Skip to Content

Free TUAW iPhone app -- try it now!
AOL Tech

windows-7-upgrade posts

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows

Windows 7 RC users will be able to install Windows 7 Upgrade discs

Windows 7 box
Today's the last day to pre-order Windows 7 Upgrade discs for half off. But Microsoft almost always offers upgrade discs for existing Windows users for a lower cost than the full install discs. So even if you don't get your order in today, you can probably save a few bucks by ordering Windows 7 Upgrade instead of the full version. The question is: will you be able to install it?

Microsoft has already stated that Windows Vista and Windows XP users would be able to use the upgrade discs. But this week the company also confirmed that those of you who have been using Windows 7 RC will also be able to upgrade to Windows 7 final using the upgrade discs.

There is a catch. While the Windows 7 installer won't overwrite your files, it will copy all of your existing data to a folder labeled WINDOWS.OLD, which means that you won't be able to run most applications without reinstalling them. But at least you won't lose your documents in the upgrade process.

Now here's the bigger catch: While you won't need to downgrade from Windows 7 RC to Vista or XP in order to install Windows 7 final the first, time, you will need to install one of those operating systems and activate it first if you want to do a clean install in the future. Because the Windows 7 upgrade disc will only work with an activated version of Windows. That means you'll need an activated version of Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7 RC to start with or the disc will be useless.

Filed under: OS Updates, Windows, Microsoft, Windows x64

Windows 7 upgrade pricing leaks, and it's damn cheap


Our good friends at Engadget have gotten their hands on yet another tasty Windows 7 leak, though this time it's not just another marginally interesting build update. This time it's upgrade pricing information courtesy some careless generous Best Buy employee.

The presell cost to upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium will be a paltry $49.99 and the Professional Upgrade will run $99.99. That's a pretty clear statement that Microsoft is going to be aggressive with Windows 7 pricing.

It's unlikely that Best Buy would be using an Upgrade OS as a loss leader, but we'll have to wait for more official news before we can call this one confirmed.

Long Zheng has crunched the numbers against Vista pricing, and estimates that the upgrade prices could translate to retail prices of $99.99 for Home Premium and $149.99 for Professional.

Let's hope the leak is accurate. Rock-bottom upgrade pricing would certainly be a nice olive branch to hand unhappy Vista users.

According to the memo, the presale mayhem begins on June 26th at BestBuy.com.

[via Engadget]

Featured Time Waster

The World's Hardest Game 2.0 - Time Waster

So, just how good at time waster games are you? Think you've got the stuff? Well, The World's Hardest Game 2.0 doesn't think you do. Yes, amazingly, it's possible to have a sequel to a game called "The World's Hardest Game". It doesn't seem logically possible, since if the first one was actually the world's hardest, how could another one come along and share the moniker? It made me doubt the name in the first place. That is, until I tried the game. The mechanics of the game are very simple. You are a small red square, ...

View more Time Wasters

Featured Galleries

Defective by Design, London: Protest Pictures
Microsoft Security Essentials
Chromium Pre-Alpha on CrunchBang Linux
Safari 4 Beta
10 Firefox themes that don't suck
IE8 RC1
Download Squad at the Crunchies After-Party
Download Squad at the Crunchies
WordPress 2.7
Cooking Mama: Mama Kills Animals
Windows 7 Hands On
Comodo Internet Security
Android First-look: Amazon.com MP3 Store
Android First-look: Twitroid
Google Reader Android
Android Hands-On
Twine 1.0
Photoshop Express Beta
Mozilla Birthday Cake
Palm stuff
Adobe Lightroom 1.1

 


Follow us on Twitter!

Flickr Pool

www.flickr.com

More Tech Coverage

AOL Radio