Install Win 7 Home Upgrade with Win XP OEM media? (1 Viewer)

[DaveF]

I'm installing Win 7 on a computer (an iMac in Parallels, to be specific). But I'm two releases behind and no longer savvy about Windows. Will the following work:


I have Win XP Home OEM installed on Computer A. I want to uninstall XP from Computer A, and then use XP OEM disc to validate and install Win 7 Home Premium Upgrade on Computer B; preferably without first installing XP. Can I do this?



Perhaps more simply, does Win 7 Home upgrade need to see an XP installation, or does it just need to see install media to operate? And does an OEM copy qualify? (MS website seems to say it does.)


Thanks!

 

[Hanson]

Yes, the XP OEM disk will validate the Win 7 upgrade disk. The upgrade disk has the full version of Win 7. It can either do an in place upgrade or a fresh install. You can wipe the XP install during the Win 7 installation by deleting the partition.


BTW, the upgrade versions cost more than the OEM because they are retail only. So you could have bought the OEM Win 7 online for less than the upgrade disk since you are doing a fresh install anyway.

 

[DaveF]

After using an OEM Windows, I prefer not to do that again. If I hadn't bought Win XP OEM last time, I could simply transfer the license to another computer and not even buy Win 7. And OEM versions are more annoying when you change partitions and deal with BootCamp / Virtualization setups.


This time, I'm buying the full version on purpose.

 

[KeithAP]

The Supersite for Windows details how you can use a Windows 7 Upgrade disc to do a clean install of the OS:

http://www.winsupersite.com/article/windows-7/clean-install-windows-7-with-upgrade-media.aspx


From what I have read, none of the methods they describe to do this require and XP disc at all.


-KeithP

 

[DaveF]

Thanks. A coworker also told me about that Look forward to reading that. Probably buy Win 7 Home this weekend.

 

[DaveF]

After reading the article on WinSuperSite and starting to read the applicable article on double-installing Vista, I'm struck again at how Microsoft simply makes things difficult for the user to its own corporate benefit. Good gravy. It seems I can clean install Win7 Upgrade, but there are two different methods and who knows which will work until you're waist deep in 'gators.


So I've ordered the Win 7 Home Premium Uprade 3-license for Home, for $125; only a $15 premium over a single-user license so I'll try it on my computer too.

 

[DaveF]

Installing Windows 7 in Parallels on 24" iMac.


Got WinSuperSite articles up for reference.


Fingers crossed.

 

[DaveF]

Long, somewhat tedious process, but the double-install method worked.


I installed 64-bit version in Parallels. Now I'm second-guessing myself. Is there any reason to think the 32-bit version would be better or faster, running Parallels on a Mac?

 

[DaveF]

So Windows 7 Home Premium (Upgrade) successfully installed in Parallels Desktop 6 on a 24" iMac (early 2010 model, pre-27" refresh).


Some initial observations: Parallels 6 / Windows 7 / iMac is much faster to startup and to do a full restart than Parallels 4 / Windows XP / MBP 15". The iMac is two years newer than my MBP, but it's not *that* much faster. I suspect the speed difference is a combination of Parallels and Windows being improved. I'm probably going to remove Parallels / BootCamp / Windows XP from my MBP completely. But if I see a need for Windows, I won't hesitate to upgrade my system to Parallels 6 and Windows Home.