see is MS setup upgrade discs to have both a "Windows Vista CD Key" placement and directly below the new win7 upgrade Key for a clean install, when you go to activate it after installing, it checks the hardware to see if the vista key does match the hardware, and then if it checks out, it then checks the win7 key to see if it's available to activate on the same machine...

it would then tie the 2 keys together without an issue... and microsoft would be happy, and people that prefer clean installs would be happy.

I HATE upgrade installs... they are always a royal mess when they are done.

Worst yet, some machines that came with vista preinstalled, for example laptops, didn't come with enough hardrive space on the primary partition.. 30gb, and makes it basically impossible to do an upgrade installation over the previous install due not having enough room. So your ownly choice is to start tearing the orginal install completely appart or just best to backup and clean install.

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mkk

On another note, I heard from a serviceguy(a good one) at work that the OEM/SystemBuilder verison of Windows 7 would happily do the "upgrade" duty for you as well. Though as previously it's probably not possible to upgrade from 32bit to 64bit through normal means. As said, why make this mess in the first place? But then we know why...

SeraphicSorcerer

The fact that OEM versions are sold at a far cheaper cost then both upgrade/full disc, and you only need to buy a mouse shows how bullshit the pricing scheme really is.

And if you're upgrading from a previous OS, maybe you want a "clean" install.

This is exactly why apples ads work, btw.

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rajivsci

The problem with microsoft is they want to earn money by selling what ever and however they can, But they seems to not thing That the World is full of microsoft's daddy's who somehow find out the vunerability in those OS 's and exploit that to their advantage. It has happened with vista too. Though its sad, but nothing can be done over it.

I agree too that, microsoft should reduce the price of the overall pack and should single disc which could do both things. That will not only increase there sales but also will be satisfactory for public in general.