Steps to Clean Install Win 7 with Upgrade Media

Steps to Clean Install Win 7 with Upgrade Media (from SuperSite Blog)

http://community.winsupersite.com/blogs/paul/archive/2009/10/23/clean-install-windows-7-with-upgrade-media-the-answer.aspx

I understand that there is a similar thread here, but Paul Thurrott has the complete steps.

 

This is for a clean install of win7 on a virgin pc with no os already installed. You don't have to do these steps for a clean install if another os is already on the pc. This thread title is vague in that respect.

 

Everyone knows that you need a full version media to do a clean install, and Paul is demonstrating how to do a clean install with an upgrade media. The word "clean" already implied that previous versions of Windows were not present in the harddisk. And therefore, without any previous versions of Windows present in the harddisk, Paul is demonstrating how to do a clean install with an upgrade media. This is already very clear.

 

No you don't need full version media to do a clean install. Win7 upgrade requires that you have a preinstalled xp or vista and activated, and it can see this from booting into the install disk. Then after installation, Win7 upgrade will send your old os key to MS server upon activation. The requirement does not preclude you from booting into the Win7 upgrade disk media and deleting and then formatting your drive and installing it (clean). Paul is telling you how to activate Win7 upgrade without an os preinstalled (VIRGIN), because that is a requirement. I did a clean install with Win7 Pro x64 upgrade yesterday with XP preinstalled. I booted into the Win7 upgrade install disk, deleted the xp partition, formatted it, installed Win7 and activated it. I didn't need to do any workarounds or hacks in order to activate it either. If that is not a clean install then what is it? Paul is talking about clean installing on a virgin pc with no os preinstalled and doing a work around to get it to activate because Win7 upgrade did not see a preinstalled activated os.

 

I understand what you mean by now. Hm... I think a better way of saying would be "To activate Windows 7 following a clean install with an upgrade media with no previous OS pre-installed on the harddisk", something like that.

 

I was just trying to add a little further clarification to your thread because there seems to be some confusion on the issue from what I have seen posted here and other forums.

 

Yes, I have missed the point on activation.