Upgrading from Home to Pro

kristmace · 11 Aug 2011 at 22:43

Quick Q:

I've got Win7 Home on my HTPC. Just realised that I can get Win7 Pro cheap through academic software (school teacher perk).

So when they email me the Pro key, do I just put it into the Anytime upgrade, and let windows do the rest. Would my Home key be free then so I could use it somewhere else?

richb93 · 11 Aug 2011 at 23:23

Should be able to yes

Although I haven't done it myself, so you might want to check that they don't try to disable the HP key or some rubbish like that as I wouldn't put it past Microsoft.

Just out of curiosity why though? (That kinda sounds harsh but I don't mean it to be!) It's just that Pro doesn't really offer too much more and wouldn't do much for your HTPC. Unless it's so you have a spare HP license but even then you could just buy Pro and have that as a spare instead

Disco Boy · 11 Aug 2011 at 23:30

Why do you want pro? It's a waste of money if you aren't going to use the extra features (of which there aren't many)

Raumarik · 12 Aug 2011 at 00:01

Yup stick with home premium unless you really need XP mode or feel the need to setup a local domain..

richb93 · 12 Aug 2011 at 00:02

I guess the only other useful feature is that you'd be able to remotely access it which is useful but not useful enough to justify buying it!

theheyes · 12 Aug 2011 at 00:11

From what I can gather the OP is trying to get an additional copy of Windows on the cheap, it's not about the features.

If Win7 Home is an OEM copy then no, it's non-transferrable regardless of the upgrade. You can however do a 'clean' install with upgrade media which is technically against the EULA but can be done nevertheless.

stoofa · 12 Aug 2011 at 09:12

theheyes said:
From what I can gather the OP is trying to get an additional copy of Windows on the cheap, it's not about the features.

If Win7 Home is an OEM copy then no, it's non-transferrable regardless of the upgrade. You can however do a 'clean' install with upgrade media which is technically against the EULA but can be done nevertheless.

No - he says he can get an upgrade cheap and by its very definition an upgrade will upgrade his existing Home Premium to Pro.

Even if it's cheap, something like £10, if you're not going to use the extra features Professional gives you it's £10 too much.

kristmace · 12 Aug 2011 at 11:03

The cheap copy is an upgrade version rather than the full version, so would need to be over the top of xp. Basically the reason for it is that I can get this pro key for £30, but my home premium copy is the full retail version which I might as well flog!

richb93 · 12 Aug 2011 at 11:08

You can evaluate Windows 7 Professional without a key and then upgrade over it.

theheyes · 12 Aug 2011 at 19:05

Yeah, so I was correct as I understood it - it wasn't about the extra features it was about freeing up the license on the HTPC for another system or, as is the case, to sell i.e. get an additional copy of Windows at a discount.

To answer your question, no, the original license isn't transferrable once upgraded.

Deleted member 77746 · 12 Aug 2011 at 19:28

Theres no point upgrading from home to pro.

kristmace · 13 Aug 2011 at 10:52

theheyes said:
To answer your question, no, the original license isn't transferrable once upgraded.

Really? Even though it's a full retail version and the Pro licence is retail upgrade.