I'd like to have a clean installation of Windows 7 to clone for future 'fresh starts' - will this cause activation issues with current installation?

07
2014-07
  • user1092719

    FYI, I bought Windows 7 in the box with an official license key back in 2009.

    Every so often I like to do a full reinstall just to get a fresh start on my computer. I was thinking that it would be a good idea to make an installation of Windows 7 only with drivers for my computer and all the latest updates so far on a separate 'clean' partition of my main drive.

    The idea is that when I want a fresh installation I could just clone the clean partition and then manually install whatever I need at the time on top. This would save me from installing from the disc, installing drivers and downloading a ton of updates each time I want a fresh start.

    I want to know if I have to activate the OS on the clean partition to install updates for it, and that if I activate it, will it cause problems with other Windows 7 installations existing on the same drive?

    I ask because if I have my current installation activated, and I then activate the clean installation installed with the same license key, would that somehow deactivate my current installation, or will activation not go as far to know the difference and accept things as they are because both installations are using the same license key on the same computer?

    Thanks

    • Answers
  • Jorn

    It is not possible to deactivate Windows once it has been activated, except when the hardware changes.

    Cloning a partition on the same machine should not result in any activation issues. Activation is linked to hardware, and since you're still running on the same machine, the activation is still valid.

    What you are planning on doing here, is really not so different from making an image backup of Windows. If the imaged Windows was activated and restored to the same machine, it will still be activated. I have no reason to believe it is different here.


    • Related Question

    activation - How can I activate an upgrade edition of Windows 7 installed onto a clean hard drive with no previous Windows install?
  • mindless.panda

    The best I can tell, when using an upgrade edition of a Windows 7 product, it somehow detects an existing installation and saves that somewhere even if you format the drive, then entering an upgrade key will be allowed once system is up and running.

    My situation:

    1. A workstation purchased with Windows XP Professional.
    2. Had previously ugpraded (including a format for a clean install) to Windows 7 Professional.
    3. Wanted to move over to Windows 7 Ultimate.
    4. System hard drive in workstation failed, was replaced.
    5. Reinstalled using Windows 7 Ultimate upgrade disk.

    Now my install is past the activation time (getting non genuine notifications) and I can't activate since entering an ugprade key results in a dialog informing me that it can only be used for upgrades and I'm not eligible. This makes sense, the current install has no way of knowing that I had a previous version of Windows.

    What are the options? What I would like to not have happen is having to reinstall from scratch again, and not only that but first having to install Windows XP just to be able to then install a Windows 7 upgrade.

    Any chance that if I called Microsoft and gave them both serials they could give me a clean install serial and I could avoid the hassle?


    • Related Answers
  • Andrew

    This site had the answers I needed as well as good explanations of the ins/outs of upgrade installs and when/what is checked.

    Edit: the above link appears to be a 404 for now, and I had no luck with the Internet Archive. I think the content may have moved here, or possibly here.