How To Find My Windows Anytime Upgrade Key

The other day I was discussing with a friend the benefits of dual-booting Windows viii using a VHD (Virtual Hd) equally I wrote about in the article Dual-kick Windows vii and Windows eight using a VHD. My friend has Windows 7 Home Premium installed on his computer and was saying that he would give anything for a manner to add the Bootable VHD characteristic to his system so that he could experiment with Windows 8 and keep his Windows 7 setup intact. (Equally you know, the ability to boot from VHD is only bachelor in Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise.)

When I told him that in that location was a manner he could practice so, he was all ears. When told him that information technology would cost him about $140, he was yet open to the idea maxim that if it would allow him to install Windows 8 on a VHD, it would exist worth it.

I then explained how he could purchase a Windows seven Anytime Upgrade central that would allow him to easily upgrade his Windows 7 Home Premium system to Windows seven Ultimate. A half hour later nosotros were standing in line at the local Best Purchase purchasing a Windows 7 Someday Upgrade key.

The upgrade went very polish and soon my friend was installing Windows 8 to a VHD. After nosotros were finished, I figured that there were probably other folks out there that would be interested in learning more about using Windows seven Someday Upgrade to exist able to install Windows 8 on a bootable VHD. As such, in this commodity, I'll walk you step by step thru the unabridged procedure of using Windows 7 Someday Upgrade to upgrade a Windows 7 Habitation Premium organization to Windows 7 Ultimate.

This blog post is as well available in the slideshow format in a TechRepublic Photo Gallery.

Editor'due south Note: Since this article was published, it has been discovered that Native VHD Boot is bachelor in all versions of Windows seven, which means that you can ready up a Windows 8 dual-boot configuration in Windows seven Home Premium. Meet the commodity Native VHD Boot is available in all versions of Windows seven for more detail.

Creating a System Image

Even though the Upgrade will not modify whatever of your data or other configuration settings, I recommend that the first thing that you lot'll want to do is create a System Image from inside Windows vii's Backup and Restore. When you lot do, you lot'll stop upward with a consummate image of your hd. That fashion, if annihilation out of the ordinary were to occur equally you follow the steps for performing the Windows Anytime Upgrade, y'all will be able to render to your electric current configuration.

Furthermore, I recommend that you also create a separate fill-in of your data. Maybe just make copies of all your data files on CD/DVD or on an external hard disk. While information technology may sound like overkill, having an extra backup will give y'all peace of listen.

To create a system prototype, you lot'll need to have a CD-RW/DVD-RW drive, an external hard disk drive, or access to a network bulldoze. To access Backup and Restore, click the Start button, type Fill-in in the Search box, and press [Enter] when Backup and Restore appears in the result pane.

Once you have Fill-in and Restore up, select the Create a System Image choice and choose your backup location. As you tin see in Figure A, I used a DVD-RW drive on my system.

Figure A

On my test system, I'll use DVDs to create my system paradigm.

As you can see in Figure B, on my test system all the partitions on the drive are selected by default. To initiate the functioning, but click Start backup. On my test system with a 500GB hard disk drive, it took over an hour and required eight DVDs.

Figure B

Creating a System Prototype on DVDs takes a fiddling while.

When the Organisation Image is complete, you'll be prompted to create a Arrangement Repair disc, as shown in Figure C. This is the disc that yous will use to boot your system and restore your system epitome in the event that you need it.

Figure C

When the System Image is complete, you'll exist prompted to create a Organisation Repair disc.

Equally shortly as the Organization Image is complete and before you begin the Windows Anytime Upgrade procedure, I recommend that you reboot your system to brand certain that yous have a make clean slate.

Getting a Windows Someday Upgrade central

You tin purchase a Windows Someday Upgrade fundamental right from within Windows vii, you tin go one from an online store such as Amazon, or you can get i from a local store such equally All-time Buy. To purchase Windows Anytime Upgrade key from within Windows 7, click the Start button and type Anytime in the Start search box. When you see Windows Someday Upgrade announced in the results, printing [Enter]. You'll then run across the Windows Anytime Upgrade window, shown in Figure D. (Note that in the upper correct corner of the window, information technology shows that on my test system I am currently running Windows 7 Home Premium.)

Figure D

The Windows Anytime Upgrade characteristic is built into Windows vii.

When you click the Go online button, you'll see the next Windows Anytime Upgrade window, shown in Figure Eastward, and will click the Buy push under the Ultimate heading. Once yous work through the steps, yous'll instantly receive the Windows Anytime Upgrade key and the upgrade will brainstorm immediately. (Don't worry, you lot will have the opportunity to print out a receipt and a copy of the receipt will be sent to you via email.)

Effigy E

You tin go online to the Microsoft site and purchase a Windows Anytime Upgrade cardinal.

If you lot purchase a retail copy of Windows Anytime Upgrade, you'll really get a 25 character alphanumeric key. To use the key, follow the instructions to admission the Windows Someday Upgrade window shown above in Figure D. You'll then click the Enter an upgrade key push button. When you practise, you'll run across the window shown in Figure F and will be prompted to enter the key.

Effigy F

If you purchase a retail version of Windows Someday Upgrade, you'll take to manually enter the 25 character alphanumeric key.

Later on you lot enter the cardinal and click Side by side, Windows Anytime Upgrade will verify that the key that you entered is valid, every bit shown in Figure G. Information technology takes just a few seconds to complete this pace.

Figure G

It will accept a just a few seconds for the organisation to verify the Windows Anytime Upgrade key.

You'll and so be prompted to accept the license terms for the upgrade, as shown in Figure H. If you desire all the details, just click the Microsoft Software License Terms link.

Figure H

Of form, you lot have to take the license terms.

As soon as you click the I accept button, you'll come across the adjacent screen which prompts you to make sure all of your open programs are airtight, as shown in Effigy I. To begin the procedure, but click the Upgrade button.

Figure I

Before the bodily upgrade begins, you'll be reminded to close all open programs.

Once the Upgrade begins, every bit shown in Effigy J, it volition take anywhere from 10 to xx minutes depending on whether updates are needed. On my example system, only i update was needed.

Figure J

The upgrade will take about 10 minutes to complete.

During the Upgrade your organisation will reboot several times. I noticed that afterwards the commencement reboot, you'll meet a screen like the ane shown in Figure K, which shows that at this bespeak the operating organisation is still Windows 7 Habitation Premium.

Figure K

At this point the operating system is withal Windows 7 Home Premium.

However, afterward the second reboot, you'll meet that the screen is showing that the operating organisation is now Windows 7 Ultimate, every bit shown in Figure Fifty.

Effigy L

Afterward the second reboot the operating system is now Windows vii Ultimate.

After the upgrade'due south terminal reboot, you'll run into that the Logon screen at present shows the operating system as Windows 7 Ultimate. When you lot log on for the start time, you'll see the last screen in the Windows Anytime Upgrade procedure, equally shown in Figure Grand. To consummate the functioning, just click Close.

Effigy M

The last screen in the Windows seven Anytime Upgrade process will appear on the screen when you log on to Windows Ultimate for the showtime time.

At this point, y'all can read my article Dual-boot Windows 7 and Windows viii using a VHD and have advantage of the Bootable VHD feature in Windows seven Ultimate.

What'southward your have?

Are yous running Windows 7 Home Premium? Would you lot like to set upwards a Windows 7/Windows eight dual boot system using a VHD? Volition you take advantage of Windows Anytime Upgrade to move from Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows vii Ultimate? As ever, if you have comments or information to share about this topic, please have a moment to drop by the TechRepublic Customs Forums and allow us hear from you.