Windows 7 – How to use Windows Anytime Upgrade

Posted on November 20, 2009 at 5:21 am

So you decided to try out Windows 7, but didn’t want to blow up any extra money in case it wasn’t worth it right? Most people will buy either the Home Premium or the Professional edition of Windows 7 at first.

However, you may decide later to upgrade to a higher version of Windows 7, like the Ultimate edition. You can read my previous post on 6 reasons to upgrade to Windows 7 Ultimate.

So if you have decided to make the move from Starter to Home Premium, Home Premium to Professional, or Professional to Ultimate, how do you go about doing it?

Also, note that you can upgrade from Starter to Ultimate, there is no need to go in order. You can currently upgrade a 32-bit version to another 32-bit version and same for 64-bit, but you cannot upgrade from a 32-bit OS to 64-bit.

One other major thing to note is that once you upgrade, you can’t go back to your previous edition without doing a full reinstall. This really should not be a big issue, but it’s good just to know.

Upgrade Windows 7 using Windows Anytime Upgrade

Click on Start, then type in anytime upgrade into the search box and click on Windows Anytime Upgrade to get started.

windows anytime upgrade

Now just follow the instructions to upgrade to a new edition of Windows 7. First, click on Go online to choose the edition of Windows 7 that is best for you.

upgrade windows 7

In the same dialog, you’ll get a list of the different versions along with a nice table of features for each. This is also a great way to compare the different versions of Windows 7 and actually see what the differences are.

compare windows 7 editions

You can also click on the tabs across the top to see the features of each version separately. Once you buy a new version and have an upgrade key, click on Enter an upgrade key.

windows 7 upgrade key

And that’s pretty much it! After you enter your key, Microsoft will confirm it and all the new features of the higher edition will be available immediately! No need to download anything or install any extra software. Enjoy!

» Filed Under Windows 7

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Comments

8 Responses to “Windows 7 – How to use Windows Anytime Upgrade”

  1. Tim said on : December 4th, 2009 at 5:44 pm

    Be aware that if you choose to upgrade using the above method, you WILL NOT get an upgrade key emailed to you from Micro$oft for several hours. It IS NOT an instant upgrade, as their site will falsely tell you! If you want an immediate upgrade, purchase it at Best Buy, Sam’s, or another retailer and use the key that comes with it.


  2. youssef said on : January 6th, 2010 at 7:14 am

    I don’t have the Anytime Upgrade option in my Windows 7 edition! Please help! My email is ysfrsysf@gmail.com.


  3. Mark said on : January 30th, 2010 at 7:13 am

    When I start Anytime Upgrade I get no option for entering an upgrade key.

    I have an HP IMax 3545 PC which came with Vista pre-installed. My copy of Windows 7 Home Premium Upgrade came without a disk. Just an Upgrade Key. Is there anyway I can do this or should I try return to vendor ?


  4. Judy said on : February 9th, 2010 at 7:42 pm

    Hi,Mark

    You need to upgrade to windows 7 from Vista,Just download a windows 7 IMG then istall it from vista directly.try this download link:http://www.vogmart.com/pages/Download-Address.html ,hope it useful.


  5. Erb said on : April 1st, 2010 at 12:31 pm

    What if I want to downgrade if I don’t like the Ultimate version? Is that possible? Will I get my money back?


  6. Luis said on : April 20th, 2010 at 9:18 pm

    hola, con una duda, yo actualize mi windows 7 home premium a windows 7 ultimate y todo bien, ahora mi duda es, mi compu es una laptop y cuando necesite formatear voy a tener que usar el disco de recuperacion para dejarla como de fabrica, osea con windows 7 home premium de nuevo, entonces, me servirá la misma clave de windows para volver a dejarlo ultimate???

    agradezco tu respuesta


  7. Marwan Geagea said on : May 20th, 2010 at 3:00 am

    Hello, I have windows 7 premium edition. To which Edition do I need to upgrade if I want to use XP virtual machine?

    Thanks


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