Question about Anytime Upgrade

[pc nerd]

I have a laptop with 64-bit Home Premium. The warranty expires in June. I
want to upgrade to Ultimate. I haven't checked out the Anytime Upgrade yet.
Will I be able to get the 64-bit upgrade to Ultimate or is a 32-bit upgrade
to Ultimate the only upgrade path?

Thank you.
David

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

You can upgrade a 64-bit Home Premium to 64-bit Ultimate. What you can't do
is upgrade from 64-bit Home Premium to 32-bit Ultimate, that would be a
clean install only.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[pc nerd]

Thank you for the quick reply. Please elaborate. When I go thru the Anytime
Upgrade, do I get to a certain point where I choose either a 32-bit upgrade
or a 64-bit upgrade? I know to choose a 64-bit upgrade, but a PC novice might
have a 64-bit Vista & choose a 32-bit upgrade & get the kit in the mail &
then realize that he needs the 64-bit version & has to return the kit. Does
the Anytime Upgrade "know" that I have a 64-bit Vista?

Thank you.
David

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

No, as a license is valid for either 32 or 64 bit versions, the upgrade site
doesn't know which you have. Select carefully.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[pc nerd]

Alrighty. Thank you.

So, I have related questions.

My sister got me the laptop. She paid Best Buy Geek Squad to create restore
CDs. The laptop has a restore partition. What I'd like to do is first back up
the Documents folder & then use the restore CDs to restore the laptop to its
"factory fresh" condition & then upgrade to Ultimate & then use Complete PC
Backup & restore to create a restore DVD. I really don't need the restore
partition any more since I have a restore DVD, correct? The laptop has Vista
Home Premium. I believe that Home Premium allows me to delete the restore
partition & then expand the C partition. Is that correct?

Thank you.
David

 

[Robert Neville]

My sister got me the laptop. She paid Best Buy Geek Squad to create restore
CDs. The laptop has a restore partition. What I'd like to do is first back up
the Documents folder & then use the restore CDs to restore the laptop to its
"factory fresh" condition & then upgrade to Ultimate & then use Complete PC
Backup & restore to create a restore DVD.

Seems like an awful lot of work for nothing. Why wouldn't you backup your
documents folder and then just do a clean install with your Ultimate key?

I really don't need the restore
partition any more since I have a restore DVD, correct? The laptop has Vista
Home Premium. I believe that Home Premium allows me to delete the restore
partition & then expand the C partition. Is that correct?

I don't remember if Home allows this, if not but there are lots of third party
programs that will.

 

[pc nerd]

I can do a clean install with an upgrade? Seems to me that I read somewhere
that one would have to install twice with an upgrade.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I can do a clean install with an upgrade?

Yes, if you own a qualifying version's CD.

The requirement to use an upgrade version is to *own* a previous
qualifying version's installation CD (with an OEM restore CD, see
below), not to have it installed. When setup doesn't find a previous
qualifying version installed, it will prompt you to insert its CD as
proof of ownership. Just insert the previous version's CD, and follow
the prompts. Everything proceeds quite normally and quite
legitimately.

You can also do a clean installation if you have an OEM restore CD of
a previous qualifying version. It's more complicated, but it *can* be
done. First restore from the Restore CD. Then run the XP upgrade CD
from within that restored system, and change from Upgrade to New
Install. When it asks where, press Esc to delete the partition and
start over.

Seems to me that I read somewhere
that one would have to install twice with an upgrade.

No, that's not correct.

 

[Rick Rogers]

Hi,

You're correct, you would have to install twice with an upgrade disk, once
without and then with the product key.

--
Best of Luck,

Rick Rogers, aka "Nutcase" - Microsoft MVP

Windows help - www.rickrogers.org
My thoughts http://rick-mvp.blogspot.com

 

[Robert Neville]

I can do a clean install with an upgrade? Seems to me that I read somewhere
that one would have to install twice with an upgrade.

Yes, you can. It will be one of the options presented to you after the presence
of the old OS is confirmed.