Windows 7 Upgrade - Don't Know Which One?

[wisedave]

Hello,

My wife's Toshiba Satellite Laptop (a couple of years old) is freaking out all of the time. She wants to do a fresh install of Windows 7 (it currently has Windows 7). I have a desk top computer that is in the closet that I also want to install Windows 7 on (currently has XP).

Which of the many choices of Windows 7 do I need to purchase? I only need to Home version but am confused about the purchase of an 'upgrade/update', OEM, etc....

Can you direct me on what route to go down on this?

Thanks for any input or effort!

Cheers,

Dave

[caperjack]

lets start with this fact ,you cant upgrade from winxp to win7 needs to be a full install .you should run the win7 upgrade advisory on the xp computer .
download it here http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=20

as for you wife's laptop she should have system restore disks ,or she could try holding down the zero key and boot the laptop and it should take the laptop to a recovery/restore to factory settings option ,make sure to back up any important data she may need to save .

[wisedave]

lets start with this fact ,you cant upgrade from winxp to win7 needs to be a full install .you should run the win7 upgrade advisory on the xp computer . download it here http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=20

as for you wife's laptop she should have system restore disks ,or she could try holding down the zero key and boot the laptop and it should take the laptop to a recovery/restore to factory settings option ,make sure to back up any important data she may need to save .

Thanks for the advice.....but I need to add this.

My wife is dead set to perform a complete fresh install of Windows 7. She does not want to reset to factory settings, etc.

Can't I just purchase a copy of Windows 7 O.S. and install it on both? If so, which one do I need?

Thanks for the input!

-Dave

[caperjack]

you need to buy the exact version that's on you wife's laptop .so you can install it on her laptop using her key[it should be on the underside of the laptop] ,and then install it on your computer ,using the new key that came with new win7 ,follow ,unless you buy multiple key version of win7 it can only be installed on one computer

[tstory28]

If you are talking about the version of Windows 7 that came preinstalled on the computer, you will NEVER find it in a store since it is an OEM version. Only way to get that OEM version is to talk to Toshiba since they have the exact version that will work with her laptop. That being said...

Since she does not want a factory version of Windows 7, you will have to go and purchase one from the store which will cost you at least $200 unless you get lucky and find a deal somewhere. Another thing, you will want to make sure it is a full install disk because an upgrade disk will not work in your situation. When you purchase it, you will have a single product key which can only be used on ONE computer.

Insert the disk into the DVD drive and make sure your BIOS is set to boot from Optical drive first. Run through all the typical questions during setup and when asked for product key, use the key that is included with the DVD. You will not be able to use the key on the bottom of the computer.

If you want to install Windows 7 on your Windows XP computer, you will have to purchase a separate Windows 7 Full Installation disk with product key.

[caperjack]

You will not be able to use the key on the bottom of the computer.

and why not I/we do it all the time on customers laptops when they don't have there recovery dvd's ,and the harddrive is dead .and I/we just use a Retail win7 dvd[same version as thers] to install it ,and just use the key on the bottom of the laptop

[tstory28]

I have tried it in the past and those keys on the bottom of the PCs only works with OEM disks, not full disks or upgrade disks.

[caperjack]

I have tried it in the past and those keys on the bottom of the PCs only works with OEM disks, not full disks or upgrade disks.

well like i sad i do it all the time and they work for me

[tstory28]

OK... I guess I will have to try it again when it comes up as a problem.

[phoenix_2000]

if your key works however, you could practically just buy ANY windows version, and use your wifes key on it.
Microsoft puts every version of windows on all the disks to save on the disk pressing costs.
You can later install windows using the same DVD, but with the code on the box, on your other computer.

[Reverend Jim]

Microsoft sells a family pack which allows you to install Winidows 7 Home on up to three computers. As for upgrade/full, you can actually do a full (from scratch) install of Windows 7 from an upgrade disk. See

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

[caperjack]

Microsoft sells a family pack which allows you to install Winidows 7 Home on up to three computers. As for upgrade/full, you can actually do a full (from scratch) install of Windows 7 from an upgrade disk. See

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

yeah you could do that with vista as well ,you just install it without putting in the key, then when after the install is done , you take the dvd out ,then put the dvd back in and start the install from within windows and it sees itself as a previous install and reinstalls and then you put the key in ,something like that ,i have done it with a vista upgrade disk i just threw away