Installing Windows 7

[gerryh]

I will be installing Windows 7 on Desktop and Laptop computers.
Is the key "attached" to the software on the installation disc?
In other words, if I have an installation disc, with it's key and a separate, legitimate key, can I use the same installation disc on the 2nd machine?
Cheers
Gerry

[Enrique]

Hi gerry,
you maybe able to answer your own post...........
What did you buy.........if its Retail.............

"Retail = Install on one PC at a time,, but can remove it from one and install to another and reactivate.
If you have more than one Retail copy of windows (ie. one copy for each PC) then you can use one disk for all installs, but you will need the individual license for each PC.

OEM = Tied to the pc (laptop or desktop) and can not be transferred. When the PC goes in the trash, so does the disk and license.
Technically,, the disk for this can not be used on other systems,, because of the way the disk is designed. It is designed mainly for the system that it came with.

Retail Keys, do not generally work with OEM Disks and vice versa."

[gerryh]

I haven't actually bought a disc yet
But I have bought 2 licences.
So just asking the question to make sure I buy the "right" disc.
Cheers
Gerry

[El Cid]

W7 disks come with both 32 and 64 bit versions. You can install them on as many machines as you like from the one disk but they will expire if you do not use a valid key to activate them.

What you are buying is a licence or licences to install each on one PC.

If you have bought two licences then you will end up with only two activated installations of W7.

Sid

[gerryh]

Bought Windows 7 Ultimate and 2 licences.
I had Windows Vista preinstalled on my laptop.
I added Windows XP home and Windows 7 Ultimate evaluation copy.
I could which OS to boot into at startup time.
Deleted Windows Vista and Windows 7 Ultimate evaluation copy.
Re partitioned my HD.
Did a clean install of Windows 7 Ultimate.
Don't get the selection window at startup time, boots into W7.
My Windows XP part ion is still on my HD OK.
How do I get the dual booting option back?

Cheers
Gerry

[Conehead]

Hi,

Been through what you are trying to do. I suggest you do a search for dual booting win7 and XP. There is plenty of information out there and the problems that can happen, of which there are many (Windoze as usual).
In my case the MBR was changed and I had to re-install.
In your case as XP was already installed and you installed Win7 you "should" of been presented with the multi-boot option.
A search is your best choice.
Best regards

[country boy]

Gerry, did you slect "custom install" at the beginning? If you didn't it will have put Win7 on top of XP by default

[Enrique]

Hi,
Plenty of info out there on Dual Booting..........you could do a manual tweak on the Boot.ini file

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/314081

This file just tells the system where you want to load the OS from