Windows 7 Student Upgrade

[Zoot]

Just a quick question. Has anyone here actually tried this route of getting it?

The reduced price is quite tempting to get a genuine product key for it. What I'm wondering is, how easy is the product key for the upgrade to get at using this method?

My plan is maybe to "borrow" a setup CD (we won't say from where ), and use the product key got from the upgrade.

 

[Ham]

I bought a copy of the pro edition using the student offer. It requires a fresh install rather than just upgrading a old install ala the home ed.

The files you need to make a bootable cd are extracted when you run the exe the 1st time. Point vlite to them and bam, bootable disc that will install form scratch.

I'm not 100% on if the key will take yet as I'm saving it for a new build though, but as it has to be a fresh install I can't see why it wouldn't take.

 

[Zoot]

Thanks for the info.

So the student offer is aimed at a clean install rather than an upgrade?

If this is the case I might replace XP on my rig over the Christmas with 7, and do it legally this time...

 

[alexhull24]

The student key and download is an UPGRADE, so legally you have to have either Vista or XP. It's easy enough to burn a disc from the downloaded files, and there are even links for direct ISOs now from the shop. As long as a windows installation is detected by setup it should be fine, I just formatted the partition with windows on and did a clean install with the upgrade disc and key, no problem at all. Some people have said it worked without even detecting an install of windows.

If you want to know how to burn a disc from the download files just ask.

 

[Zoot]

The student key and download is an UPGRADE, so legally you have to have either Vista or XP. It's easy enough to burn a disc from the downloaded files, and there are even links for direct ISOs now from the shop. As long as a windows installation is detected by setup it should be fine, I just formatted the partition with windows on and did a clean install with the upgrade disc and key, no problem at all. Some people have said it worked without even detecting an install of windows.

If you want to know how to burn a disc from the download files just ask.

Again thanks for the info.

So let me get this straight, I pay the reduced price, download the files, run the utility that's included and if a Windows installation is detected (in my case XP), it'll let me burn a disk that I can perform a clean install with ie. wipe XP and install 7. Correct?

 

[zak4994]

Again thanks for the info.

So let me get this straight, I pay the reduced price, download the files, run the utility that's included and if a Windows installation is detected (in my case XP), it'll let me burn a disk that I can perform a clean install with ie. wipe XP and install 7. Correct?

Buy it.

Download it.

Run the executable (.exe).

It installs Windows 7 with multiple restarts.

All old Windows files will be moved into a folder called Windows.old including all of the users files.

No need to create a back-up of your files since they are all in the Windows.old folder.



In the end you have to have an OS installed. It's just like installing any other program.

 

[Ducky Spud]

I got professional using this offer and had no problems at all. I installed it from my Windows 7 RC install and it worked fine, didnt care that I didnt have XP or Vista and never asked for a key for them or anything lol. I do have an XP key but wasnt needed.

But like zak said, your old files will go to windows.old which I found well handy, but I backed up a couple of my more important files anyway just to be sure

 

[Zoot]

Buy it.

Download it.

Run the executable (.exe).

It installs Windows 7 with multiple restarts.

All old Windows files will be moved into a folder called Windows.old including all of the users files.

Thanks for the info.

No need to create a back-up of your files since they are all in the Windows.old folder.

The files aren't too much of a problem considering I only use Windows for games anyway, everything else is Ubuntu.

But the reduced price is quite a good deal, considering the rather aggressive asking price for the retail version. Surprisingly my College's student email has also been accepted, despite not being based in the UK.

Last question, for those that have tried this:

Suppose the whole thing fails (in typical Microsoft style) as in the installer is a disaster, is the product key for 7 easy to get at? In other words will I have access to it so that I could use it for a fresh install considering a botched attempt?

 

[Ham]

Well they e-mail it to you. So second pc, failing that a printer .

 

[Zoot]

Well they e-mail it to you. So second pc, failing that a printer .

Ah okay! So I DO have access to the product key should everything fail.

Thanks for all the responses guys, I'll go ahead and avail of it. Taking advantage of cheap stuff because of being a student is great.

 

[zak4994]

It's wonderful mate.

Oh and yeah you should note the key down before you start installing 'cos it will ask you for it when you are in a position where the e-mail isn't in front of you.

 

[Zoot]

It's wonderful mate.

Oh and yeah you should note the key down before you start installing 'cos it will ask you for it when you are in a position where the e-mail isn't in front of you.

Don't worry I've installed manys a version of Windows countless times before.

 

[zak4994]

Don't worry I've installed manys a version of Windows countless times before.

lol.

No offence yo.

 

[Zoot]

lol.

No offence yo.

None taken my good man.

Alas it's not all rosey for me. Apparently it's not available to students in Ireland, yet my student email is vaild (because of "student" in the domain name?), go figure. Well my credit card ain't accepted on account of not being registered in the UK it seems.

Anyway I might talk nice to my sister the next time I'm in the UK, and get her to buy it for me, the offer is valid up until January 2010 anyway. Or I might just stick with XP, or use one of the endless tools out there that bypass all the WGA and activate it in a snap with a single click (illegally of course).

Oh well, nothing ventured nothing gained.

 

[zak4994]

Imo, I would say be nice to your sister. Getting Win7 for £30 is a super bargain. You do not want to miss an opportunity like this.

 

[Zoot]

Getting Win7 for £30 is a super bargain. You do not want to miss an opportunity like this.

LMAO! Good marketing!

Anyway, I checked out the offer posed to students in ireland on software4students.ie and the price for Professional is just under €50 for an Upgrade, compared with the £30 if I talk nice to my sister.

So yup, it's going to be the latter.

 

[Zoot]

Last question for those in the know, how big is the executable that you download?

For me it's only 314k, and the words WTF are coming to mind.

 

[zak4994]

At first you download a "download manager" that will help manage the downloading (lol).

The actual thing is 2GB approx.

 

[Zoot]

At first you download a "download manager" that will help manage the downloading (lol).

The actual thing is 2GB approx.

Ah now that would explain it! Why couldn't you just download an ISO directly? But then again I shouldn't be surprised, Microsoft don't generally tend to make these things easy.

Thanks zak!

 

[Antnorwe]

I've got this, bought the Professional version as opposed to the home edition (My Uni uses a Virtual Network so I can access my files from home) and I have to say I had no hassle with it - apart from not being able to create a bootable disk XD although i'm certain this was my silly mistake rather than anything else. I can't complain for £30 really, and Windows 7 looks amazing. Well worth it I think.