This is the typical microsoft-way of wasting other peoples time. Hence, if i were in this situation, i would simply grab me an RTM image, install the damned edition i payed for, apply something that puts a permanent end to this activation-charade, and curse them for wasting lots of my precious time even though they have been paid. After all the money i gave them functions just-like-that too. Or did you ever see a bill asking for 'activation' and whatnot before it generously agrees to being spent?
Try this little work around! After performing the clean install, ensure that there are no Windows Updates pending that would require a system reboot. (You'll see an orange shield icon next to Shutdown in the Start Menu if this is the case). Then, open regedit.exe with Start Menu Search and navigate to: HKLM/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Setup/OOBE/ Change MediaBootInstall from "1" to "0". Open the Start Menu again and type cmd to display a shortcut to the Command Line utility. Right-click this shortcut and choose "Run as administrator." Handle the UAC prompt. In the command line window, type: slmgr /rearm Then tap ENTER, close the command line window and reboot. When Windows 7 reboots, run the Activate Windows utility, type in your product key and activate windows.
I posted in a previous thread. The upgrade is basically installing the full version. What you do is Clean Install, DO NOT enter the key and activate. Then when Windows 7 boots up, you use the same DVD and do an Upgrade from the fresh install of Windows 7. Enter the key the second time you install. Enjoy.
Excellent DAZ411 - Great trick. I installed Vista upgrade only once then followed the steps you outlined. No doubt it will also work with 7.
win 7 upgrade because i couldn't enter key while upgrading within windows,i had to install after boot off the install disc,don't enter key.when the os is installed,install as upgrade within windows this time and it will accept your key.