Upgrading to Professional from Home Premium 64bit

[paulvince]

Hi All,

I am trying to use some older software and play some older games on a windows 7 home premium 64 bit and obviously i am having some problems.

1) I would like to know if I can upgrade to the 64 bit Professional version but then install a 32 bit XP virtual environment using the virtual desktop to run them?

2) Also will i need to uninstall all my current software in order to upgrade to the win professional version?.... as in will it need to be a complete fresh install of the OS?

Any advice or help would be very much appreciated before i lash out the 100 Euro for the upgrade and find it does do what i need.

Thanks

Paul

 

[Nibiru2012]

Yes you can! Go to the System section in the Control Panel and and click on the text as highlighted below in the example.

It will cost extra though, about $70 I believe.

You won't have to uninstall anything at all, the upgrade process will run seamlessly and not affect your current software or settings.

 

[catilley1092]

paulvince, welcome to the forum! I upgraded the same way, through the Anytime Upgrade option in the Start Menu. The cost was $89.95, after taxes, it was $96.92 in US Dollars. I pulled the receipt to make sure of the price.

It was the easiest upgrade that I've ever done. In less than 15 minutes, I had Windows 7 Pro, no files were changed or anything. It will install the WAT update (KB971033) upon the upgrade, afterwards, you can remove it, if you want.

And if you ever need to reinstall your OS, you can reenter the key to upgrade again, the key is good as long as the original OS lives. Make sure to put you key (I printed the receipt) in a safe place, where you won't lose it.

Besides being able to run a virtual XP, there's a few other benefits of Pro over Home Premium. You can setup your desktop as a RDP Host through the Remote Desktop service, you can have up to 192GB RAM vs 16GB, there's the Mobility Center, you can backup to home or business network (in addition to the standard backup), and more.

Plus, there's a higher level of prestige that goes with Pro & above.

With all of this, less than $100 goes a long way.

Best of Luck,
Cat

 

[TrainableMan]

Plus, there's a higher level of prestige that goes with Pro & above.

:hahaha: There is?

You should use whatever level suits your needs, I see no prestige in spending more money than you have to to get the OS you need.

1) yes it would be 32bit in virtual

2) You won't have to reinstall if you use W7 Pro Anytime upgrade ($79.99 on Amazon.com if you are in the USA)

 

[catilley1092]

Yes, there is. The difference between the choice of Home & Pro is the same as the choice of having a Camaro or a Corvette. Or a Pinto vs a Mustang. Or being a floor employee vs being in management. People notices these things, and envies them.

While it would be hard to find these computers at retail, having the choice of installing up to 192GB RAM over 16GB is huge, once again, as in the above examples, if you have the cash to build it with.

The desktop that I have now was the very first one that I had, that shipped with a Home OS on it. Of course, I changed that as soon as I could.

There's just a noticeable difference between the two, that's all.

Cat

 

[TrainableMan]

If you need more than 16gb of memory get a server OS not W7.

From starter to Pro maybe - because starter has sad limitations but unless you need Virtual PC - XP mode there is little difference in Pro & Home

 

[catilley1092]

That XP Mode, is worth the price alone. You would be very lucky to find a retail (legit) version of XP Pro for less than $250. Note that I said legit.

The last time I looked, XP Pro prices are as high as Windows 7 Pro prices are. Probably because they're becoming rare to find, a brand new, Retail (not OEM) version of XP Pro. XP Home goes for $199. There is a high demand for the product, still.

What I've never figured out was, why did MS stop releasing these OS's? They could make a fortune on them, if they were available today.

Cat

 

[TrainableMan]

If you are a person upgrading from XP to Windows 7 Then there is about a $20 difference in online price between Home Premium and Professional so I see $20 as a good safety net to hedge your bet that you may need XP mode to run some of your programs, especially if you go 64-bit which I think everyone should that can.

If you are upgrading from Vista then the programs you have, with very few exceptions, will run in W7. Many people going for this upgrade will stay with the version of vista they had simply because Microsoft provided no smooth upgrade path to change versions. From what I have read, even those upgrading from Vista will likely have a more stable OS if they start with a fresh install (plus if changing from 32-bit to 64-bit you must do a fresh install) so, due to the very limited benefits of continuing with Ultimate and Professional combined with the higher cost of the upgrade, I would seriously consider a fresh install with Home Premium or Professional over continuing to support Microsoft's poor Ultimate. (Note, such an upgrade still qualifies for the upgrade version over full discs but you must do a clean install).

But if you buy a computer that comes with Home Premium then there is absolutely no prestige in forking out $80 unless you have the need for it. First, in 64-bit it will run most of the 32-bit programs out there, either right off the disc or in compatibility mode, so make sure you try that first. If you have very old 16-bit they cannot run in 64 so you either upgrade the software or you run XP mode. If you have your old XP discs then there are Virtual environments other than Microsoft's Virtual PC that are free and do not require you own W7 Professional or better, so try saving $80 and check out one of those for your 16-bit and incompatible 32-bit programs. Finally, if you have exhausted other options, $80 is well worth it to have an OS that meets your needs.

I see these as economic realities and good financial sense. Buy the OS you will likely need, factor the difference in price between Home Premium and Pro and realize if you need to go Pro later it will run you about US$80.

I guess if owning Pro makes you feel better about yourself it may be worth it to spend the extra; if you are more sensible you will buy what is right for you and pocket any savings.

 

[catilley1092]

Well, I needed XP Mode, to assist another member (Ancient Lady) on this forum. There was confusion & disagreement between a couple of members as to whether her AV would protect XP Mode. I insisted that it wouldn't, but couldn't prove it. In other VM's that I had, this was not the case, so the only way that I could assist was to purchase Pro & install XP Mode for myself to find out.

And proved myself right, and passed it on to the other member. She thanked me, and we still keep in touch. So not only did I get Pro with it's advantages, which happens to be more than with Home Premium, and more advantages than just XP Mode, many more (ask Nibiru, he runs it, and doesn't care for VM's), I also met a good hearted internet friend along the way.

If you care to look, the advantages over Home Premium are here:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-7/compare/default.aspx

There are three advantages shown.

Cat

 

[TrainableMan]

I run Pro, too. I came from XP and knew that it was a feature I would want for possible compatibility issues.

And I am aware of the three features Pro offers over Home, the most valuable of which is the XP mode. The other two have to do with networking. Primarily these are tools for business environments. But offices have been mapping network drives for 15 years without Domain Join; the wizard makes it easier but it was never rocket science. The other is that IF you use W7 back-up you can put the back-up file(s) on a network drive. Many home users won't even use the built-in back-up utility; some won't back-up at all and many will use products from other vendors (many regulars including you I believe use different back-up software) and only a small percentage of what are left will need the info sent to a network.

I'm not saying Pro isn't good and I'm not saying it isn't the right product for you personally, or for me, or anyone that wants to play Networked MSHearts (which W7 will NOT run natively or in compatibility mode). I merely disagree with there being any "prestige" to owning it. I have never been one of the cool kids, I've always been a nerd, but I'm fine with who I am and with the version of OS I chose because it offers what I need it to do. I think a Camaro may help you get ladies who enjoy that type of thing but if you wear your blue W7 Professional box pinned to your shirt it will only get you stares and laughter, except maybe on Halloween.

Frankly I think you are cooler because you run Mint; Linux users were always the uber-geeks and super-nerds who could do anything from a command-line. I've never attempted to run Linux so you have conquered what for me is still an unknown.

For the users reading this, you should run what best suits your needs. If you need the ability to run the OS in more than one language, such as a family computer used by some Spanish-speaking relatives and some English-speaking, well then get Ultimate; it would be well worth the money for you.

I won't think less of you if you use Home Premium (sure if you have starter on anything but a netbook I will ... but even that how would I know unless you tell me???) A website can detect what version OS you are running but they care more about which browser and your email won't give it away so who's going to know?

 

[catilley1092]

I admit, I carried the prestige deal too far. But many sees it as such. Pro does give me advantages, most notably XP Mode. Coming from using XP Pro exclusively for nearly nine years, it was hard to just walk away, and still use XP Media Center daily.

Were it not for the member who needed assistance, I'd may still be running Home Premium myself. I was aware of the XP Mode deal, tried it through VMLite, it wasn't impressive at all. So when the debate over whether an AV (the one installed on the host) would protect XP Mode, it gave me the excuse that I needed to upgrade to Pro. I wanted to help this lady, and w/o having XP Mode installed, I could offer no help, and my opinion was useless & w/o proof.

But once I had it installed, my guess was right, you had to have an AV installed within XP Mode for protection. And could back my argument up with proof.

However, Pro has met my needs, and when the next version of Windows is released, I will install a comparable product.

BTW, Mint is fun to use. It's very lightweight, will run on most any computer, it's very fast, you don't need an AV, and has plenty of apps "in the box" for download to suit the needs of many, for free. And runs fine on only 10GB of space.

Cat

 

[Nibiru2012]

Poor paulvince... his thread got hijacked! LOL!

It's like reading a transcript of the McLaughlin Group from PBS a few years ago!

 

[catilley1092]

Not really, he's learning what Windows 7 Pro is about. There's some good reading on the subject here. He was wanting to know about the XP Mode, and is hearing about it from me & TrainableMan. However, should he need the extra benefits, they are there, too. There's more about 7 Pro than XP Mode, although that's my primary use for it.

Cat

 

[Nibiru2012]

Not really, he's learning what Windows 7 Pro is about. There's some good reading on the subject here. He was wanting to know about the XP Mode, and is hearing about it from me & TrainableMan. However, should he need the extra benefits, they are there, too. There's more about 7 Pro than XP Mode, although that's my primary use for it.

Cat

I have learned more about Windows 7 Professional from messing around with it than I did from forums to be honest. I do have a copy of Paul Thurrott's excellent book on Windows 7 Tips, etc. in PDF format that I found at a P2P website... ahem.

Now certain tweaks, subtle nuances, driver installs I have been able to supplement through forum suggestions.

 

[TrainableMan]

We know more about it from using it too. I think that's the point; we are trying to share are experiences so that hopefully someone considering the plunge makes the most educated choice and end up with the version that is right for them ... better informed to make a better decision.

 

[paulvince]

Thanks everyone!

Hi All,

Thanks a lot to you all for posting your advice and replies.

I very much appreciate it.

Regards

Paul