Microsoft Windows Vista Anytime Upgrade Pack

[Harryc]

Can you buy the Microsoft Windows Vista Anytime Upgrade Pack (Vista Business to Vista Ultimate) and use it to upgrade the version of Vista Business that is pre-installed on the T61?

Microsoft Windows Vista Anytime Upgrade Pack

[carbon_unit]

As far as I can tell the Vista install DVD's (except factory recovery media) come with all versions of Vista on them and you can choose what version you want to install. The catch is that while it will install any version of Vista it will only work for 30 days unless you have a product key number for that version. This is what you pay for, the Product Key number. There may be some Vista discs that are limited to one version of Vista but I have not seen one yet.
This is good upsell marketing because the guy who buys Home Basic can install Ultimate and have it for 30 days. If after 30 days he wants Ultimate instead of the Home Basic he can pay the difference and already have it. It also lets you see if your hardware can handle Vista or not.
All the versions of Vista I have run across so far are upgradeable. I don't know for sure but I don't see why the Lenovo preload would not be upgradeable.

That link points to what appears to be a standard Vista install DVD with an Ultimate Product Key number.
The only reason they specify one version to another is the pricing from one level to another. Basic to Ultimate costs more than Business to Ultimate.

[Harryc]

carbon_unit thanks. Does anyone know of a source for a legitimate vista business to ultimate upgrade license that is less than the price at Amazon? I already have the 'Windows Anytime Upgrade' disc. Pricing is $139 directly from MS.

[carbon_unit]

Maybe here: http://www.pricegrabber.com/search_geto ... %20upgrade

[Harryc]

Thanks again. Comparing pricegrabber prices (including shipping and tax), the Amazon price is still very close to those.

[beq]

*** OLD THREAD REVISIT ***

Sorry to bump an old thread. I just tried to purchase Windows Anytime Upgrade from Vista Business (preinstalled on my X300) to Vista Ultimate. As with my previous upgrades, I expected to be able to purchase the license key online for immediate download, since I already have the Anytime Upgrade disc (from my first upgrade purchase).

But it seems that we must now purchase the physical disc (again) as well, and wait for it to arrive in the mail along with the license key -- which Microsoft says can take 2-4 weeks when ordering from them??

When I clicked the Windows Anytime Upgrade link from the Vista Control Panel, it used to show a list of retail vendors I can buy the upgrade license key from (Best Buy, Sam's Club, etc), for immediate download. Now it seems the link only goes to Microsoft's own online store, and you will only get the license key in the snail mail along with the disc.

In the end, I decided to buy the Anytime Upgrade Pack (disc + key) from one of the many vendors you can also find on the web, who can ship it to me much faster than 2-4 weeks from Microsoft. On the plus side, the current version of the disc has SP1 built-in...