[Loobster]

I wonder if anyone has actually done this.

I know that the recommended path to upgrade is to just go to control panel, click anytime upgrade, give them your credit card details and you are done.

But I have a customer who has tried this, the key they supplied to him does not work, he fought with microsoft support for a week, then gave up and got a refund.

So has anyone tried a boxed product retail pack Windows 7 Pro upgrade on a Windows 7 Home Edition? It's supposed to be for Vista or XP machines, but I can't imagine that 7 HP is not a qualifying product.

[Stig]

Edit: Microsoft says Anytime Upgrade should work: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/l...(v=ws.10).aspx

As for the 'install over' upgrade, you would just have to try. Worst case is a clean install.

[IvanIV]

Could it be that he tried to activate with the anytime upgrade key instead of doing the anytime upgrade? I anytime-upgraded from HP to ultimate without problems. As for the upgrade to pro via reinstall, no experience there.

[Loobster]

Originally Posted by Stig

Microsoft says Anytime Upgrade should work

Well of course they do.

But their techs couldn't even tell my customer what was wrong when he put the key into Windows that the AU process gave him, and Windows told him that it was not a valid key.

I realize this is an unusual situation, and I haven't heard of AU not working before.

[Loobster]

Originally Posted by IvanIV

Could it be that he tried to activate with the anytime upgrade key instead of doing the anytime upgrade?

I'm not sure what you mean. Activating with a new key is about all there is to an Anytime Upgrade.

[Stig]

Originally Posted by Loobster

I'm not sure what you mean. Activating with a new key is about all there is to an Anytime Upgrade.

I think IvanIV was thinking of putting the code in during a standard install.

Although MS say it is possible, I'm sure I remember something about only being able to do an AU from HP to Ultimate, not Pro.

[IvanIV]

Originally Posted by Loobster

I'm not sure what you mean. Activating with a new key is about all there is to an Anytime Upgrade.

You enter the anytime key during the anytime upgrade process. It does not work if you go to System in Control Panel and try to enter it there instead of the existing key.

[Loobster]

Originally Posted by IvanIV

You enter the anytime key during the anytime upgrade process. It does not work if you go to System in Control Panel and try to enter it there instead of the existing key.

Ok I get you now, yeah that's what the customer tried to do. Goodness knows why it didn't work, and more worryingly, why MS didn't know either.

[Loobster]

Originally Posted by Stig

Although MS say it is possible, I'm sure I remember something about only being able to do an AU from HP to Ultimate, not Pro.

AU tells you what versions you can upgrade to when you do it. HP to Pro is probably the most common upgrade done via AU.

I think my only recourse is to sell the customer a full version product and format/reinstall.

[IvanIV]

Originally Posted by Stig

I think IvanIV was thinking of putting the code in during a standard install.

Although MS say it is possible, I'm sure I remember something about only being able to do an AU from HP to Ultimate, not Pro.

Both should be possible, when I did my upgrade, I purchased the code online from Anytime Upgrade dialog. It offered me upgrades both to pro and ultimate. I went for ultimate and it worked without a problem.