Upgrading Guest WinXP to Win7 (retail upgrade)

Just installed Parallels Desktop for Mac (latest version).
Also have 3 legal copies of Win 7.
When doing the Win7 install in the VM, I get an error message stating that the Windows key is invalid.
The first copy of Win7 seemed a bit smudged in printing the key, so I opened the other two boxes and tried the key in each with the same error message.
These Win 7 packs are the upgrade versions which normally require an installed version of Windows in order to upgrade.
Parallels instructions state that I must remove any earlier version of Windows XP (but NOT Vista) before doing the Win7 install.
Could the install be asking for the original OS key? It sure won't accept any of the 3 Win 7 keys I have.
Anyone familiar with this problem
 
As many of you have discovered, the Win 7 upgrade installer won't up grade an empty HD after you have removed XP as per the instructions. Keeps saying that your Key in invalid?
Here is a way to get it done:
Clean the HD and started the Win 7 install on the blank HD or Parallels.
When it asked for the Key, I unchecked the little box at the upper left of the Key input boxes, leaving the Key boxes blank, and just hit continue, OK, or whatever, to advance.
The installer installed completely and signed onto my wireless network and found the printer. No problems at all.
Then I opened a Win 7 window and ran setup.exe on the Win 7 DVD a second time. (yup, 2 installs are required)
The installer "saw" the original install as a viable OS and "upgraded" it.
Then it asked for the Key again, this time it took it and continued the "upgrade" to the first install !
That is all that is required to install onto a blank HD, or into Parallels, using the $49.00 upgrade version of Win 7.
 
I have a somewhat different issue (haven't had any problems installing Win7 in Parallels with or without upgrading from an earlier version of Windows).

When will a Windows 7 compatible version of your Internet Security (powered by Kaspersky) be available?

I ask because I have yet to see the ability to install said package available from the Virtual Machine menu. FWIW, I assume that I have the current build of 4 for Mac, simply because when it checks for updates I'm told I have the current version (I have build 3846).

Arrggg! So much for "check for updates". Checking here, I see that 3848 is current, not 3846. (to bad I can't have the 'about' and check for updates open at the same time, else I'd submit a screen shot).
 
Tom:

Did you try upgrading as suggested by a previous post in this thread? First, you need to create a new Virtual Machine for Windows 7 (in Parallels setup). Then install Windows 7 from your upgrade disk without using the upgrade serial number. That installs Windows 7 as a trial version. Then you start the installer again and select "upgrade" and the installation will take several hours. When you do it that way, it will accept the upgrade serial number on the second install, and you will be able to validate your installation with Microsoft. Apparently, this is a trick that worked with upgrading to Vista from XP, too. After posting here a week ago (and before someone posted the answer here), I found the trick on another site using Google.

Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be any way around having to reinstall all of your applications.
 
I installed a fresh VM of Win XP without activating. Then using explorer browsed the Win 7 Disk and ran setup. Win 7 activation worked immediately, installed parallel tools and everything appears to be working. Install of XP & 7 took about an hour.
 
Problem Upgrading from XP to Win7 with Parallels 5

I have tried installing the upgrade disk whilst XP is running.

When the process get to the reading files stage, even as far as 80+%, the installation stops with an error of a corrupt file.

A Parallels engineer tested the disk and said it was corrupt. I have now exchanged the disk and the same problem still occurs. Can two disks be corrupt?

Has anyone encountered this problem? Or even better offer some advice.
 
Don't run XP! Just install Windows 7 as it its a new VM. You cannot upgrade from XP to windows 7, so back up your files. A clean install is really a must for Windows every year or so.
 
And you will have to reinstall it as I posted above to get the serial number to work, so don't enter it during the install process.
 
Upgrading from XP home to Win 7

I am unable to get to the end of the Win 7 upgrade process, receiving the error message Code Ox80070570.

This is either as a new virtual machine (by passing the security code) or from within a running XP.

I have also reinstalled Parallels 5.

Has anybody else got any ideas?
 
Bernard Groves said:
I am unable to get to the end of the Win 7 upgrade process, receiving the error message Code Ox80070570.

This is either as a new virtual machine (by passing the security code) or from within a running XP.

I have also reinstalled Parallels 5.

Has anybody else got any ideas?
Click to expand...

I'm not sure, but you can try to
1) disable antivirus prior to upgrade

2) This is a quote from http://social.answers.microsoft.com.../thread/2ebae9fe-e99b-40db-8fde-a14d6eea69f7/

1. Insert the disc.
..
Boot from CD
..
4. Choose your language settings, and then click Next.
5. If you are using the Windows installation disc, click Repair your computer.
6. Select the Windows installation you want to repair, and then click Next.
7. On the System Recovery Options menu, click command prompt to open it.
8. In the command prompt window, type the following command and press enter Chkdsk /F /R
9. Press Y when you are prompted to check the disk the next time that the system restarts.
 
This afternoon I have managed to get into the system recovery options on Win 7. I did this by starting a new virtual machine and letting it proceed until it failed. When the disk rebooted there was an option to look at repairing.

I obtained a window saying: If your system isnt listed, click drivers and then install drivers for your hard disks. ( It should be noted that when trying to install Win 7, either as an upgrade or as a new version, the screen before the one where files are loaded and expanded had a 'Load Drivers')

The system was not listed. I recall seeing a forum which said that SATA could give a problem.

I then clicked the other option and got to system recovery options.

The categories offered were startup repair, system restore, system image recovery, windows memory diagnostic and command prompt.

The only choice that seemed worth pursuing was startup repair. This found 7 problem signatures:

Problem Signature 01 6.1.7600.16385
Problem Signature 02 6.1.7600.16385
Problem Signature 03 unknown
Problem Signature 04 -1
Problem Signature 05 External Media
Problem Signature 06 1
Problem Signature 07 Missing Boot Manager
OS Version 6.1.7600.2.0.0.256.1
LocaleI 1033

Where do I go from here? Should I still try chkdsk?
 
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