If the original owner, (in this case the company), bought the computer from dell within the free windows 7 upgrade program and registered the computer via online on the dell upgrade site, then it is eligible and legal. There are requirements that must be met though. The computer must have been purchased during the Win7 upgrade program period. You will then be notified by email and details will be indicated. Finally the DVD Upgrade kit will be shipped to you by dell and you will be given instructions for a bios update if needed. If he received the kit and the pc was registered for the upgrade, then it is definitely legal. However, if the pc was not registered for the upgrade and was not deemed eligible by dell, then it is illegal. There is not need to install the key and cert if the dvd came from dell. It is similar to the homebrew retail to oem discs that we can customize here at mdl. * Settled ...disregard.
That is only 50% true (or flase) There are Dell branded disks that are Dell OEM (with key & certificate) and also there are disks that are just RTM Windows 7 & they come with NON SLP OEM key on the upgrade packaging (I know, as I have both of them in my "collection") sebus
Since people don't seem to understand: Vista Home Basic did not qualify for a free upgrade to Windows7 Vista Home Basic did not qualify for a free upgrade to Windows7 Vista Home Basic did not qualify for a free upgrade to Windows7 Vista Home Basic did not qualify for a free upgrade to Windows7 Vista Home Basic did not qualify for a free upgrade to Windows7 Vista Home Basic did not qualify for a free upgrade to Windows7 Vista Home Basic did not qualify for a free upgrade to Windows7 Vista Home Basic did not qualify for a free upgrade to Windows7 Vista Home Basic did not qualify for a free upgrade to Windows7 Vista Home Basic did not qualify for a free upgrade to Windows7 With that out, regardless of the state of the SLIC 2.1, doesn't mean you are entitiled to a free copy. For example, a netbook selling with Win 7 starter has all the pre-reqs for running 7Ultimate, just needs the key and certificate (or just the key if using WAU). Doesn't mean it's properly licensed. Dell has sold that system in dozens of configurations, some have qualified for upgrades, or shipped with Windows7, doesn't mean all are entitled to free copies of ultimate. Nor does it mean they did anything wrong shipping that BIOS. Another example, I bought an Asus netbook with Xandros. I don't know if it always did, but the current BIOS contains the markers which will satisfy SLP 1.0. Doesn't make me entitled to a free copy of XP Pro, nor does it mean Asus did anything "wrong".
Doesn't matter if it's illegal or not (in fact it's not as WinFLP said ). What matters is, if he was entitled to a free upgrade, Dell would've let him know. He didn't even know that free upgrades exist, and only under special circumstances. Let's not beat around the bush here! If he's really interested about legitimacy, this is the answer.
Pardon me for my ignorance. I have just one query: have 2 dell laptops (one of mine 2005 xp home and one belonging to my brother 2007 vista home). Both came with OS preloaded. Can I simply install win 7 as a clean install after formating and removing the old OS from the laptops. Reason is that this is not an issue in assembled (no pre-OS installed) desktop PC that I have. Thus, does clean installation of win 7 on laptop involve the same process as on an assembled desktop, which is put dvd, restart and reboot from DVD, install, format partition on which OS is installed,....
Everything is same a assembled desktop.. Just format and do a clean install.. For activation it better to mod your bios..
Thanks. But I am not so enterprising and/or aggressive to do a bios mod. Will try the same procedure as in a desktop PC which is insert dvd, reboot, install, activate. Will a preactivated iso image also work or do I need an unactivated image+loader. I have both.
I also prefer an unactivated image. Used the image on MDL with daz loader and it worked on a previous installation. However, GPU (Nvidia) problems and some botch-ups resulted in a call to hardware vendor, who then took an activated image and loaded it on my desktop PC. Anyway, your advice is taken and I will replace the preact. with unact+loader on my desktop sometime in the future (getting installation fatigue from 3-4 installs in last month). On laptop, the unact+loader is my choice now.
be carefull, next time the FBI officer will knock your door for checking legality of your windows! Carpe diem