Microsoft confirms Windows 7 Upgrade install trick is legal


Windows 7 Upgrade Explained!

by SoftwareGuru


Windows 7 users can install the full edition from the upgrade DVD.

Those of you who reckon it's better to buy the more expensive "full" retail edition of Windows 7 Ultimate might want to think again.

IT websites and Microsoft themselves have confirmed that not only can users install the full edition from the upgrade DVD - as a clean install - they also confirm that providing you have owned a full genuine version of Windows XP or Vista previously, that it is 100% legal to do so.

Technically, you could install it anyway but that would be contrary to the terms of the license...

Confused? Let's go back to the start and explore the difference between 'full' and 'upgrade' versions.

A full version of Windows can be installed on any new hard drive where there is no previous version of Windows.

An upgrade version is cheaper because in theory, a previous installation of Microsoft Windows needs to be present on the drive you are installing Windows 7 on to.

As S4S explained previously, there was a workaround for this in Vista and now it has been confirmed that a workaround is also in place for the Windows 7 Upgrade DVD.
 


















Windows 7 Upgrade Options

Respected Windows blogger Paul Thurrott outlines the simple workaround on his Supersite for Windows blog.

He reveals how Microsoft's upgrade media and product keys can be used to do a full installation of Windows 7 on PCs that do not have an earlier version of the OS.

Since OEM's don't ship restore media anymore, if the default restore partition gets deleted and there is no way to get the old version of Windows back on the computer and activated, a process like this is needed.

For example, anyone with a PC that has suffered hard drive failure and replaced it will probably still have the green genuine licence sticker key for Windows somewhere on their computer - even though their replacement drive is blank.

Therefore, legally and morally there is nothing wrong with this method, and Eric Ligman from Microsoft posted this statement to clarify this issue.

If you've owned a computer or laptop since 2001 that had a genuine version of XP (or Vista), then you are legally entitled to buy the Windows 7 upgrade and use this workaround method for activation on a blank hard drive.

Great news for upgraders!

More Windows 7 Answers

The most frequently asked question in the last week here at Software4Students has been,

"Can I clean install Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade on a blank hard drive?"

Hopefully we have answered this question fully and you should be in no doubt as to whether you are eligible to use the upgrade or not.

At £59.95, the tremendous value of our Windows 7 Ultimate Upgrade software deal is simply unbeatable.

Last week we also compared Windows 7 prices from online retailers so that you can see at a glance how much money can be saved via Software4Students.

Throughout the UK, more and more students and parents are discovering the benefits of buying cheap official software from Software4Students.

Remember to tell your friends where you bought Windows 7 Ultimate from and they'll thank you for it.

As the feedback on our Facebook campaign shows, people are waiting for a catch that never comes!

Enjoy Windows 7.











Microsoft confirms Windows 7 Upgrade install trick is legal.


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