10 Steps To Cleaning and speeding up Windows

Microsoft for every generation of their OS has strived to provide a faster startup for the masses. Windows 2000 might be the exception to the rule but every other OS a faster startup has been listed as a feature. In this tutorial we will show you how to speed up your already faster startup in Windows XP.
Step 1: Clear The Start-up folder.
The startup folder is the folder that will launch any programs or shortcuts when the computer starts up. The fewer programs that you have starting up when you power on the computer the faster the computer will boot. Keep in mind that some programs need to run when windows starts up so it may be best to backup this folder before you start.
The folder can be found by going to: C:\Documents and Settings\username\Start Menu\Programs\Startup, where username is your Windows logon name. You can also clear out the start-up items by going to Start > Programs > Startup, then right-clicking items you want to remove.
Step 2: Clearing out the startup in the system configuration utility
The System Configuration Utility also known as MSConfig is a helpful tool that will help you troubleshoot your Windows system. This tool lets you modify a lot of your system preferences but it also allows you to disable programs that startup in the background of Windows. Note: Be careful with this tool as you can make Windows run improperly.
How to start msconfig
Click on the Start button.
Select Run from the menu.
In the run dialog box type “msconfig”.
Click OK.
Once in the msconfig utility select the startup tab. In the startup tab you will see several programs listed with a checkbox beside it. If there is a check mark beside the application listed, the application will startup when your computer starts up. To speed up your computer you want to remove as many check marks from this box without affecting the programs that you use. Once you have removed the checkmarks you wish to remove, click on OK and restart the computer when prompted. It is recommended to uncheck a couple at a time so you will know what is causing a problem if one occurs.
To get more information about a listing, expand the width of the Command column near the top of the Startup tab. Expand it enough and you’ll see the start-up command that the program issues, including its location, such as C:Program FilesAdobeAcrobat 5.0ReaderAcroRd32.exe. The directory location should be a hint to help you know the name of the program. In this case it is Adobe Acrobat.
Step 3: Speeding up your startup by sorting your drivers.
Once upon a time Microsoft used to offer a tool called bootvis to optimize the sequence that your computers drivers load when starting Windows. Although the file is not available through Microsoft, there is a link to the program found in the tools section of this book. There has been some controversy wether the tool actually does anything. Lots of magazines and users say yes. Microsoft says no. For this one you’ll have to be the judge.
How to use bootvis:
Download and install Bootvis. Do a search in Google for bootvis.exe, you will find it. Open Bootvis. (Location may vary depending where you installed it) You need to analyze your computer by going to File and clicking on New. In the New menu select Next Boot and Drivers Trace. Next a box will come up asking how many trace repetitions are needed. Just leave it at the default and click on OK. Another box will appear, select the Reboot Now button and wait for your computer to restart. Once your computer has restarted wait for a little bit and bootvis will start automatically. Go to the Trace menu and select Optimize System.(This may take a few minutes.) Once complete, you will be prompted to restart your system one more time. This reboot should be faster than the last.
Step 4: Stop as many services as possible.
The more that is running on your computer the more your computer has to open on startup. Keeping a slimmer running computer will not only make your computer run faster but it will make Windows startup faster. Here is how it’s done:
Go to the Start menu and then select Run. Type ‘services.msc’ in the Run Dialog Box and click on OK. In the services window double click on the service you wish to disable. In the properties box for the selected service choose disabled in the Startup Type dropdown box. Click on OK.
Its best to restart your computer after disabling a couple of services at a time so if something undesired happens to your computer you know what disabled service needs to be re-enabled.
Step 5: Remove unwanted fonts to increase boot speed
Windows checks and loads fonts during the startup process, therefore having a large amount of font files can cause performance to drag during startup. The simple solution for this (if you do not expect to use the certain fonts) is to move the unnecessary fonts to a new directory elsewhere on the hard disk, preserving them in case they are needed, but preventing them from loading upon startup.
This is how you do it:
In your C drive create a folder called Fonts Backup. You can do this by going to the C drive through My Computer. Go to the File menu and go to New. In the new menu select Folder. A new folder will pop-up and allow you to name it.
Once the folder is created go into it and leave it open. Go to the Start menu and select Run. In the Run command type Fonts. The Fonts folder will load and display the Font files. All you have to do is drag and drop the fonts you think you wont need to the Font Backup folder. Be sure to move the .bold and the.bold.italic files that correspond with the font you want to move.
Step 6: Disable auto detection for empty IDE slots
For a faster boot up is to disable the auto detection that Windows XP uses to determine if there are IDE devices present in any of the IDE slots on the motherboard. More specifically, disable this feature on any empty slots to prevent the operating system wasting time and resources checking them.
This is how you disable IDE Detection:
Right-click on My Computer and Select Properties. In the properties click on the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button. In the Device Manager expand the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. Double-click on one of the Secondary IDE Channels and click on the Advanced Settings tab. In the dropdown box beside Device Type select None and click on OK. Repeat steps 4 and 5 to all of the Secondary IDE channels under the IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers.
Step 7: Reduce wait time after XP boots
A common problem when Windows XP boots is you will see the desktop and all of your icons but nothing responds when you click on it. During this time Windows application and networking processes are loading in the background. To reduce this wait time you need to cut down the amount of processes loading. The best way to do this is through Windows networking. Most computers do not share files or printers to other users on a network yet Windows turns File and Printer sharing on by default. Warning: If you are sharing any files or printers this step is not for you.
Here is how you disable file and print sharing.
Go to the Start menu and select Run. In the Run command enter control netconnections. In your Network Connections right-click on a Local area connection and select properties. In the properties remove the checkmark beside File and print sharing. Click OK
Repeat steps 3 through 5 if you have more than one network connection.
Step 8: Disable parts of the Group Policy Manager. (XP Pro only)
This will dramatically speed up the login process – If you don’t need to utilize Group Policies on the local machine, you can disable parts of it.
Go to Start and select Run. Type in gpedit.msc and click on OK. Right click on the Local Computer Policy entry and select Properties from the menu that appears. Add checkmarks to the two options within the Disable section. Close out. Reboot.
Step 9: Enable boot defrag.
A great new feature in Microsoft Windows XP is the ability to do a boot Defragment. This places all boot files next to each other on the disk to allow for faster booting. By default this option is enabled but on some builds it is not so below is how to turn it on.(Y is good)
Go to Start then Run. Enter regedit and click on OK Click on the + sign beside HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE then software then Microsoft then dfrg then bootoptimizefunction Select Enable from the list on the right. Right on it and select Modify. Change the value to Y to enable and N to disable. Reboot your computer
Step 10: Delete the prefetch files from time to time.
The prefetch files are the files that make Windows XP load applications load faster. Deleting the files will speedup your boot time. The trade-off is that Windows will take longer to load applications. The time difference for loading applications may not be that affected. Its best to experiment with this one.
How to enable the deletion of prefetch files.
Go into My Computer and go into your hard drive. Right-click anywhere that a file is not and select the ‘New’ submenu and click ‘Text Document’ Name it “deleteprefetch” Double-click on the text file you just created. Type “del C:WindowsPrefetch*.* /Q” (without the quotes). Go to the File menu and click on Save As… and choose “All Files” from the “Save as Type” box and save it as “deleteprefetch.bat”
You just created a batch file that will automatically delete all the files in your Prefetch folder. Just double-click on the file to make it run. I do this once a month to clean up the files
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How to troubleshoot home networking in Windows XP

To continue receiving security updates for Windows, make sure you're running Windows XP with Service Pack 3 (SP3).

This article describes how to troubleshoot a Windows XP-based home network. Additionally, this article describes how to determine a network structure (topology), how to use the Home and Small Office Networking Troubleshooter, and how to troubleshoot basic connectivity, and how to resolve file and printer sharing issues. This article is intended for intermediate to advanced users. You may find it easier to follow the steps if you print this article first.

If you have problems with your home network, follow the steps in this article to help isolate and troubleshoot the configuration of your home network’s basic connectivity, and file and printer sharing. First, try to isolate and resolve the issue by using the steps in the "How to troubleshoot a home network issue" section.

How to troubleshoot a home network issue

Note You may have to know the kind of network structure that you are using to complete these steps. If you are not sure, go to the "Home-network structures and their configurations" section.

To troubleshoot a home network issue, use the Windows XP Home and Small Office Networking Troubleshooter in Help and Support Center to try to isolate and resolve the issue. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, and then click Help and Support.
2. Under Pick a Help Topic, click Networking and the Web.
3. Under Networking and the Web, click Fixing networking or Web problems, and then click Home and Small Office Networking Troubleshooter.
4. Answer the questions in the troubleshooter to try to find a solution.

If the troubleshooter resolves the issue, you are finished.

If the troubleshooter does not resolve the issue, determine your home-network structure in the "Home-network structures and their configurations" section, and then follow the steps in the "Advanced Troubleshooting" section.

Home-network structures and their configurations

Before you troubleshoot home networking issues, first determine the network structure you are using. The network structure is the arrangement or mapping of network elements such as links and nodes, and the physical connections between them. There are several common home-network structures:

Computers that are connected to a NAT device

The computers are connected to a NAT device that provides a single, shared Internet connection. A hardware network address translation (NAT) device is a broadband or satellite modem that enables the computers to obtain and share a single connection to the Internet. In this configuration, the computers generally receive an IP address from the NAT device. Typically, the NAT device uses the address 192.168.0.1 and assigns addresses to other computers in the range 192.168.0.x, where x is a number between 2 and 254.

Computers that are connected to a network hub

A network hub receives data through one port, and then makes it available to all ports. This enables data sharing or Internet connection between all computers that are connected to the hub. Computers that are connected to a network hub can have many configurations:

• The computers have no Internet connection.
  
  In this configuration, the computers are generally assigned IP addresses in the range of 169.254.x.y, where x and y are numbers between 1 and 254.
• The computers are connected to a hub, where only one computer has Internet connection shared by using Internet Connection Sharing.
  
  This connection can be a dial-up connection or a broadband connection (typically xDSL or a cable modem). In this configuration, the computer that shares the connection generally assigns IP addresses to other computers on the home network. The computer that is sharing the connection will have IP address 192.168.0.1 configured for the adapter that is connected to the home network. Other computers on the network will have addresses in the range 192.168.0.x, where x is a number between 2 and 254.
• The computers are connected to the Internet through a broadband connection.
  
  This configuration is also known as an edgeless network.
  In this configuration, the computers on the home network each have an IP address that is provided by the Internet service provider (ISP). The addresses that are used vary, depending on the ISP.
• The computers each have a separate dial-up connection or broadband connection to the Internet.
  
  In this configuration, the computers generally use automatically assigned IP addresses for their home network adapters. Typically, the network adapters assign IP addresses in the range of 169.254.x.y, where x and y are numbers between 1 and 254. The computers use ISP-provided addresses for their Internet connections.

ADVANCED TROUBLESHOOTING

This section explains how to troubleshoot the configuration of your home network’s basic connectivity, and how to troubleshoot file sharing and printer sharing. First, follow the steps to troubleshoot basic connectivity issues.

Troubleshoot basic connectivity issues

To troubleshoot basic connectivity issues and verify name resolution between computers, follow these steps in the order in which they are provided until you isolate and resolve the issue. First try step 1.

Step 1: Verify the physical connection between computers

The back of each network adapter in a desktop computer has visible lights. These lights indicate a good connection. If you are using a network hub, or a switch to connect the computers, make sure that the network hub or the switch is turned on and that the lights are illuminated for each client connection. This indicates a good link.

Step 2: Make sure that all computers have TCP/IP installed

This step is especially important with Microsoft Windows 95-based computers. By default, Windows 95-based computers do not have TCP/IP installed. If you are using computers that run Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition on the network, you can look for TCP/IP by using the Network item in Control Panel. If TCP/IP is not installed, you must install it to communicate with Windows XP-based computers on the network. TCP/IP is always installed in Windows XP.

Step 3: Make sure that the network configuration includes the IP addresses

Collect network configuration information from at least two computers on the network by using the adapter status. Then, make sure that the assigned IP addresses match the home-network configurations described in the "Home-network structures and their configurations" section. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type ncpa.cpl, and then click OK.
2. Locate and right-click the icon that represents this computer's connection to the home network, and then click Status.
3. Click the Support tab, and then under Connection status, locate the IP addresses.
   
   If the assigned IP addresses do not match the topology that this article described in the "Home-network structures and their configurations" section, the computer that is assigning the addresses may not be available. This is likely to be true if 169.254.x.y addresses are in a configuration where you expect a different address range.
   
   To change the configuration so that the addresses on the home network adapter for each computer are in the same range, determine which address is correct based on the network topology. To do this, check whether one computer receives an address in the range 192.168.0.x, and another receives an address in the range 169.254.x.y. When you isolate which computer has the incorrect address, troubleshoot the computer that has the incorrect address.
   
   Note For Windows 95-based computers in a network that uses 169.254.x.y addressing, you must configure IP addresses manually. For information about how to do this, see the online Help for Windows 95.

Step 4: Make sure that firewall features are not enabled on the home network adapters

Verify that the Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) or Windows Firewall (WF) feature is not enabled on the adapters that you use to connect the computers to the home network. If these features are enabled on these adapters, you cannot connect to shared resources on other computers in the network.

Note Edgeless networks are the exception. You can use ICF with edgeless networks if you take additional measures to enable connectivity in the home network.

Step 5: Test connectivity between computers by using the "ping" command

To use the ping command to test connectivity between two computers on the network, follow these steps:

1. On one of the computers, click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. At the command prompt, type ping x.x.x.x (where x.x.x.x is the IP address of the other computer), and then press ENTER.
   
   If the ping command is successful, and the computers can connect correctly, you receive several replies from the other computer. For example, you may receive a reply with the following format:

   Reply from x.x.x.x: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128

   If you receive these replies, skip step c and go to step d.
   
   If you do not receive these replies, or if you receive a "Request timed out" message, there may be an issue on the local computer. Go to step c.
3. Test the local computer. To do this, type ping x.x.x.x (where x.x.x.x is the IP address of the local computer), and then press ENTER.
   
   If you receive replies, the network adapter is installed correctly, and the TCP/IP protocol stack is likely to be working correctly.
   
   If you do not receive replies, the network adapter may be installed incorrectly, or the TCP/IP protocol stack may be damaged. Troubleshoot the network adapter and the TCP/IP protocol stack.
   • You can check whether the network adapter is installed correctly, or otherwise further troubleshoot third-party devices, in Device Manager. For additional information about how to troubleshoot devices in Device Manager, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
     283658 How to manage devices in Windows XP
   • You can check whether the TCP/IP protocol stack is damaged, or reset the TCP/IP protocol stack. For additional information about how to reset the TCP/IP protocol stack, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
     299357 How to reset Internet protocol (TCP/IP) in Windows XP
     When you can ping the local computer, go to step d.
     
     If you cannot ping the computer, go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how to contact Support.
4. When you can successfully ping the local computer, ping the other computer by using its IP address. To ping a computer by name, type ping computername (where computername is the name of the remote computer), and then press ENTER. To determine a computer's name, right-click My Computer on the desktop, click Properties, and then click the Computer Name tab.
   
   If you receive replies, you have connectivity and name resolution between the computers.
   
   If you do not receive replies, go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how to contact Support.

After you have verified connectivity and name resolution between computers, you can troubleshoot the connectivity for file and printer sharing. To do this, go to the "Troubleshoot file sharing and printer sharing" section.

MORE INFORMATION

Troubleshoot file sharing and printer sharing

After the computers are connected, you can share files and printers between computers through the home network. To troubleshoot file sharing and printer sharing, follow these steps in the order in which they are provided until you isolate and resolve the issue. First try step 1.

Step 1: Run the Network Setup Wizard to configure each computer in the network

To configure file and printer sharing, run the Network Setup Wizard on each computer in the network. For additional information about the Network Setup Wizard, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

308522 Description of the Network Setup Wizard in Windows

When you are finished configuring file sharing and printer sharing on each computer in the network, go to step 2.

If you were unable to configure file sharing and printer sharing, go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how to contact Support.

Step 2: Make sure that file sharing is configured correctly on each computer.

For additional information about troubleshooting file sharing and making sure that the configuration on the computer is correct, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

304040 How to configure file sharing in Windows XP

In article 304040, go to the "Troubleshooting file sharing in Windows XP" section.

When you are finished configuring file sharing on each computer, go to step 3. If you were unable to configure file sharing, go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how to contact Support.

Step 3: Make sure that the Guest account is set up for network access

All network access to either a Windows XP Home Edition-based computer in a workgroup or to a Windows XP Professional-based computer in a workgroup uses the Guest account. Before you continue to troubleshoot, make sure that the Guest account is set up for network access. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then click OK.
2. Type the net user guest, and then press ENTER.
3. If the account is active, a line appears in the output of the command that has the following format:

   Account active               Yes

4. If the account is not active, type net user guest /active:yes, and then press ENTER to give the Guest account network access. The following text returns after the command:

   The command completed successfully.

   If you receive any other response, make sure that you are logged on as an administrator, and then confirm that you typed the command correctly before you try again.

When you are finished setting up the Guest account for network access, go to step 4. If you were unable to set up the Guest account, go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how to contact Support.

Step 4: Make sure that folder for the computer name is shared

After you have verified the file-sharing configuration and set up the Guest account for network access, make sure that the folder for each computer is shared. To do this, follow these steps:

1. To locate the computer name for each computer, click Start, click Run, type sysdm.cpl, and then click OK.
2. On the Computer Name tab, under Full computer name, locate the computer name.
3. To determine whether a folder is shared, click Start, click Run, type fsmgmt.msc, and then click OK.
4. In the left navigation pane, click Shares. A list of shared folders is displayed in the right navigation pane.
5. Locate the share folder for each computer.
6. 
   If all computer names are listed, go to step 5.
   
   If all computer names are not listed, go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how to contact Support.

When you are finished sharing the folders for each computer name, go to step 5.

If you were unable to share the folders, go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how to contact Support.

Step 5: Test the connection between computers

To test the connection from one computer to another, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type \\computername (where computername is the name of another computer on the network), and then press ENTER. A window opens that contains an icon for each shared folder on the other computer.
2. Try to open one of the shared folders to confirm that the connection is working.
   
   If you can open a shared folder, the computers are connected. Go to step 6.
   
   If you cannot open a shared folder, go to step c.
3. Test the connection from the opposite direction. To do this, go to the other computer on the network and repeat steps 1 and 2 to try to open a shared folder between the computers, or between other computers to make sure that the problem is not with a particular computer on the network.
   
   If you can open a shared folder from each computer, the computers are connected. Go to step 6.
   
   If you can open a shared folder from one computer but not the other, the problem may be that the other computer cannot access the folder. Go to step d to troubleshoot the connection for the other computer.
   
   If you cannot open a shared folder from either computer, there may be a problem with the connection. Go to the "Troubleshoot basic connectivity" section and see step 5.
4. If you still cannot open a shared folder, try again to test the connection with the computername as the name of the local computer. This tests the connection locally. A window is displayed with an icon for each shared folder on the computer. Try to open one of the shared folders to make sure that you have access.
   
   If you can open a shared folder, the computers are connected. Go to step 6.
   
   If you still cannot open a shared folder, or if the window that contains the shared folders on the computer is not displayed, or if you receive an error message, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for more information about the specific error message that you received. To search the Microsoft Knowledge Base, visit the following Microsoft Web site, and then click Support:
   http://www.microsoft.com

When you are finished testing the connection between computers, go to step 6.

If you were unable to establish a connection between computers, go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how to contact Support.

Step 6: Check the Network Setup Wizard log file for errors

If you do not receive error messages, or you do not find related information in the Microsoft Knowledge Base, check the Network Setup Wizard log file for errors in any events that are not followed by successful operations. To open the log and check for errors, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type %SystemRoot%\nsw.log, and then press ENTER.
2. If you find errors in the log, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base for more information about how to manually configure the computer to have the correct settings.
   
   If you do not find errors in the Network Setup Wizard log, and the Nsw.log file does not give you any information about the problem, check the System log for errors, and investigate those errors.
   
   You can use Event Viewer to check for System log errors. For additional information about how to use Event Viewer to look for system log entries, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
   308427 How to view and manage event logs in Event Viewer in Windows XP

When you are finished checking the Network Setup Wizard log file for errors, you should now have connectivity for file and printer sharing. If you still have problems with your home network, go to the "Next Steps" section for information about how to contact Support.

NEXT STEPS

If the troubleshooting steps in this article did not help you, you can also use the Microsoft Customer Support Services Web site to find other solutions. Some services that the Microsoft Customer Support Services Web site provides If you continue to have questions after you use these Microsoft Web sites or if you cannot find a solution on the Microsoft Support Services Web site, click the following link to contact Support:http://support.microsoft.com/contactus

Fix the Most Common Windows 7 issues

Fix the Most Common Windows 7 Upgrade Problems

Experienced PC users know that not every operating-system upgrade goes smoothly--but that bit of understanding does little to offset the annoyance we feel when we're faced with seemingly unresolvable installation problems. Windows 7 has presented some users with a few serious upgrade bugs of its own. Don't worry: We'll explain how to exterminate them.

Before beginning your Windows 7 upgrade, attach your PC directly to your router via a wired ethernet connection. This will ensure that Windows 7 has a chance to download the latest installation updates directly from Microsoft at the outset of the upgrade process. By the time you read this article, it's possible that Microsoft will have created a fix for some of the following upgrade bugs, so your first step in any upgrade scenario should be to make sure that you have a wired Internet hookup to your PC from the start.

Installation Hangs at 62 Percent

The first installation problem you're likely to encounter in your upgrade from Vista to Windows 7 may not be obvious at first. But after your progress bar sits at 62 percent for more than 10 minutes or so, you'll know something is wrong. The culprit is a service called Iphlpsvc, which may stop responding to the system during the installation. Fortunately, the solution is relatively easy. If you don't feel like messing around with your system settings, download Microsoft's automated fix, MicrosoftFixit50319, and install it. Follow the wizard, and it should resolve the problem in about a minute.
If you'd rather just correct the problem yourself, start by rebooting your PC. After logging back in, click Start, right-click Computer, and click Properties. Click Advanced, Environment variables, then System variables, New. In the 'Variable name' field, type MIG_UPGRADE_IGNORE_PLUGINS. In the 'Variable value' field, type IphlpsvcMigPlugin.dll. Click OK to close the windows, and then start your installation again.

Endless Reboots

A more annoying (and more common) Windows 7 upgrade headache is the reboot loop. This irritating bug causes the system to reboot and to present a message stating that Windows 7 could not be installed, and that the previous version (Vista) has been restored. The next time you reboot the PC, Windows begins the upgrade process again, leading to the same error after the next reboot. And so on.

To escape this endless reboot cycle, select Vista from the boot menu at startup, and then insert your old Vista installation disc into your PC's optical drive. When the Vista setup menu appears, exit setup. Click Start, All Programs, Accessories. Right-click Command Prompt and choose Run as Administrator from the contextual menu. At the command prompt, type D:\boot\Bootsect.exe /NT60 All, replacing D with the letter of the drive that contains your Vista installation disc. This will reset the boot parameters for the system.
Now reboot your machine and begin the installation process again.

Bad Product Key

You paid good money for your Windows 7 upgrade, but when you try to activate your new installation using the product key that came with the disc, you get an error stating that your product key is not valid. Unfortunately, the fix for this problem is easy but time-consuming. Here's how to cope with it.
This problem isn't so much a bug as it is a bit of unfriendly engineering. The invalid-product-key warning arises when you attempt to install an upgrade edition of Windows 7 on a drive that has been formatted. You must install the upgrade edition on a PC that already has either Windows XP or Vista installed on it. If the setup routine fails to locate a previous installation of XP or Vista, Windows 7 thinks it's being installed on a new PC rather than as an upgrade. Therefore, your upgrade product key won't work.
To resolve this issue, you need to have either XP or Vista installed on your hard drive at boot time. That may very well mean digging out your old XP or Vista discs and performing a fresh installation of that version before trying again with Windows 7.
It's important to note that Windows 7 requires you to have Service Pack 1 installed on Vista, and Service Pack 3 installed on Windows XP. So be sure to run your automatic updates on the old OS before moving on to the Windows 7 upgrade. If you have a backup of your XP or Vista system handy, the fastest fix may be to restore that backup to your hard drive and then try the Windows 7 upgrade again.
Once you've put XP or Vista back on your hard drive, boot from that drive and then insert your Windows 7 upgrade DVD. You'll still have the option to perform a clean installation of Windows 7 on your system, if that's what you want to do. Just make sure that your primary hard drive has a qualifying previous version of Windows installed on it, and then boot from the Windows 7 DVD and select Custom (Advanced) as your installation type. You can then format the drive using Windows 7, without encountering the invalid-product-key error at activation time.
In the event that the same activation error pops up after you've followed these instructions, your best bet is to activate Windows 7 by phone. To do so, click Start, Computer, Properties, and choose Click here to activate Windows now. Look for the option to activate by phone, dial the number the system provides, and follow the voice-guided instructions. In the worst-case scenario, a Microsoft support person will help you activate your license