Are win7 upgrade keys different than win 7 full?

[excellsior]

i have the full cd from a previous build and was wondering if i can still do a full install if i purchase a win 7 upgrade key.

im trying to go with this option right now as the upgrade is $30 for students.

 

[munkle]

Yes they are different, if you try to do clean install with an upgrade key when you try to activate it, it will tell you it can't be activated because you don't meet the installation criteria or something like that. But what you can do is install win7 and then use the disc to just upgrade win 7 and it will activate. MS hasn't said anything about it, so I assume it is fine.

 

[bigdogchris]

Yes they are different, if you try to do clean install with an upgrade key when you try to activate it, it will tell you it can't be activated because you don't meet the installation criteria or something like that. But what you can do is install win7 and then use the disc to just upgrade win 7 and it will activate. MS hasn't said anything about it, so I assume it is fine.

Yeah but, what about when you upgrade from XP? It's going to do a clean install. How would the key activate? Is it because the only supported method for using Upgrade media from XP->7 is by dropping the 7 disc in while at the XP desktop and going from there?

*edit* Paul Thurrott explains it best.

* If you have a previous version of Windows (XP or Vista), try launching Windows 7 Setup from that OS first, even if you want to wipe out the previous Windows verison. If you run Windows 7 Setup from your previous OS, Windows 7 will always activate.
* If you boot your PC with the Windows 7 Setup DVD, as described below, and there is an existing install of Windows on the first partition, Windows 7 will always activate. If the existing install of Windows is on some other partition, Windows 7 should still activate. There are instances in which this won't work--especially when people really muck around with directory structures and so on, but it should activate.
* Windows 7 Setup does its compliance checking before the phase of Setup where you format the disc. (Unlike with Windows Vista.) This means that you can format your existing hard drive, and blow away a previous Windows version, and not worry about activation. If it was there, Windows 7 will still activate.
* Recovery partitions don't count. While Windows 7 Setup will look for previous installations of Windows, it will not look for recovery partitions or use them for compliance checking.
* While I provide two workarounds for Windows 7 installs that will not activate, Microsoft's preference is that you simply call Microsoft Support instead. The call is free, and they will get you up and running (i.e. activated) very quickly.

 

[excellsior]

Yes they are different, if you try to do clean install with an upgrade key when you try to activate it, it will tell you it can't be activated because you don't meet the installation criteria or something like that. But what you can do is install win7 and then use the disc to just upgrade win 7 and it will activate. MS hasn't said anything about it, so I assume it is fine.

install win7 and use the disc to just upgrade win 7

???

huh... how can i upgrade to win 7 if i cant get the key to pass?
also, why would i upgrade to win 7 if i just installed it? haha...

sorry, but this is confusing me.

 

[munkle]

install win7 and use the disc to just upgrade win 7

???

huh... how can i upgrade to win 7 if i cant get the key to pass?
also, why would i upgrade to win 7 if i just installed it? haha...

sorry, but this is confusing me.

Install it, you don't need to activate for 30 days (and you can't because you have an upgrade key). Restart select upgrade instead of install, the only reason you do this is so your key will activate.

 

[DeaconFrost]

You won't have any issues doing what you just suggested in the first post. Last week, I bought my sister an upgrade license through her college. I was able to do a full install using my TechNet media, and then after the install was complete, I put in her upgrade key, and it activated just fine. I think some of you are getting too paranoid or worried over the licensing restrictions and the differences. Just don't put a key in during the install, but then again, why would you anyway?

 

[Drakenfeng]

Also vouching for just using the key as normal. Recently bought an additional 'upgrade' license for Win7 from the MS deal for another computer, but I already had the full Win7 media from a previous purchase. Simply installed using my old media and didn't put in any key until Windows was fully loaded. Entered the upgrade key and it activated perfectly fine.