Win7, Question

[HaloRacer]

I normally keep up-to-date with this sort of thing but I'm not too sure about this.

If you get the upgrade ($50) to Windows 7 HP, you need to have a either XP or Vista installed correct? So even if you want to reformat later after upgrading, you would need to put XP or Vista back on?

Is the upgrade a completely clean install?

In the past I've just bought the OEM full install disc because of weird crap like that with the upgrades. Thanks in advance!

 

[Passerby]

ya to use the upgrade there need to already be a windows xp or vista installed

personally i never get upgrades cause i run a lot of different operating systems and will usually end up doing re-installs quite a few times a year.

is that all you needed

 

[HunterD]

I'm not 100% on Windows 7, but in the past if you had a retail upgrade disk you could do a clean install with it. You would need to insert the older version CD or code at some point in the fresh install, but you can do a clean load without loading the older version first.

 

[Dr??]

Ok so I had similar questions and after a bit of reading around on the interwebz, it seems that if you have vista you will be able to do a "patch-like" upgrade in which all of your programs and files and customized this-and-that will be carried over to your W7 installation.
However, apparently there is no direct upgrade pathway from XP to 7, so you won't be able to do this, you will have to wipe out XP and install a vanilla W7.

Tthe Upgrade version of W7 needs to see a running copy of windows on whatever partition you plan to install it in order to work.

Basically you have to have some version of windows already installed (XP or Vista) in order to use the W7 Upgrade Disc. If it's Vista, you can keep your junks, if it's XP you're gonna want to back up your junks first. (back up if you have vista anyway).