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No more digital product keys for Windows Anytime Upgrade users

By | February 7, 2008, 8:48am PST

Summary: Starting February 20, Microsoft is planning to end distribution of digital product keys for Windows Vista that it previously provided as part of its “Windows Anytime Upgrade” program.

Microsoft is making a tweak to the way it will enable Windows Vista users to upgrade to higher-end versions of Windows via its “Windows Anytime Upgrade” program.

Windows Anytime Upgrade is a Vista marketing program via which Microsoft has allowed customers to move from lower-cost, less feature-rich versions of Vista to higher-end versions.

Starting February 20, Microsoft is planning to end distribution of digital product keys, company officials said on February 7. Instead, customers will need to obtain a Windows Anytime Upgrade kit, consisting of a Windows DVD and product keys, either directly from Microsoft, via snail-mail, or in person via a Microsoft retailer. Anytime Upgraders still can order the upgrade kit online, but the key will be sent by snail-mail.)

Why the change? A company spokeswoman said it’s due to customer feedback. She sent me the following statement via e-mail:

“Since the current implementation of Windows Anytime Upgrade requires the use of a physical Windows Anytime Upgrade DVD, consumers have told MSFT that they would prefer to use the DVD and a standard 25-character product key to perform the upgrade-rather than the combination of the DVD (via mail) and digital key which arrive separately.”

There’s been plenty of talk about downgrading (especially from Vista to XP) in recent months. But has anyone out there used Windows Anytime Upgrade to upgrade to a pricier version of Windows? How was your experience?

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Topics

Microsoft Windows Vista, Product Key, Microsoft Corp., Upgrade, Microsoft Windows, Operating Systems, Software, Mary Jo Foley

Mary Jo has covered the tech industry for more than 25 years for a variety of publications and Web sites, and is a frequent guest on radio, TV and podcasts, speaking about all things Microsoft-related. She is the author of Microsoft 2.0: How Microsoft plans to stay relevant in the post-Gates era (John Wiley & Sons, 2008).

Disclosure

Mary-Jo Foley

Freelance journalist/blogger Mary Jo Foley has nothing to disclose. WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get). I do not own Microsoft stock or stock in any of its partners or competitors. I have no business ventures that are sponsored by/funded by Microsoft or any of its partners or competitors.

Biography

Mary-Jo Foley

Mary Jo Foley has covered the tech industry for 25 years for a variety of publications, including ZDNet, eWeek and Baseline. She has kept close tabs on Microsoft strategy, products and technologies for the past 10 years. In the late 1990s, she penned the award-winning "At The Evil Empire" column for ZDNet, and more recently the Microsoft Watch blog for Ziff Davis.

Got a tip? Send her an email with your rants, rumors, tips and tattles. Confidentiality guaranteed.

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RE: No+more+digital+product+keys+for+Windows+Anytime+Upgrade+users
makrejktt27-24353596798417967599295365449010 Updated - 12th Nov
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View in thread
0 Votes
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"Less feature-rich?"
CobraA1 7th Feb 2008
Unless you're upgrading from Basic, the extra features don't add much. To be honest, I don't see upgrading to Ultimate as being worth the cost. There's just to little extra value for the price they ask.

Quite frankly, they need to either lower the price or add enough extra features to warrant the upgrade. I really don't see that the current Ultimate is anywhere near worth the extra cost, except maybe for bragging rights.
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But you get Spanish
IUseComputers 7th Feb 2008
But in Ultimate you can have it in Spanish! Surely that's worth a few hundred bucks.
0 Votes
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Same here...
TheWerewolf 7th Feb 2008
I have everything I need in Vista Home Premium and I'd lose things I want going over to Vista Business - so the few perks of Ultimate really doesn't justify the cost.

Microsoft should just give it up and move those features down to Enterprise and Premium.
0 Votes
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Stupid
afrios@... 7th Feb 2008
My HP laptop came with Home Premium which would run Diskeeper Home but wouldn't run Virtual PC. I had a copy of Vista Business (I am a MS Partner) that ran Virtual PC but didn't run Diskeeper Home (you need Pro)and you loose the Media Center. So finally I decided to upgrade to Ultimate and get both. The extras suck, I had to upgrade for some stupid licensing issues.
0 Votes
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how about a Linux upgrade and money back from M$
Linux Geek 7th Feb 2008
since you don't own the OS and decided to get rid of it, M$ should reimburse you.
with Linux you don't have to pay for the 'upgrade' or for the basic OS.
0 Votes
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blah!
Chustar 7th Feb 2008
"blah blah blah Linux rocks yada yada yada Microsoft sucks blah"
did I fully paraphrase your comment? If you're going to to evangelize Linux, don't do it here. Most people here won't use Linux specifically because no one likes being cajoled into anything (which you're trying to do). And be more specific about the distro (afterall, only people who don't use Linux refer to it all as "Linux" Imagine:
"I'm a businessman. I wan't to install linux on my systems since they're free. I heard Red Hat is the best enteprise solution.
https://www.redhat.com/apps/store/server/
Its not free! I've been lied to and decieved! Oh, cruel world! I'm going back to Microsoft where no one tells me its free and then charges!"
0 Votes
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what?....
Linux Geek 7th Feb 2008
Linux is free.Read the GPL!
I would be happy to install and provide updates for you if you pay me $1000/year/box for support.
0 Votes
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Speaking of free
GuidingLight 7th Feb 2008
it is quite obvious from your posts that you body has been free of a brain for quite some time. sad
0 Votes
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tone down, man
Chustar 7th Feb 2008
i don't see him saying anything personal about you, so don't rush in with insults. that sort of thing (almost) always results in a flame war.
0 Votes
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Reality calling
TheWerewolf 7th Feb 2008
It's not just the OS - it's things like support, applications, interoperability (and no - not with other OSes). Linux doesn't give you those things.

Example: most people want FEWER choices, not more. I take it you missed the yelling about the complexity having just seven similar versions of Windows Vista? How do you think they react when they see the huge complex tree of Linux distros?

And like it or not, for all the complaints (typically from Linux types) of how hard or unstable Windows is, it's still vastly easier to use, maintain and support than Linux is. Ubuntu may be getting closer - but it's still a ways off.

The problem is that you, like most Linux users (and Mac users while we're on it), have an internal set of priorities - the things you think are vitally important. That'll include security, minimalism, lots of choices, access to the source and so on. None of these are very important to the typical Windows end user for whom the important issues are: compatibility with applications, compatibility with hardware, predictability and consistency of the system. No end user in the real world wants to see source code, let alone compile it.

Until there's just ONE (or two) Linux distro - and it's as easy to manage, install, upgrade and support as Windows or MacOS is - and is compatible with existing applications - I mean really compatible, not sort of, Linux just won't be a serious player on the desktop.

Rather than trying to smug your way here - which won't wash since I suspect most of us have tried Linux and after pulling out hair out for a few days, wiped the HD and installed Windows, go make a product that actually competes. There's a reason 93% of all computers runs Windows - and it's not 'monopoly' or 'antitrust'.

As for me, if I want to run Linux - I'll go buy a Mac. At least I'll get a nice UI and good commerical quality apps. Or, if I really want to inflict self-flagellation, I'll get CygWin or Windows SFU.
0 Votes
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Speaking of reality
DemonX 7th Feb 2008
Windows is what came on most peoples computers. Its all they know. I agree linux can be confusing. Many people I know have exceeded their technical ability the moment they turn it on. Its not about this being better than that etc etc. People use what fits their purpose and or what they have. Linux fans are typically more advanced users and the choices appeal to them. As far as windows being easier than ubuntu I'm not sure thats true.
0 Votes
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Vista appears to have none of the following
hbashman@... 7th Feb 2008
" compatibility with applications, compatibility with hardware, predictability and consistency of the system. "
0 Votes
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Linux
Bill4 7th Feb 2008
Linux is a screen name is the top reason to ignore or not open a post. Chances are greater than 99.9+% that whatever is being said is drivel.

No, I have nothing against the various Linux distros at all; I like Mandriva and think the comics people shouldn't have been so sill about Mandrake the Magician. Still waiting for the movie you know.
0 Votes
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How About An Upgrade To XP?
itanalyst 7th Feb 2008
Yes, you heard me, an upgrade, because Vista is a definite downgrade from XP.
0 Votes
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Good question!
DemonX 7th Feb 2008
Where is my SP3 !? Wasn't Microsoft working on that too?
0 Votes
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Vista is cool and not without LIVE.mht as an Elite Group motherboard BAK$$
rtirman37@... 7th Feb 2008
Too much understanding for us average consumers to afford. WMLA Retail Giants won't touch me in their service department to take my Premium Full Version online for registration during my darkest hour.. .what's up here? A throw at DICE sounds like the Ultimate Vista answer, in my opinion for the lack of Cosmopolitan faith in XP SP2.
0 Votes
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Here! Here!
roberta@... 11th Feb 2008
Vista is just a nightmare. Especially for niche users who use custom software to track their particular business.
0 Votes
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red hat isn't
Chustar 7th Feb 2008
i know most distro's are free. (heck, i even used ubuntu and fedora for a while last year...worst month of my life. wrecked my boot manager, stole hard drive space, i had to completely nuke my drive and reinstall vista, but that's a gripe that's entirely my fault.)what i mean is red hat isn't free. Its a linux distro that charges you for the software. so, by definition, linux isn't free. most types of linux are free, but not all. i'm just trying to put that implicit explanation in there.
and no, i'm not in anyway hateful of open sources developers. i think you hippies are free to do what you like as long you don't bother me about it.
0 Votes
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You didn't look very hard....
linux for me 7th Feb 2008
This is composed and posted on a FREE Red Hat system, using FREE Firefox as a browser.

So...tell us that again?????
0 Votes
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the post is in the wrong area
Chustar 7th Feb 2008
it was supposed to be a reply to linuxgeek but i accidentaly hit "reply to message. on my original message to linux geek, i posted a link to the red hat website that said it costs some 300 dollars for something. i didn't look very hard, since i thought the price written there was what they charged for their software.
0 Votes
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The problem with opinion based on year old information
bobsherrill@... 7th Feb 2008
Ubuntu is still free but is now easy and fast to install.
If you would take 30 minutes and install a dual boot Windows-Ubuntu installation you might change your mind (that is if you install the current offering). Mine works perfectly with everything I need except Auto Cad. Ubuntu even has access to the windows files so all the MS Word templets work on Open Office.
0 Votes
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read my original post
Chustar 7th Feb 2008
i did install ubuntu had to completely wipe my harddrive and overwrite it 3 times (DOD standard). It was my fault because apparently i was supposed to go somewhere before it installs to specify that it should leave the boot manager alone. but then, if its so easy, i shouldn't have to tell it not to b***h-slap my windows installation.
0 Votes
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No offense, buuuuut . . .
JLHenry 8th Feb 2008
If you would do what most American men don't seem to be able to, and READ THE INSTRUCTIONS before you install, you wouldn't have had that problem. I'm running a dual XP/Ubuntu install, and all I did was to follow the directions, and I haven't had any problems . . .

Windows is there for my 15 yr old daughter (gotta be able to play SIMS2), and my wife won't touch the PC at home (she feels 10 hours a day at work is enough happy ).
0 Votes
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i mean somewhere in terminal
Chustar 8th Feb 2008
when i installed it, i didn't see anywhere that said anything about boot manager and the instructions is the community site which is huge and i couldn't access since i was offline. (i don't like to instlall things while connected to the internet. Chalk it up to regular old paranoia). when i finished, visited the community message boards i was told that i had to alter the boot settings in terminal BEFORE installing. (i was using the GUI boot) they couldn't offer any simpler advice that didn't involve lenghty excursions into the belly of my computer. Then other than telling me to use the install disk and then cursing out microsoft when i said i didn't have the install disk. I still use the live CD (fedora now, i think it looks way more professional than ubuntu) but its only so i don't forget that it's really a good OS. But for regular, everyday computing, vista is my baby.
And i think you're making the assumption that i'm american.
and also, i really do like fedora. the only problem is that its not exciting and it's not windows. Yes, i know about compiz fusion but that doesn't seem to be able to choose between plain or garish.
p.s. are you sure your daughter only uses it for SIMS 2? I'd adivce regular surveillance. You could have a Windows lover in the house!!! *sound of a woman screaming*
0 Votes
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Windows Anytime Upgrades
JT82 7th Feb 2008
Well MSFT kinda defeated the purpose when they required the "mailing" of a DVD....from what I understood ALL Versions of Vista are on the DVD its just what features you had depended on the licence you bought. Better yet, why cant someone just "download" the DVD, burn it and then run it? A lot of people who would be upgrading this way would have broadband anyway.
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OEM versions
Chustar 7th Feb 2008
i think the anytime upgrade is aimed at the oem version of windows, that didn't come with the install disk.
0 Votes
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There are thousands of excuses
Ole Man 8th Feb 2008
for Microsoft's EULA terms, and Microsoft
luvvers fabricate more every day, while they
pretend to "like" alternatives (in an
attempt to appear "credible").

Samo samo...... there is nothing new under
the sun
0 Votes
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On my Windows XP Home setup,
mhenriday 7th Feb 2008
I can freely add supported languages to the two - US English and, as a gracious concession to our feelings here, Swedish - which are installed by default on the OS in Sweden. On my Windows Vista Business setup, however, I cannot add support for other languages, which, as I often need to use CJK languages in my correspondence, means that I have to use XP or, even better, Ubuntu 7.10 with SCIM rather than my (legit version of) Vista. Given that the option to add supported languages, which was freely available on XP has been gratuitously removed from all versions of what was supposed to be a major OS improvement, i e, Vista, save for the Enterprise and Ultimate flavours, is it any wonder that people like myself are less than enchanted with the OS and with the company that has produced it ?...

Henri
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RE: No+more+digital+product+keys+for+Windows+Anytime+Upgrade+users
Watzman@... 7th Feb 2008
Windows Anytime Upgrade is price absurd, so I will probably never use it. I have multiple copies of Vista Business that I'd like to upgrade to ultimate, but the cost of doing that via anytime upgrade is $130 to $160. I can buy an OEM copy of Vista Ultimate outright for less than $200, and Business is the next highest version (above Home Basic and Home Premium). The cost of the upgrade should be more like $60, but at double that and more, no way that I am likely to use the Vista Anytime Upgrade "Feature"
0 Votes
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The Anytime Upgrade is price absurd
Watzman@... 7th Feb 2008
Windows Anytime Upgrade is price absurd, so I will probably never use it. I have multiple copies of Vista Business that I'd like to upgrade to ultimate, but the cost of doing that via anytime upgrade is $130 to $160. I can buy an OEM copy of Vista Ultimate outright for less than $200, and Business is the next highest version (above Home Basic and Home Premium). The cost of the upgrade should be more like $60, but at double that and more, no way that I am likely to use the Vista Anytime Upgrade "Feature"
0 Votes
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Way too expensive for what you get.
Jim Johnson 7th Feb 2008
My notebook came with XP-MCE and EXpress Upgrade to Home Premium. I was a bit miffed to lose a couple mini-tools present in XP - notibly the fax applet and the Group Policy Editor.

I determined it was cheaper to invest in 3rd party apps for anything I wanted from Ultimate, and do the few Registry tweaks I wanted from the Group Policy Editor via Regedit.
0 Votes
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Australian Anytime Upgrade
neilo 7th Feb 2008
Wow. So MS has changed from screwing Australians over with no digital upgrades to screwing Australians over with no physical upgrades. This gives me such a warm and fuzzy feeling in side...
0 Votes
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Upgrade
aussieblnd@... 7th Feb 2008
Welcome to the world of Microsoft!
0 Votes
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Linux for What
elliottxp 7th Feb 2008
I agree with you linux is sometime beautiful to look at but try installing something and being a noob, or installing drivers if you can find them. Worst yet try going to a forum for help and being dissed becuz your a noob. I do declare these linux lovers don't like being nice to new kids on the block trying to see what linux is all about. The only linux I use is Knoppix bootable disc so when I am at someone elses pc I can browse the web check my email and not leave one cookie behind its as if hadn't been there for that it's useful but beyond that forget it. I want to play my games Call of Duty, Supreme Commander and linux just doesn't do it.
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really?
Chustar 7th Feb 2008
i was on the Ubuntu forums when my computer was wrecked and the guys i met there were really helpful, suggesting solutions and everything. when i told them i had to nuke my drive, they wished me well and everything. all in all, they treated me like a beginner by walking me through all the steps but not like a n00b and abusing me.
0 Votes
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Same Problem
Oregon_Polar 8th Feb 2008
I was going to migrate to a Nix Distro myself, but the community seems to focus all of their energy on bashing windows and flaming n00bs. I have been told repeatedly that I will be able to port my windows games to Linux and laughed at repeatedly when I want to learn how to do so.

Linux could be a great combatant vs Windows and the headaches of the PC world could be lessened, but only after the focus is redirected on making Linux as pain free (to ALL computer users not just the geeks in us) as Windows. And before we start a flame war on how messed up Windows is, what I mean is the average email/web/music/movie using Jane/Joe who buys the $400 Dell/HP style of computer at Wal-Mart kind of person.
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Anytime Upgrade from Vista Home Premium to Ultimate
rramirez@... 8th Feb 2008
Yes, I used it to upgrade a new HP laptop and the process was flawless.
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RE: No+more+digital+product+keys+for+Windows+Anytime+Upgrade+users
atari8bit@... 8th Feb 2008
I think I gor one of these with my Acer 5050. It might not be the same exactly but it had a choic of which version of Vista I wanted. That is: what I wanted to pay.
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RE: No more digital product keys for Windows Anytime Upgrade users
Golem 9th Feb 2008
One of the Vista upgrade choices should be Mac OS X.
0 Votes
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Is it any wonder why people find Mac/Linux users annoying?
ye 9th Feb 2008
This blog has nothing to do about OS X or Linux yet here we find the annoying
Mac/Linux users chiming in about OS X and Linux. Give it a rest already. You're just
going to have to accept that many people like Windows and find it perfectly
acceptable.
0 Votes
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No problems with using vista upgrade and anytime upgrade disk
mjwolfe4@... 11th Feb 2008
I initially purchased Home Premium (which came of course with anytime upgrade included on the installation DVD) and once I purchased the upgrade on microsoft website, I downloaded the license key and did the upgrade with my anytime upgrade DVD without any problems.
0 Votes
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RE: No+more+digital+product+keys+for+Windows+Anytime+Upgrade+users
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RE: No+more+digital+product+keys+for+Windows+Anytime+Upgrade+users
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