Buying a computer with a pre-installed operating system is justified and convenient for those users who do not have the skills self-installation and operating system settings. However, you should take into account the fact that most often the initial versions of Windows 7 are installed on computers, which include Windows 7 Starter, Windows 7 Home Basic and Windows 7 Home Premium. These versions, in turn, have limited functionality, which is sometimes not enough. You can, of course, buy a disk and reinstall the system, but in this case you need additional time to profile transfer And Windows installations 7. There is a special solution - Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU), which allows you to upgrade the version of Windows 7 without reinstalling the system by adding the necessary functions.
The first thing you need to do is understand which version of Windows 7 you are using and what features your version has, and which ones you would like to add; for this you should read the article.
I will introduce some restrictions and clarifications associated with the change Windows versions 7 s using Windows Anytime Upgrade:
The Windows Anytime Upgrade program allows you to upgrade a 32-bit version only to 32-bit, and a 64-bit version only to 64-bit. That is, with the help Windows programs Anytime Upgrade cannot upgrade from 32-bit to 64-bit.
Program Windows updates Anytime Upgrade is not available on Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise.
Changing the version in most cases will not affect the performance of your computer; you should not naively believe that a more advanced version of Windows will increase the speed of your computer/laptop. By upgrading the version you will only add additional functions, no more. To increase the speed of your computer, I recommend reading the articles Optimization, acceleration of Windows 7 .
The Windows Anytime Upgrade program key allows you to upgrade from only one edition of Windows 7 to another edition of Windows 7. It is not intended for upgrading from a previous version of Windows to Windows 7. Below is a list of which versions you can upgrade to from which Windows 7.
Windows 7 Starter→ Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate.
Windows 7 Home Basic→ Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional or Windows 7 Ultimate.
Windows 7 Home Premium→ Windows 7 Professional (Professional) or Windows 7 Ultimate (Maximum).
Windows 7 Professional→ Windows 7 Ultimate.
ATTENTION!!! Before you begin upgrading Windows 7, you must install the latest Service Pack and all Windows 7 updates.
To upgrade your version of Windows 7 you will need:
Internet
Acquired Windows key Anytime Upgrade (WAU). The WAU program key can be purchased at a retail store.
So, on your computer/laptop, click right click on the label " Computer", select " Properties" or " Start" - "Control Panel" - "System"" and press " Get access to additional functions, install new release Windows".
In the window that appears, select " Enter update key".
After that, enter the purchased key. It is important to note that the license key operating system Windows and the key for Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU) are different things and in in this case you just need the key for WAU.
After checking the key, read and accept the licensing terms.
After that, click the " Update".
After a few minutes of installing updates and several reboots... you have the required version of Windows 7 (on average it takes me about half an hour).
If you've been using one of the lower editions of Windows 7 for a while, you may have been thinking about upgrading to a better-looking, more capable system.
In this article you will learn the easiest way to upgrade Windows 7 edition and Windows Server 2008 R2 without losing your familiar working environment. In this case, you only need the product key.
I will also talk about how to downgrade Windows 7 while keeping all settings and programs, having a product key and installation disk.
Windows 7 edition upgrade
The Start menu is just in front of you installed Windows 7 "Home Basic".
Element Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU) is also available from the control panel, so you will always find it by searching in all editions except "Maximum". By the way, WAU is the only officially supported way to update the Windows edition.
You will need: product key.
Which publications can be upgraded?
With WAU you can very quickly upgrade any edition, with the exception of "Maximum", of course. The table lists all possible update paths.
How to change edition
Launch WAU and enter your product key. You can purchase it here by paying credit card although this only works for some countries. However, nothing prevents you from buying a key in the Microsoft store or in the well-known online stores AllSoft.ru and SoftKey.ru.
Downgrade Windows 7
There may be well-founded reasons for downgrading the edition. For example, you want to switch from the pirated “Maximum” to the licensed “Home Advanced”, which you received as a gift for good behavior. At the same time, you do not want to reconfigure the system and programs.
In principle, in this way you can not only lower, but also increase the edition. However, it is more convenient to do the second using WAU.
You will need:
- installation disk with the edition you want to install
- product key matching the edition
Why does changing the edition by updating the system not work?
Windows Setup checks the current edition before changing it, so the upgrade attempt will be blocked during the compatibility check.
Changing the edition of Windows 7 to a junior version (downgrade).
Often there is a need to change the edition of Windows OS. In this case, of course, there is no desire, and, sometimes, no opportunity, to configure the system “from scratch”. You can update the OS without losing applications and settings. How to do it is written in this article
If you want to upgrade the edition, then there is no problem - use Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU). This element is available from the control panel, or you can find it using search. By launching this application you will receive detailed instructions. In this case, you only need the product key.
It's another matter if you need to downgrade the OS edition. This need may be due to corporate policy or a decision to switch to licensed software. In this case, you will need an installation disk with the required edition and a product key suitable for this edition.
You won't be able to downgrade the edition using regular tools like WAU, but there is a workaround.
In order not to downgrade the edition, I propose to change the edition installed system to the one you want to install.
- First, I suggest creating a restore point:
Start->Computer->(click with the right mouse button, in context menu select an item) Properties->(in the list on the left) System protection(if the OS asks for administrator credentials, enter the appropriate credentials) -> (key in the window that appears in the lower right corner) Create. Select a location to save the restore point and wait for completion.
- Make sure that the system disk there is enough quantity for updating free space(usually about 18 Gb).
- Launch Registry Editor. (Press) Win+R->(enter) regedit.
- In the window that appears, using the explorer on the right, go to the next branch: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion.
Changing the parameter value EditionID: (click on the parameter with the right key of the manipulator) Change...->(enter the required value). Attention, only the following values are allowed in this parameter: 1.Enterprise
2.Ultimate
3.Professional
4.HomePremium
5.HomeBasic
6.Starter In this list, Windows editions are ranked from oldest to youngest.
Reboots the PC.
Let's harden the installation disk.
At the point where it is offered "Update" or "Full installation" select the first item (update).
We are waiting for the installation to complete, setting necessary settings.
The system edition has been changed, all settings and applications remain intact.
If, suddenly, something goes wrong, you can always restore the system from the restore point created in the first step.
With respect, Drobyshev Vladimir.
Bringing it to market various editions Windows operating system, the manufacturer implies that the user will choose the edition that best suits his needs and financial capabilities. However, in life everything is different: ready-made PCs usually come with a pre-installed system of the simplest (and cheapest) edition, and unlicensed users, without bothering too much, install one of the older editions. All this often leads to the fact that the Windows edition needs to be changed, preferably without reinstalling the system.
The main problem is that with the need to change the edition Windows user encounters when the system is already “lived in”: the necessary software and equipment are installed and configured, data is laid out in the usual way, etc., etc.
There are two scenarios for changing the edition. One of them can be conditionally called “official”. Microsoft supports the transition from minor to senior editions quite officially. It is enough to purchase a special key or box.
It’s worse when the editorial team needs to be demoted. This usually happens when licensing pirated versions, when boxes or licenses of the required edition are purchased, which does not coincide with what is actually on the computers. Officially, Microsoft does not support such changes and recommends installing the system from scratch, but there is one undocumented possibility that we will consider.
Everyone knows that if you run Windows installer in a loaded OS, then one of the available options will be to update the system while saving all installed applications and settings.
However, such an update is only possible if the edition of the installed system matches the edition of the distribution, otherwise we will only be offered a new installation:
There are no official ways to get around this limitation, so it's time to turn to undocumented possibilities. We find it difficult to imagine why Microsoft does not support arbitrary changes to the Windows edition by entering the appropriate key and/or updating using the distribution kit of the desired edition, especially since there are no technical obstacles here.
Empirically, it was found that the installer receives information about the system edition from the registry branch:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersionas a parameter value EditionID. To successfully update with a change of edition, we need to change this parameter so that it matches the edition of the target distribution.
Some sources also recommend changing the parameter ProductName, however, this is completely unnecessary. After change EditionID You should perform the update immediately without rebooting the system. This method suitable for all current client Windows systems and below we will look at the correspondence EditionID editions of the operating system.
Windows 7
This version of Windows has the largest official number of editions, but the naming system is simple and clear, which makes it easy to identify the one you need. For Windows 7 the following values are valid EditionID depending on edition:
- Starter- The initial, most limited edition, was distributed only in the OEM channel, most often with netbooks
- HomeBasic- Home Basic
- HomePremium- Home extended
- Professional- Professional
- Ultimate- Maximum
- Enterprise- Corporate, distributed only under the volume licensing program
All editions, except for the Starter and Corporate editions, were available both at retail and through OEM channels, differing in nothing except the type of license, but you will not be able to update from the OEM distribution using the key from the boxed version and vice versa.
Windows 8.1
At first glance, there are fewer editions of Windows 8, just Basic, Professional and Enterprise. But in fact, Microsoft managed to segment them so that, in fact, the editions of Windows 8.1 and acceptable values EditionID it turned out to be even more:
- Core- Basic
- CoreSingleLanguage- Basic for one language, OEM only
- ConnectedCore- Basic with Bing, free for major OEMs
- CoreConnectedSingleLanguage- Basic with Bing for one language, for manufacturers only
- Professional- Professional
- ProfessionalWMC- Professional with Windows package Media Center
- Enterprise
As we can see, there are four Basic editions alone, although you can purchase only two of them at retail or as an OEM supply: Basic and Basic for one language. The versions with Bing are only available to manufacturers, and you can only get it with hardware. However, you may need to revert to this version if you uninstalled the pre-installed version and now want to return the license. In this case you will need to find installation distribution, which is quite difficult (in open access they are not and never were).
Windows 10
The situation with Windows 10 tends to repeat itself completely Windows history 8.1, three editions are also officially announced: Home, Professional and Corporate. In reality, there are more editions; Home is already available for one language and, perhaps, other options will appear.
At the moment we can talk about four editions, however this list does not claim to be complete and will be updated as information becomes available.
- Core- Home
- CoreSingleLanguage- Home for one language, OEM only
- Professional- Professional
- Enterprise- Enterprise, only in the volume licensing channel
To update the above data and update it in a timely manner, we ask our readers, especially those who purchased devices with pre-installed Windows 10 or updated pre-installed versions of Windows 8.1 check the meaning of the keys EditionID And ProductName, and publish the results, if they differ from the above list, in the comments.
If you've been using one of the minor editions of Windows for a while, you may have been thinking about upgrading to a nicer, more capable system.
In this article, you will learn the easiest way to upgrade your Windows edition without losing your familiar working environment. In this case, you only need the product key. I will also talk about how to downgrade Windows 7 while keeping all settings and programs, having a product key and installation disk.
Windows 10
- Only edition upgrade is possible (Home → Pro or Home → Education)
- Enterprise LTSC can only be upgraded to Enterprise or higher new version Enterprise LTCS
- Downgrade with saving files, but loss of programs and settings is possible for Pro → Home and Education → Enterprise
- In almost all cases, entering the older edition key in Options or from command line(changepk)
- In some cases, a reboot is not even required (Pro → Enterpise or Pro → Pro Education)
- Downgrading to earlier versions (1809 → 1803) is not possible except for a rollback
- Supported downgrade scenarios to minor editions upon license expiration
Windows 7
Important note about Windows 7 versions
You can only upgrade or downgrade Windows 7 using the installation disc if any of these conditions are true:
- SP1 is integrated into the installation disk (recommended)
- SP1 is not installed on the OS and is not integrated into the installation disk
Otherwise, you will receive a message stating that the system being installed has more old version than the current one.
Windows 7 edition upgrade
Here is the Start menu of a newly installed Windows 7 Home Basic.
Element Windows Anytime Upgrade (WAU) is also available from the control panel, so you will always find it by searching in all editions except “Maximum”. By the way, WAU is the only officially supported way to update the Windows edition.
You will need: product key.
Which publications can be upgraded?
With WAU you can very quickly upgrade any edition, with the exception of "Maximum", of course. The table lists all possible upgrade paths for Windows 7.
How to change edition
Launch WAU and enter your product key. It can be purchased here by paying with a credit card, although this only works for some countries. However, nothing prevents you from buying a key in the Microsoft store or in the well-known online stores AllSoft.ru and SoftKey.ru.
The system must be updated before changing editions, so WAU will automatically download any corrections upon your approval. Nothing more is required from you, except maybe a little patience.
The process involves even less physical movements than reinstalling over an installed system, although the same approach is used, including saving data.
To speed things up, do a disk cleanup first. People with a small system partition or a large volume of personal Windows files may upset you with a message about lack of space on system partition. In this case, it is enough to transfer the files to another partition or external drive.
Upgrade Windows Server 2008 R2 edition
Not on server systems Windows features Anytime Upgrade, but a similar feature is included in DISM.
Dism /online /Set-Edition:Datacenter /ProductKey:12345-67890-12345-67890-12345
Moreover, this path is available only for server systems. To be honest, I haven't tested the command in practice, so let me know if it doesn't work.
Similar commands can be applied to offline images, as described here.
Downgrade Windows 7
There may be well-founded reasons for downgrading the edition. For example, you want to switch from pirated Windows 7 “Ultimate” to a licensed “Home Premium”, which you received as a gift for good behavior. At the same time, you do not want to reconfigure the system and programs.
In principle, in this way you can not only lower, but also increase the edition. However, it is more convenient to do the second using WAU.
You will need:
- installation disk with the edition you want to install
- product key matching the edition
Why does changing the edition by updating the system not work?
Windows Setup checks the current edition before changing it, so the upgrade attempt will be blocked during the compatibility check.
The message outlines a supported path, albeit not very convenient. However, there is a shorter workaround, although not officially supported.
Warning
I don't know if this method violates the sacred EULA. Anyway, I'll give you the information. solely for the purpose of demonstrating that the system update mechanism built into Windows can work to upgrade or downgrade the edition.
Edition change process
The TechNet library clearly states that reinstallation over an installed system is possible only within the current edition. This leads to a workaround: for the mechanism to work, you need to change the edition of the installed system to the one you are going to install.
Upon completion of the installation process, you will have a new edition with all the programs and settings of the previous one at your disposal.
Discussion
If you have questions about the material, I will be happy to answer them. I assume that there will be few of them, so I want to discuss two other points.
Which edition of Windows 7 are you using?
To be honest, “Home Advanced” would be quite enough for my daily work. However, for blogging and forum replies, “Maximum” is more suitable for me. Moreover, it is more convenient to use it as the main working system than keeping it on a virtual machine.
Do you have experience reinstalling Windows 7 over an existing OS?
I have repeatedly reinstalled on top of virtual and physical machines, and the update mechanism worked without failure. Therefore, I confidently recommend this method in the forum when the standard set of solutions does not solve the system problem.
However, some participants are hostile to such a proposal - they say that reinstallation is not an acceptable solution. This was the case in XP, but in Windows 7 you don’t have to wait for the weather by the sea, but fix the problem within half an hour.
Have you ever reinstalled Windows 7 on top? Have you encountered any problems? Tell us about your experience!