Win 7 Upgrade to blank harddrive

OK, here is the situation. That computer I hooked my brothers partner up with was spitting out some harddrive errors so I bought a new harddrive. So I completely removed the old harddrive and installed the new one and did a fresh install from the upgrade disks. When it finished it asked for the product key and I entered it and it kept saying product key invalid. So I called Microsoft and they actually said, no it's not a valid key. So I put the old harddrive in which still has the "non-genuine" key I was replacing and I went to System and did change key. The OS goes online and validates the new key and clears off all the Not Genuine messages and told me "Activated successfully". To check even further I click the Is this copy Genuine link and it installs the activex plug-in or whatever and say s Yes it's valid. So now I will have to clone this HD over to the new one.

So, do you think this is how it should have worked? How should I have convinced the install it was a valid upgrade even though the HD was blank, as it never asked for a Vista key (which is still stuck on the back of the machine)?

Did you try the registry tweak or the double install? Either or neither?

Have you tried the tutorial at Paul Thurrott's SuperSite for Windows in the Clean Install Windows 7 with Upgrade Media section?

I have used his tips and they always worked for me when my clients or friends bought the wrong version of Windows 7 for me to install.

No I didn't know about any of these things and there was no registry to tweak at the time, was an unformatted drive.

So I guess the answer is yes, it is what YOU would expect but it isn't what I had expected.

Guess I just never took that from any of the posts when replacing 32 with 64 etc, where they are told, just format the drive and do a fresh install.

Both options take place after the initial install during the 30 day evaluation period.

In other words you could have tried them right before you called MS.

Here's another little tool I use to re-activate Windows 7 so I don't burn up all my online activations.

How to Backup and Restore Windows 7 Activation Status

Using Token Restore RETAIL/MAK Tool

Yeah I have that tool but I had never used this replacement product key to have backed it up.

I had this computer to fix the HD and while I had it the product key I bought off eBay expired (at 4 months which irked me because it was too late to file a claim even on my credit card).

So I bought a complete upgrade package, again off eBay, but from a seller with over 300 feedbacks. And I truly believed it was a valid ... until this happened and then Microsoft telling me it isn't valid ... I think they hear eBay and don't even listen after that. So the guy is very convincing in 5 emails this morning and has his receipt to prove it is valid so I tried the old HD and just do the key change and low and behold that works.

So I do believe it is good, I believe the issue was it couldn't find an old version so it expected a FULL key and this is an UPGRADE key. Anyway now I will just clone this drive to the new 1TB.

When you're doing a clean install with a upgrade disk yo need to do the following. 1. Unhook your internet connection and set the bios to boot from your dvd drive. 2. Install Windows ( don't enter a Product Key) 3. After Windows is installed, hook your intenet connection back to pc (plug the cable in, in the back of pc) 4. Open and close DVD drive and do a Upgrade Install 5. Enter product key and validate Windows 6. Update Windows ( run numerous times, until no updates are found) 7. Update your drivers 8. Install whatever software you use and then make a disk image or full backup.