***Please read this post in full before attempting this and if you have any question ask before beginning. Also if you follow these steps all information on your primary hard drive (Disk 0) will be gone forever. If you have anything important please back it up before beginning these steps.***
I was actually going to make a thread about this to help those who want to do it, but this will work.
Since Vista you have been able to do clean installs of Windows OS (Vista or 7) with just an upgrade disk. Here are the simple steps:
~Insert Disc
~Reboot and boot from DVD (Note: Many bios are set to boot hard drive then CD/DVD so you may have to change the order, if you need help on this please let me know)
~Let Windows load
***From this point on I am going from memory, did my Windows 7 installs a few weeks ago and did not take any pictures.***
~Tell it to Format your hard drive, at this screen you can also merge partitions or create new one. I would assume most of you have a single hard drive system, but if you have more than one look for the primary/system hard drive. It is usually disk 0
~Next you will pick custom install *DO NOT PICK UPGRADE*
(The previous two steps might be in reverse order and if so please let me know so I can fix them)
~Let Windows install and then begin the setup options
~You will get to a screen that ask you to input your key *DO NOT INPUT YOUR KEY YET*
~Finish the install and let Windows do its restarts and such and finally load into Windows
**To activate your Windows you will go to control panel -> System, scroll down to where you see Temp key, there will be an option to input key and activate. Please make sure you are connected to the internet and let it run its activation. Also, if it does not work, please verify you typed your key properly.
At this point it should be good to go and you can being re-installing your programs and such. If for some reason this does not work (not work means inputting your key fails), which has never happen to me, you can launch the DVD again, and actually do the upgrade and let Windows install itself again. What will happen is you will end up with a Windows folder and a Windows(old) folder. You can then delete the Windows(old) folder.
****I do not take responsibility if you alter something you should not have in either the BIOS or Windows itself.****