Are all Win7 discs the same?

[jthoov]

I just bought a Windows 7 Professional from my university but they gave me a disc and a set of instructions.

They told me that it was an upgrade version and that I could still install and and fiddle around with some registry stuff to fully activate it.

Is this true or are they just scamming me???

If they're giving me an upgrade disc, does it still fully install EVERYTHING that a normal disc does?

Or does it depend on the key and not the disc.

The guy at the store told me that all the discs actually carry and install the full version of windows and it's only the product key that is the difference. (But he seemed like a sketchy person so I don't know whether to believe him or not)

*What determines whether 32 or 64 bit is installed? The actual CD or the product key?

 

[das_stig]

1. Win7 products keys will activate x86 or x64 version.

2. Upgrade disk can be used to do clean fresh install, info. @ http://www.winsupersite.com/win7/clean_install_upgrade_media.asp

 

[Jonmor68]

Win 7 disks come in 32 & 64 bit, they are not both on the same disk.
OEM versions are supplied as one or the other, full and upgrade retail versions contain both disks.
I don't know what the go is with the university one's, but would imagine they would be the same as the retail upgrade, minus the fancy packaging and possibly only one disk supplied, check with the uni which version if not marked.
Your upgrade disk should be labeled 32 or 64 bit.

 

[Zoron]

The DVD determines 32 or 64-bit. Only OEM keys are specific to either one... retail keys can be used to install either version.

 

[verbalizer]

if they gave it to you for free....
slap it in there and see what's up for yourself, hell it was free and can be a techie learning experience...
try it on a second HDD or get a second HDD and if it works and activates just keep it in the machine and go...

 

[geofelt]

The disks are all the same, differing only for 32 bit or 64 bit versions. What version(home, pro, ultimate)you install, and how you do it(oem, upgrade) is determined by the product key.
To use an update key, you must install while running under control of a suitable OS which is windows-7, vista, or XP, I think, . If you don't have a suitable OS, for example if you are going from a 32 bit os to a 64 bit os, then the distribution disk can be used. Install it, but do not enter the product key. You will have a working OS for thirty days. Boot into that, and reinstall using the upgrade option. You can then activate using the upgrade key.