Solved Windows Anytime Upgrade from RETAIL Pro to RETAIL Ultimate

[jrdbrndt]

Hi there, question about license keys... I have a retail copy of Win 7 Pro. I would like to install it in a virtual machine on my current computer and use Anytime Upgrade to upgrade it to Win 7 Ultimate.

When I finally purchase a new computer, can I use the same upgrade key to put Win 7 Ultimate on the second computer?

THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT: If I Upgrade a RETAIL Pro key, does it become a RETAIL Ultimate key, or does it become an OEM (in a sense) key that is tied to the computer on which I first install it?

Thanks in advance!!

Jared

 

[AddRAM]

Check the frequently asked questions here:

Upgrade to another edition of Windows 7 by using Windows Anytime Upgrade

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/windows-anytime-upgrade-frequently-asked-question

Windows Anytime Upgrade - Microsoft Windows

What is Windows Anytime Upgrade?

 

[ThrashZone]

As far as I know Windows anytime upgrade will most likely push you to Windows 8 and might possibly not even give you an option for any windows 7 version.
The only places I've even seen windows 7 of any version is online at TigerDirect..... and equivalent sites.

 

[jrdbrndt]

Microsoft won't even sell me Windows 7 Ultimate anymore? I will never understand that company's logic.

AddRAM, those pages do not answer my question -- or at least, I cannot find it. I did find this:

Can I upgrade more than one computer to a different edition of Windows 7 with Windows Anytime Upgrade?

Yes. You'll need to buy an upgrade for each computer on which you want to install a different edition of Windows 7. You can buy additional upgrades through the Windows Anytime Upgrade online purchase process or by getting a Windows Anytime Upgrade key at an electronics store.




Unfortunately, it's not very specific. Is it talking about having to upgrade multiple different OEM versions of Windows separately?

My problem is that I only have one copy of windows, but I buy and sell computers quite regularly so I have just continued to wipe the ones I sell and fresh install my retail copy of Win7 on the ones I buy. I'm only ever running one copy of the OS at once.

But now that I was curious about upgrading, things have changed. (Microsoft, if you are listening, I am NOT "up"grading to Windows 8.) I have the freedom to use my copy of Windows on different computers, as long as it's only ever one at once. But if I upgrade using Windows Anytime Upgrade, does it tie the upgrade to the license, or to the computer?

 

[Britton30]

The upgrade should be a retail key, at least that's what I have using a upgrade DVD installer to do a clean install.

All you gain with Ultimate is Language Pack and Bit Locker drive encryption. Do you really need them?

 

[derekimo]

My understanding is when you upgrade you now only have that license, (if you upgrade Pro to Ultimate, you no longer have Pro available to use else where)

If you want to keep the Pro license available, you can do a workaround and do a http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/31402-clean-install-upgrade-windows-7-version.html

 

[jrdbrndt]

Thanks guys. Really, BitLocker is why I want to upgrade to Ultimate. Seems like, even if it IS still available, that it's a fairly expensive upgrade for one feature. I think I will look into using LUKS instead for my encryption needs.

The issue is not about keeping my Pro license either.. I want to upgrade my current installation of Pro to Ultimate, but then when I get a new computer I want to wipe this one and install Ultimate on my new one. But by the sounds of things, if I pay to upgrade I can use that upgrade on different computers, but only one at a time (which is exactly what I want anyway).

Thanks folks for your help!

Jared