Windows 7: Upgrading from Win7 home to Win7 professional

Yayy, I finally bought myself a laptop. Not quite the one I wanted but close enough to keep me happy.

HP dv6 pavillion
AMD Phenom II N930 Quad-Core Processor 2.00 GHz
4.00GB Dual Channel DDR3 RAM
HP 1440 (Socket S1G4) motherboard
64 bit OS
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650
AMD M880G with ATI Mobility Radeon HD4250

As usual these are already installed with OS, and all the useless software. I purchased a second Windows 7 Professional disk and wish to install it on the lappie. My question is can I upgrade or would it be better to do a fresh install?
As the laptop is under warranty, do I need to keep all the HP rigmarole, if so then I would use window easy transfer and could that be added back after installing Windows 7 professional?



Thank you for any advice
Warm regards,
Willow

It is best to format and do a clean install. You will be much better off than using an easier method. All that bloat will be gone.
Congrats on the new computer, I know the great feeling, when it is new.

Regarding the warranty. If they want to play hard ball, they can claim that you made changes and that the warrnaty is void.

I suggest that you back up the OS that you have now, you can use macrium reflect and then restore it if needed. The problem may be that you cannot get into the computer to make the change when necessary.
http://www.macrium.com/reflectfree.asp

Thanks for being so quick in replying hun.
I have my lappie networked to my main PC. Would that make it easier to get into to restore the original OS, settings and software?

My concern is you may have a mother board problem or maybe no monitor. If you bring it back, they can turn you down. Not all problems are software related.
You have a one year warrnaty (probably). I know that you will hate this. Wait that year then install the new OS. The alternative may be a hardware problem and they will not honor the warranty.

Others will come by and say that the warranty will be honored either way. I say, that I have helped a poster that had a warranty that would not be honored.

Its your computer and has to be your decision.

1) You can easily do an upgrade from home premium to pro, but the only way to do it is an ANYTIME UPGRADE.

Windows 7 – How to use Windows Anytime Upgrade

When prompted for the key, just enter your pro key.

2) Remember, anytime upgrade is a retail license while you currently have OEM windows. You can transfer the license to another computer as long as you uninstall windows from the current version and the basic requirement of an underlying OS is met on the other computer.

3) You can happily get rid of HP crapware, its not connected to the other decisions.

Anytime upgrade is a painless process and I would suggest you go ahead with it.

So how long can I hold onto a Win 7 Professional disk without using it? If I don't use the Windows 7 disk will it be null & void in 12 mnths time?

As far as I know, You can use it anytime.

What are you talking about? Theres no time limit, you can use whenever you want.

ok guys, thanks on the time question. I couldn't find anything to state otherwise, but thought I'd ask. Some things do have a time limit and this girl may seem a little lacking in sound mind occasionally, lol. No question is a stoopid one

My warranty on the laptop is 3 years I got lucky with a few extra freebies, sometimes we females use our wiles... hehehe

Bill, I can't seem to do the anytime upgrade coz it always wants me to buy the OS, which I already have. Maybe I'm missing something?

rich, thanks hun, I'll take a little more time deciding and make a choice eventually, an old motto of mine when it comes to computers, take the time to research and don't make the changes in haste.

Thank you both very much, you have settled my mind and I'm comfy to go ahead when I want to.
You both get a big hug
Willow

Problem solved