windows 7 upgrade to professional

[devonwoody]

Quote at Amazon:


Product Description
Manufacturer's Description
With Windows 7 Professional, fewer walls stand between you and your success. You can run many Windows XP productivity programs in Windows XP Mode and recover data easily with automatic backups to your home or business network. You can also connect to company networks effortlessly and more securely with Domain Join. With all the exciting entertainment features of Windows Home Premium, it's a great choice for home and for business.MICROSOFT WINDOWS ANYTIME UPGRADEIf you want to upgrade your copy of Windows 7, you can go online and do it in about 10 minutes, right from your PC.No disks, no delays. And with Windows Anytime Upgrade, you can upgrade to a more advanced edition of Windows 7 - from: Windows 7 Starter to Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate; Windows 7 Home Premium to Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate; Windows 7 Professional to Windows 7 Ultimate - in as little as 10 minutes. That way, you get to take advantage of extra features while keeping your current programs, files, and settings intact.Upgrading doesn't mean installing new software. In Windows 7, the software you need comes preinstalled. All you have to do is purchase an upgrade key from Microsoft or another authorized retailer to unlock those shiny new features.
Product Description
Microsoft Windows Anytime Upgrade WAU Windows Home Premium to Pro 7 English UPG 7KC00003 Software Operating System.



Anyone here done this?

We have a new laptop that will not accept some of our old software programs and might consider this upgrade.

 

[misterfish]

I am told that all the Windows 7 installation DVDs contain everything - the version installed actually dependant on the key.

So, let's say, as an example you wanted to run software on the 64 bit version in XP compatibility mode, you'd actually need to download the relevant files from Microsoft ( http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtua ... nload.aspx ). Although you can actually say you already have 'Professional' or 'Ultimate' versions of Windows 7 installed and actually download and install, it will not run on Home Premium. Also bear in mind that you need a copy of XP as well as it actually runs XP 'in its own window' but fully integrated into Windows 7. I'm sure 'somebody' will have an old copy of XP pro knocking around that they could let you have.

There are other options - have a look at http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/11060/cr ... and-vista/ - it seems a bit of a rigmarole but certainly cheaper than the upgrade to Windows 7 Professional.

Another possibility depends on your family, or rather your family members. Microsoft are keen to get people using their software and do make full versions of some of their programs available at low cost to students and their families. So if you have a child, grandchild, great grandchild etc, or student, or teacher etc likely to use the computer then you could be eligible to purchase. Have a look at http://www.software4students.co.uk/ . If you look here http://www.software4students.co.uk/FAQ.aspx#q1 then you can see the qualifying criteria and you can browse around for the prices. To buy Microsoft software you have to register and name the student and educational institution. In case you think this is 'dodgy', it is not; there is a link from Microsoft's web site. Apparently the DVD you receive is not in fancy and superfluous packaging but sealed in an enevlope with the installation key. I think it is also sent direct from Microsoft. If you qualify you can make large and legitimate savings.

Misterfish

 

[devonwoody]

Thanks Misterfish for that detailed review.

I dont think the wife wants to know. :wink:

But its a sod isnt it, nobody said to run this or that you need this and that with windows 7.

I reckon Microsoft and others ought to give pensioners the same deal as student prices.

 

[misterfish]

I reckon Microsoft and others ought to give pensioners the same deal as student prices.

... or even cheaper

Misterfish

 

[Benchwayze]

I finally bought a laptop a week or so back.
When I tried to load AOL onto it, I was told that AOL wouldn't run with Windows 7. Presumably my older version. Anyhow, I went cable with Virgin!
Also a lot of programs I use with XP won't run on this laptop. Presumably because this is 64 bit and the old PC was 32 bit. So I don't know if XP will run on 64 bit...

But this fella is happy with 7. So far! 8)

regards
John

 

[devonwoody]

We have kept the old xp laptop for those programs that do not run on 7. Should keep us going for a few more years.

But MS are sods, I would liquidate them if I was able. :wink: :twisted:

 

[tom owens]

I upgraded my windows 7 to ultimate so i can download windows xp viewer and virtual pc but if your laptop has the new pentium T4400 processor it wont run them according to pc world and currys. Plus with xp viewer been a window within a window it wont function properly with big programmes. microsoft are dealing with all the 64 and 32 bit mishaps and will be releasing a beta software upgrade' but when? could be in the next year or so.

I'v been trying to get autocad 09 to work but only having the 32bit disc its a nightmare. Even autodesk who make autocad say it wont work on a 64 bit machine. A lot of 32 bit software has limitations which only allow it to work on a 32 bit machine. People will try to tell you tat all 32 bit software will work on a 64 bit machine but it wont. I'v tried everything.

 

[devonwoody]

This laptop came with windows 7 home preloaded with 64 bit, and I have made the ghost disk.
It was also supplied with another disk which is a 32bit version. Todate I have not tried or loaded the 32 bit version because the computer is used by the wife and you know what ladies are lie if you play around with their things.

 

[sooty]

I am running Windows 7 Home Premium and on the C drive I have a program files for 32 bit and a program files for 64 bit

 

[devonwoody]

How did you do that Sooty? My version came preloaded 64 bit which I lose if I insert a 32 bit disk supplied.


To other forum members out there, a windows 7 home edition 64 bit is a pain.

Very little of our preious owned software works satisfactory.

But what can you do, PC's come loaded and you cannot purchase a new computer with XP loaded these days from the mass outlets?

 

[kmcleod]

I have Windows 7, 64bit professional and it lets me run XP and 32bit programs no problem,,,pretty seamless to use,

Only pain is windows update,,,not always easy,,,and I work in IT....

 

[devonwoody]

I suspect my software is older than yours, some of it was 98 stuff, but there are 2005 xp programs, like Hoyles card game etc. that will not run.

 

[kmcleod]

is it Windows 7 premium or professional ?

I've got DOS, NT and XP programs all running on mine, but it was a fresh Windows 7 Professional 64bit load...

 

[wobblycogs]

I've been using Win 7 64bit everyday, almost since it first came out, and I've only found a couple of applications that wont run under it. Annoying one of those is a piece of security software necessary to connect to a clients network.

Anyway, to get stubborn pieces of software to work first try right clicking on the executable you want to run, selecting properties and then the compatability tab. I suggest choosing Windows XP (Service Pack 3) for anything old. In my experience this gets about 80% of old software working.

For that stubborn 20% that won't run in compatability mode as long as you have Win 7 Profession or above you can install a free Win XP virtual machine. If the software ran under XP before it will run under the virtual machine.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

You'll find the virtual machine is quite a bit slower than your native machine but if the software is vital to you it can be an acceptable compromise.

 

[devonwoody]

No mine is windows 7 home edition only, I was advised that premium or professional was unnecessary for my use.

 

[wobblycogs]

That's unfortunate. All is not lost though, if you still have your original XP disk to hand you could install VMWare Player http://www.vmware.com/products/player/ under Win 7 and then install XP into it.

VMWare Player is a better (faster) virtualization system than the one that comes with Win 7 Pro and the only reason I didn't recommend it straight away is because it means installing another piece of software. The other benefit of VMWare is that you can install Linux under it if you fancy trying that without affecting your base Win 7 install at all.

 

[devonwoody]

Many thanks for that Wobblycogs. five stars to you. :wink:

 

[tom owens]

I've been using Win 7 64bit everyday, almost since it first came out, and I've only found a couple of applications that wont run under it. Annoying one of those is a piece of security software necessary to connect to a clients network.

Anyway, to get stubborn pieces of software to work first try right clicking on the executable you want to run, selecting properties and then the compatability tab. I suggest choosing Windows XP (Service Pack 3) for anything old. In my experience this gets about 80% of old software working.

For that stubborn 20% that won't run in compatability mode as long as you have Win 7 Profession or above you can install a free Win XP virtual machine. If the software ran under XP before it will run under the virtual machine.

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

You'll find the virtual machine is quite a bit slower than your native machine but if the software is vital to you it can be an acceptable compromise.

What processor are you running wobblyclogs. Ist it an AMD?

 

[wobblycogs]

My main development machine is based around a Core i7 with 4GB ram - very nice machine even if I do say so myself. I've got a dozen or so other machines about the place of various different qualities most of whch are AMD based.

As far as I'm aware there are no problems running this type of virtualization on any modern processor. It's a bit different when you are doing "real" virtualization as you would get in a server farm as I understand it that requires some hardware support from both the processor and the BIOS.

 

[sooty]

How did you do that Sooty? My version came preloaded 64 bit which I lose if I insert a 32 bit disk supplied.


To other forum members out there, a windows 7 home edition 64 bit is a pain.

Very little of our preious owned software works satisfactory.

But what can you do, PC's come loaded and you cannot purchase a new computer with XP loaded these days from the mass outlets?

Same here I bought the HP Laptop last Christmas and it came with Win 7 Home Premium preloaded