upgrade advice ?

I just did this with my Windows Home Premium. I have a retail Ultimate key that I was using on a laptop that I don't have anymore, so I upgraded my new laptop from Windows 7 Home Premium to Ultimate. I clicked start and typed in Windows Anytime Upgrade, opened the program and followed instructions. When it asked for my key I typed in the Ultimate key and clicked next, agreed to this and that and Windows did its thing. It upgraded in a very short time with 2 reboots and I was using ultimate in about 10 minutes. I didn't even need my Ultimate DVD.

Anytime unlocks features that are installed with every Win7 version but hidden in lesser versions.

MS wants us to unlock them with Anytime Upgrade key, but retail keys apparently work, too, probably because it makes them more money anyway.

The problem is on reinstall you might need to install/activate original licensed version then Anytime Upgrade again to higher version. But you should be able to avoid this by saving a Win7 Backup Image now as soon as it is set up as you like but before corruption begins creeping in.

Your Ultimate DVD can be used for reimaging by booting Repair console, and its ISO can be unlocked to burn all-versions DVD to reinstall the lesser version if needed:http://lifehacker.com/5438005/eicfg-...windows-7-disc

The license on retail and OEM allows use of the same Product Key for either 32 or 64 bit, so your Pro key may well work to unlock the lesser version in 64 bit.

However volume license keys are a completely different licensing scheme.

It is worth a try, though. Then if it activates, be sure to store a Win7 backup image so you never have to do it again.