Windows 7: windows 7 installation query on my dell laptop

well i recently purchased dell laptop and it came with re installation cd as usual.

i used eifcg tool and unlocked all versions of windows 7 and burnt that iso image to another CD

my question is will my OEM key work for other versions of windows 7 i mean professional,ultimate as i have windows 7 home basic pre installed on my laptop or is it that home basic version is tied to my motherboard and i cant upgrade using the new cd i created???



i am really confused as to how OEM actually works.

on a side note i did try to use upgrade option but it gave error message cant upgrade to another version,use windows anytime upgrade.

however when i tried custom installation option it did allow me to click on another version lets say ultimate but i stopped short fearing my OEM key wont work on it

any suggestion guys???

The OEM key installed on your computer as well as the one underneath the battery are edition specific i.e. they are tied to home basic that came preinstalled. The key on the Dell restore disk is specific to a particular editio- home basic in your case- so unlocking oter editions is meaningless.

To upgrade to a higher edition, you need a key (Anytime upgrade or full key) for the higher edition. The anytime upgrade is the only way to move to a higher edition of Windows 7 in a non-destructive way.

thanks for the reply.

As i understand unless i dont purchase anytime upgrade key i am stuck with basic version only

one more thing i want to clear for myself.once i did insert unlocked windows 7 cd and clicked on higher version it did went to installation screen but i stopped not knowing if it will accept my OEM key or it will install windows 7 again.i want to know what will happen if i continue the above procedure till complete installation

Hello dreamer.



You can install any version you like but you will not be able to use your current OEM key to activate the 'new' install at all and it will eventually have to be removed, any Windows activation key will only activate the specific version it is for, Home Basic in your case.

You can not make a windows 7 Universal disc from a Dell Home Basic reinstallation disc.

No install files needed.
Only the Upgrade key is neeed.
Anytime upgrade only adds-on the Programs & Features from version to version.
Windows Anytime Upgrade - How to

I believe he said he did unlock all versions, was even presented with the menu at install.

What you might have done in the process though is lost SLP self-activation which is built into the branded reinstallation DVD, so I would use the original DVD if you ever reinstall Windows 7 lest you have to insert Product Key off of COA sticker to activate manually.

As stated you'll need to use Anytime Upgrade to move to a higher version, which will accept an Anytime or retail key for that version.

thanks for all ur replies my doubt is cleared now and just for the record my dell reinstallation DVD is as it is.I first created iso version using re installation CD then used that tool to unlock all versions and burnt iso to a new DVD.

Please understand that you cannot use the edition-unlocked iso to install anything other than the preinstalled edition which is home basic in your case, so all that exercise you did is fruitless. The reason is theres only one key embedded in that dvd and that is the home basic key. If you install some other edition, the install will not self-activate.

yes i do undertand nw bill.i was just stating how i unlocked my windows 7 DVD

I did upgrade my Windows 7 home premium 64bit to professional in 10 minutes via Windows Anytime upgrade. Using the following key: ** KEY REMOVED **