I have a Samsung notebook with win 7 Home Premium (HP) pre-installed. I purchased win 7 Ultimate - a retail version. When I try to install Ultimate, the two options are: use Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU) on the MS site or clean install (read kill all and reload all from scratch). I like some of the Samsung pre-installed apps and I also do NOT want to reload my other programs. The WAU trys to force me to pay ¡Again! for an activation key. I have googled for a work-around, to no avail. Does anyone know how to upgrade HP 64-bit to Ultimate 64-bit AND save data/ installed programs without paying for the WAU? BTW, MS support does not offer support or contact information for help on installing win 7 Ultimate over win 7 HP.
TIA,
JL
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Star Lounger
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2010-12-10 17:28
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Super Moderator
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2010-12-10 18:20Do not install while your Home premium is up and running. Try booting with the Ultimate disk to see what options you get.
DRIVE IMAGING
Invest a little time and energy in a well thought out BACKUP regimen and you will have minimal down time, and headache.
Windows 8, 64 bit
Motherboard: DX58SO2*Chipset: X58 Express/Intel ICH10*BIOS: SOX5820J.86A.0888.2012.0129.2203*Processor: Intel Core i7 CPU X 990
GPU: Nvidia GTX 580*Memory: Corsair 12 GB, 4x3@1600*PSU: Corsair HX1000*Hard drives: REVO X2 160GB*OCZ VERT X3 120GB*5 mechanical storage drives (12 TB) total.
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5 Star Lounger
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2010-12-10 18:22I have found this quote;Anytime Upgrade Using An Already Purchased Retail Pro/Ultimate Key
In Windows 7 Home Premium, type Anytime Upgrade in the Search programs and files box in the Start menu and click on the Windows Anytime Upgrade icon. From there, you can enter your retail (Full or Upgrade) Windows 7 Professional/Ultimate product key and perform a simple upgrade. All programs and files will stay on the computer, no disk is needed and it takes about 10 minutes.
Here's the link;M$ ForumProblems cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them. -Albert Einsten
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5 Star Lounger
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2010-12-13 12:47Hello Clint.
I am in a quandry, no surprise to you, I guess. I just slipped in an extra 2 G of RAM, total 4 now. I am debating going back to the Vista Recovery DVDs and install to be able to Upgrade from Vista to W-7, 64 bitness. This would involve a COMPLETE redo which I am not reluctant to perform in spite of the time taken, ± 3 hours, maybe four. I just thought that the initial OEM install was 32 bit so the Recovery DVDs would redo it in 32 bits. Can I from it, over-install the 64 bit as a new OS ? The label on the DVDs do not have any contrary instructions
At the moment, I am on W-7 using a Toshiba Product Key that surprised me when it was accepted, going the Vista redo and its upgrade keys would legitimate the machine, not that I worry too much about that aspect of Windows Se7en installation, why did it accept it ????
Good thing I made the DVDs for Vista. Word to the wise !
Be good ........Jean.
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Administrator
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2010-12-13 18:33You can simply use your Windows 7 Ultimate key with Windows Anytime Upgrade. You will have the option to do that, I upgraded my laptop that way and I was not forced to buy a new license.
Originally Posted by iamjlopez
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5 Star Lounger
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2010-12-14 14:03Hello Clint.
Well, all done, 64-bit and 4 G of RAM.
I will never understand the WPA keys. I wrote a short while back that I had used the keys from a Toshiba laptop upgrade DVD to validate a redo here on the Acer desktop when I had to do this because of Gparted action and the keys were accepted.
Today, after doing the 64-bit install, it asked for the keys and as I had them taped to my keyboard, I punched them in and voila. But these keys were for the Acer Vista upgrade to Win-7 32 bits, again they were accepted. I am at a loss to see the logic behind all this but if it runs, do not fix it.
I am also using again O2K on this machine, runs fine. Let me add that it is quite a bit quicker now on 4 G of RAM and 64-bitness, or is it a wrong impression.
I also got Java downloaded, I had an hesitation as it said it was 32-bit but it runs fine. Brings me to this question : what is this folder Program Files x86 ?
All fun...............Jean.
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2010-12-14 15:17On a Win7 x64 you have two Program Files folders - one for 64 bit apps and Program Files x86 for 32 bit apps.
The Windows 7 keys are good both for x86 and x64 bits versions. They distinguish only the Windows version (Home Premium, Pro, Ultimate, etc) and not whether they are 32 or 64 bits. So a given key, say for Windows 7 Ultimate will work both on Windows 7 Ultimate 32 and 64 bits but won't be good to validate a Windows 7 Professional version.
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5 Star Lounger
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2010-12-14 18:53Rui, hello.
I agree with you, the keys are legit between version of W-7, this is not what I was doing. I first validated a key from a laptop, a Toshiba OEM upgrade from Vista to W-7, 64 bit, on this Acer desktop. I was some surprised. Today, when redoing the Acer again to upgrade to W-7 but in 64 bitness, I used the keys from an upgrade on this Acer from Vista-32 to W-7 32. I did not do an upgrade, I did a full install and again I was surprised. I only tried the keys as they are handy, printed on my keyboard. I have the keys for the proper install in the box that the DVDs came in, they should have been the ones required.
No to worry, it got validated and this is what surprised me. All is well that ends well..............Jean.
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2010-12-14 19:03Hi Jean,
Sorry, maybe I didn't understand you well, but you did an install from a clean disk to W7 x64 or you had another Windows version on the disk where you installed Win7 x64?
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5 Star Lounger
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2010-12-15 08:39Rui, hello.
This was a clean install over a blank HD, I let the install format it.
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2010-12-15 12:20Hi Jean,
Only reason I can think of, then, is that your license is a full license, not an upgrade one.
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Star Lounger
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2010-12-16 09:30I seem to recall reading that Microsoft only keeps your activation information for 120 days. If you enter a valid key after that time period has passed they will accept it.
I had a system with a full version of Windows XP on it for several years and I replaced the entire motherboard after a power spike damaged it. I had no problem activating Windows XP. I haven't tried this with Win 7 but it is likely that the same 120-day rule applies.
