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Can you update Vista Premium to Ultimate...

E

Evander

Golden Member
The reason I ask is b/c sometimes I come across full versions of Ultimate being sold for only a little bit more than the upgrade versions, so it seems like a much better buy (but I don't want to reformat my HD if such an upgrade is not allowed). Last time I tried this kind of upgrade was Win 3.1 to Win95 using the full version of 95 but that didn't work
 
Vista Home Premium can be upgraded to Vista Ultimate using MS's "Anytime Upgrade". It's $160.

The other inexpensive "Full" version of Vista Ultimate that you are seeing could be the OEM version. It can't be used for an upgrade. You have to install from scratch. And the MS EULA says you can't move it to a diffeent PC later on.
 
On the for sale/trade forum there are at least 2 members I saw advertising the full retail version (unopened) for $175. You said the OEM can't be used for an upgrade, how about the retail version?

If I do decide to do the "anytime upgrade":
a) are the discs all the same? (for example, a upgrade disc packed in with an ACER system is the same as an upgrade disc in a DELL system?)
b) is there a place to download the anytime upgrade ISO? I have the original disc that came with my ACER, but it's packed away in a different house and I won't be going back there any sooner than December
 
Yeah, I was listening to the info on this on one of the recent podcasts I subscribe to.

They still do the upgrade, but it's no longer done all online. Apparently there were a lot of very confused users who paid for the upgrade and thought they were done but never actually ran the upgrade process. MS decided it would be easier to just switch it to the new process.

The second link Aberforth provided will allow you to purchase the Home Premium to Ultimate upgrade for $159. You will get actual media from MS and it will install what you need. The Anytime Upgrade process does not overwrite your data. It just adds the new features.
 
I actually have a question about this anytime upgrade. I actually just ordered it a few days ago to upgrade from Home Premium to Ultimate. Lets say down the road in the future I want to do a clean install of Vista again on the same machine. Do I have to go through the process again and install the original vista home premium, and then upgrade it to Ultimate using the upgrade disks MS sends me? Or can I just use the new product key MS sends me to install vista ultimate directly the next time I re-install vista? Thanks.
 
When I bought my Lenovo T60 lappy, it came with Vista Business. I used the "Anytime Upgrade" DVD that came with it, and upgraded to Ultimate because I had a legit key ID for Ultimate. No problem at all.

To answer the basic question - yes. Vista Home can be upgraded to Ultimate as long as you have a valid Ultimate key ID.
 
Originally posted by: meson2000
I actually have a question about this anytime upgrade. I actually just ordered it a few days ago to upgrade from Home Premium to Ultimate. Lets say down the road in the future I want to do a clean install of Vista again on the same machine. Do I have to go through the process again and install the original vista home premium, and then upgrade it to Ultimate using the upgrade disks MS sends me? Or can I just use the new product key MS sends me to install vista ultimate directly the next time I re-install vista? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Just enter the new product key.
 
Originally posted by: Aberforth
Why do you guys keep talking about Anytime Upgrade. Read this: http://cdrinfo.com/Sections/Ne...ails.aspx?NewsId=22448 and this: http://www.microsoft.com/windo...eupgrade/overview.mspx
Click to expand...
Windows Anytime Upgrade is still available, and it's cheaper than buying a Retail Upgrade edition of Vista Ultimate. But they don't provide keys online.

Which reminds me. I still have a couple of the $50-each Vista Home Premium license keys, from the "Family Pack" (or whatever it was called early in 2007). I know that lots of folks had problems with those online keys. Wish there was a way to test 'em, other than activating software that I have no use for right now.
 
Originally posted by: RebateMonger
Originally posted by: Aberforth
Why do you guys keep talking about Anytime Upgrade. Read this: http://cdrinfo.com/Sections/Ne...ails.aspx?NewsId=22448 and this: http://www.microsoft.com/windo...eupgrade/overview.mspx
Click to expand...
Windows Anytime Upgrade is still available, and it's cheaper than buying a Retail Upgrade edition of Vista Ultimate. But they don't provide keys online.

Which reminds me. I still have a couple of the $50-each Vista Home Premium license keys, from the "Family Pack" (or whatever it was called early in 2007). I know that lots of folks had problems with those online keys. Wish there was a way to test 'em, other than activating software that I have no use for right now.
Click to expand...

You can enter the product key and set it to activate later. You can download WGA diagnostics tool to check the key and license status.
 
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