Posted by kglee | Filed under Software Fixes
To perform a clean install of Windows 7 with Upgrade media, you need to install
Windows 7 once using the Upgrade Setup disk, but without entering your product
key during Setup. Then, once you’ve loaded the Windows 7 desktop for the
first time, you can run Setup again from within Windows 7 and choose Upgrade
(even though you’ll be “upgrading” to the exact same version of Windows 7).
Allow Setup to complete a second time, and then you’re good to go: you can
enter your product key after the second Setup routine is completed and activate
Windows 7 successfully.
Here are the complete instructions:
Step 1: Install Windows 7
Boot your PC with the Windows 7 Upgrade DVD. After the preliminary loading
screen, install Windows 7 normally. When you are prompted to enter your product
key, leave the product key field blank, deselect the option titled “Automatically
activate Windows when I’m online,” and then continue.
Setup will install Windows Once Windows 7 is successfully installed and you are logged on, you’ll be presented with your new Windows 7 desktop. Don’t get too comfortable, however, as you’re
about to do it all again.
Step 2: Upgrade from Windows 7…to Windows 7
If you try to activate Windows now, it will fail because you’ve performed a clean
install of Windows 7 and you have only an Upgrade product key. That means you
have 30 days during which you can run this non-activated version of Windows 7.
But why wait 30 days?
According to Microsoft, Upgrade versions of Windows 7 support upgrading
from “a compliant version of Windows, such as Windows 7, Windows Vista, or
Windows XP.” Well, you just installed Windows 7, so why not just upgrade from
that install? That’s right: you’re going to upgrade the non-activated clean install
you just performed, which will provide you with a version of the OS that you
can, in fact, activate. (more…)
Posted by kglee | Filed under Software Fixes
Clean Install Windows 7 With Upgrade Media and Product Key on Formatted or Empty Blank Hard Drive
Clean Install and Activate Windows 7 with MediaBootInstall Registry Hack
Boot from dvd, install windows 7 without entering serial key.
1. After booting up, ensure that no Windows Updates pending task which requires a system reboot to finish installing.
Tip: Normally, an orange-colored shield icon will be displayed next to Shutdown button in the Start Menu Power Button or at notification tray area if a restart is required.
If reboot is required, restart the computer to allow any pending updates is installed.
2. Run Registry Editor (RegEdit).
3. Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Setup\OOBE
4. In the right pane, change the value data for MediaBootInstall from 1 to 0.
MediaBootInstall Registry
Alternatively, just download and execute MediaBootInstall.reg to merge the value into registry.
5. Open an elevated command prompt as administrator.
6. Run the command below to reset Windows 7 activation status:
slmgr -rearm
Rearm Windows
7. Reboot the computer.
8. Run the Activate Windows utility (accessible from bottom section of Control Panel -> System and Security -> System, or type Activate Windows into Start Search), type in the upgrade product key and activate Windows.
Posted by kglee | Filed under Cool Videos
Not too much about computers, but very interesting!