Windows 7 - Which key is genuine and useful!

When I purchased Toshiba Laptop with windows 7 Home Premium, It came to me preactivated with SLP key.

There was also a key with COA sticker.

Now I have converted Home Premium to Ultimate with windows Anytime Upgrade key.

That means I have three keys. In case of reinstall which one to use? I am in a dillema!!!

Can someone please clarify?

Did you make the OEM manufacturer's Recovery Disks?



How to use Toshiba Recovery.
How to use the Toshiba HDD Recovery Utility

Reinstall with Toshiba Recovery Disks, than use Anytime Upgrade.

It depends on what you are using for install media when you reinstall Windows. If you use the recovery media it will use the SLP key and you won't be asked for a product key during installation. Once its restored to Home Premium you would use any time upgrade and enter your Ultimate key. If you have a universal install disk I would think you could just install Ultimate and enter your Ultimate product key when asked. The product code on the COA sticker has never been used and I believe by default will not activate on line. You would have to activate by phone if you use it. I would only use that as a last resort.

You cannot (as far as I know) use an Anytime Upgrade Key for a disk install
Even if you did, it would have to be by the double-install method, as there is nothing to upgrade from.

Image your system disc, then you wont need to worry about re-activation!

I was thinking If I originally have say Home Premium and latter on buy an off the shelf version of Ultimate. I can use anytime upgrade option and just enter the product code instead of installing Ultimate off of the DVD? Then latter on I can skip Home Premium and go right to Ultimate on a clean install. I didn't know there was a difference/restriction on the anytime upgrade key versus a normal product code. Other than not getting any install media with it that is.

With Anytime upgrade product code, you can only upgrade from Windows 7 desktop.

But you can use Retail full/upgrade product code, in the Anytime upgrade App.

If you buy an Upgrade or Full Retail version of Ultimate, you can use the Anytime Upgrade route to upgrade an existing installation.
You can obviously clean install the Full retail version if necessary.
You can also clean install the Upgrade, using the double-install method - PROVIDING you have a valid license for a full version of Windows XP/Vista/7 on that machine.

If you buy an Anytime Upgrade, it can ONLY upgrade an existing valid installation of Windows 7. You would therefore have to reinstall the original OS and ensure it's activated, and then do the upgrade (actually less hassle for most people than an clean install using an Upgrade disk).

Thanks everyone for the response. I have created the OEM recovery media disks as soon as I got the laptop.

But I am hesitant to use this media, as these recovery disks contain lot of bloatware from Toshiba. I am not sure whether I can do a clean install of Home Premium with these disks? I wanted to do a clean install of Windows 7 and then selectively install the needed software.

The two possibilities I am exploring are

1. Clean install Windows 7 home premium without bloatware and install all the necessary software. As I am in Saudi Arabia, I prefer to activate it online and not to call Microsoft ( a hassle here).

I have a universal windows 7 ISO burned on a DVD. I also have the SLP key of Home Premium for Toshiba. My question is whether I can clean install Home Premium with this DVD and use the SLP key, which will activate the windows automatically (will it do offline or do I have to get online and activate it?).

I do not want to use the COA serial no. which requires me to call Microsoft on phone ().

Once windows is installed, use the Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade key to convert Home Premium to Ultimate like I did before.

2. Directly install windows 7 Ultimate through clean install using the Anytime Upgrade key. Is double install method means initially Home Premium and then Ultimate?

ONLY with the Toshiba Recovery Disk/s.