# Will a Windows 7 Ultimate key activate Windows 7 Pro?



## TRWOV (May 19, 2012)

I went to buy another Win7 Pro and found that Ultimate is getting a discount at my local PC vendor of choice and so it's about 20% cheaper than Pro... could I use the Ultimate key to activate another Pro license (I can use my other Pro disc to install). 

I don't have any use for the Ultimate extras so I just don't want all of that filling up my hard drive.


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## puma99dk| (May 19, 2012)

no TRWOV u can't use Ultimate key on Pro but u can download a free Windows 7, if that's the problem.

Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Microsoft's Official Distributer:

Windows 7 Ultimate 32bit

Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit


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## BazookaJoe (May 19, 2012)

No - Typically as far as I know, a Windows 7 Ultimate key will unlock Windows 7 Ultimate.

The thing is basically what is on the INSTALLATION disc is usually exactly the same no matter what version you buy, ALL the potential content is already on the disc, and it is the Product Key itself that tells the installer what options to install/how to install them, so that you land up with your specific product.

Take an Ultimate DVD, install , but enter a windows Home key, and you will most likely get a Home install.

... or am I 'trippin? Pro's weigh in?


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## TRWOV (May 19, 2012)

My other disc is OEM so it only has Pro in it (I think). I want a retail version because the build I'm doing is going to be temporal (it's my SB steeping stone).

Well, I guess I'll buy Ultimate anyway...you can remove the other things, right? Mainly the language packs, I'd guess that's what would eat the most space.


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## entropy13 (May 19, 2012)

TRWOV said:


> My other disc is OEM so it only has Pro in it (I think). I want a retail version because the build I'm doing is going to be temporal (it's my SB steeping stone).
> 
> Well, I guess I'll buy Ultimate anyway...you can remove the other things, right? Mainly the language packs, I'd guess that's what would eat the most space.



Get the Ultimate, and you can select which language packs to install anyway. I would think you'll prefer to install Japanese too, just so they won't look weird when they show up (outside of web browsers).


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## Norton (May 19, 2012)

Do some more checking around on the answer to this question- I'm almost 100% sure that you can activate any version with an Ultimate key but you can't do it the other way around....

** Edit- buy the Ultimate, load the Pro, and try to activate with the Ultimate key... if it doesn't work, just install Ultimate as you were going to do anyway


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## scope54 (May 19, 2012)

BazookaJoe said:


> No - Typically as far as I know, a Windows 7 Ultimate key will unlock Windows 7 Ultimate.
> 
> The thing is basically what is on the INSTALLATION disc is usually exactly the same no matter what version you buy, ALL the potential content is already on the disc, and it is the Product Key itself that tells the installer what options to install/how to install them, so that you land up with your specific product.
> 
> ...



I've tried the opposite, was installing Win7 on a friends comp, my copy of win 7 (home premium) and his key (pro). When  I entered the key, it gave me an error regarding versions. Skipping the initial key input also lead to a version error thing when Windows booted up. One big thing I noticed when I did that was it didn't let you choose the version to install if you skipped the key input. In short Vista lets you use whatever disc to install, 7 doesn't.


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## JrRacinFan (May 19, 2012)

The only real extras above Ultimate over Pro is Bitlocker & Language packs. With Rt7 Lite I _think_ you can strip the language packs out if you want.


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## theonedub (May 19, 2012)

If you remove the ei.cfg file from the ISO you will be asked what version of Windows to install when you run setup. Google- 'Windows 7 Universal ISO'


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## JrRacinFan (May 19, 2012)

theonedub said:


> remove the ei.cfg file



I remembered removing a file but forgot which one. Thanks man!


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## Mussels (May 19, 2012)

you can upgrade, but not downgrade win 7.


so you can install home premium with no key, then slap a HP, pro, or ultimate key in later to 'upgrade' - you just cant install ultimate, and downgrade later.


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## Protagonist (May 19, 2012)

theonedub said:


> If you remove the ei.cfg file from the ISO you will be asked what version of Windows to install when you run setup. Google- 'Windows 7 Universal ISO'



Yap true, that's what i did with My Windows 7 Ultimate x64, so basically i use Ultimate my self but when repairing other peoples laptops for those who lost the recovery partition and do not have the discs that come with the laptop, i use my Windows 7 Ultimate then before the installation begins i choose the appropriate version to the license key at the bottom of the laptop. Saves me all the time


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## JrRacinFan (May 19, 2012)

st.bone said:


> Yap true, that's what i did with My Windows 7 Ultimate x64, so basically i use Ultimate my self but when repairing other peoples laptops for those who lost the recovery partition and do not have the discs that come with the laptop, i use my Windows 7 Ultimate then before the installation begins i choose the appropriate version to the license key at the bottom of the laptop. Saves me all the time



What would save you even more time, a spare flash drive with windows files pre-copied to do installs.


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## Protagonist (May 19, 2012)

JrRacinFan said:


> What would save you even more time, a spare flash drive with windows files pre-copied to do installs.



I have that too.



JrRacinFan said:


> The only real extras above Ultimate over Pro is Bitlocker & Language packs. With Rt7 Lite I _think_ you can strip the language packs out if you want.



BitLocker is what has always kept me in Ultimate versions since Windows Vista Ultimate and now on Windows 7 Ultimate, i Use this feature on some of my HDDs, SSDs Flash Disks


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