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Windows® 7 Upgrade FAQ

General

What is the purpose of the Windows® 7 Upgrade Program?
The Windows® 7 Upgrade Program is designed to provide customers a cost-efficient way to upgrade a qualifying Windows Vista® OS to Windows® 7.

Which Microsoft operating systems will qualify for the Upgrade Program?
To be eligible for the Program, you must purchase a new PC between June 26, 2009 and January 31, 2010. The PC must come with a valid Windows Vista® Home Premium, Windows Vista® Business or Windows Vista® Ultimate Certificate of Authenticity (COA) attached. In addition, the PC must also have Microsoft Windows Vista® SP1 or SP2 OR a Windows® XP Downgrade with Service Pack 3 installed.

How do I know if I am qualified for the Windows® 7 Upgrade Program? 
Supported models purchased between June 26, 2009 and January 31, 2010 are eligible for the Windows® 7 Upgrade Program.  To verify eligibility, create a new order on this site and enter your serial number.

When is the last day to submit the order?
For US, Canada and Puerto Rico, no orders will be accepted after Feb 15, 2010; for other countries, the upgrade order must be requested no later than Mar 15, 2010.

Which edition of Microsoft Windows Vista® is eligible to upgrade to Windows® 7?
The eligible upgrade paths from Windows Vista® to Windows® 7 are:

  • Windows Vista® Home Premium > Windows® 7 Home Premium
  • Windows Vista® Business > Windows® 7 Professional
  • Windows Vista® Ultimate > Windows® 7 Ultimate.

What is the cost for the upgrade?
There is a fee for this upgrade to cover materials, shipping, handling, fulfillment overhead and import duty. The fee will vary depending on your location and the upgrade product being requested. For some selected countries, the upgrade is free. The total charge will be presented to you prior to final submission of your order. At that time, you will have the opportunity to opt out before final order submission. The fee is nonrefundable once the order is confirmed.

When can I expect to receive the upgrade kit?
Orders created after June 26, 2009 will be collected and held for processing until Microsoft's Windows® 7 general availability date.  At that time, shipments will begin in increments. All orders will be handled on a first-in, first-out basis.

Will an upgrade from 32-bit Windows Vista® to 64-bit Windows® 7 be supported?
No. For qualifying machines with 32-bit Windows Vista®, only an upgrade to 32-bit Windows® 7 will be supported.

What is included in the Windows® 7 upgrade kit?
You will receive an Upgrade Wizard disc with necessary drivers and applications and a Windows® 7 Operating System DVD. The disks will be in a case with a manual and the Certificate of Authenticity (COA).

How do I activate my upgrade?
Qualifying end-users who have received the upgrade media can activate their upgraded operating system by installing the upgrade media and applying the Product Activation Key supplied with the upgrade media’s Certificate of Authenticity (COA). Therefore, end-users who receive the upgrade media should retain the upgrade media's COA label and associated Product Activation Key for future use.

Do I have to provide an OS product key on Windows COA or Proof of Purchase (POP) to prove the purchase date?
A Windows COA is NOT required. However, you have to input the system serial number of your PC during the ordering process to check eligibility. In some cases, you might be requested to send a copy of the POP to prove eligibility.

Can I order multiple quantities at same time if I have multiple systems?
Yes, up to 5 valid serial numbers are allowed on one order. They will be sent in one shipment.

Can I upgrade Windows Vista® to a different edition or language of Windows® 7?
No.  Cross language, edition, and architecture are NOT supported. For example, you cannot go from Windows Vista® Home Premium English to Windows® 7 Home Premium Japanese; you cannot go from Windows Vista® Business to Windows® 7 Ultimate; and you cannot go from 32-bit to 64-bit.

Where can I find information regarding order status, billing, cancellations, refunds, and returns?
Windows® 7 upgrade order transactions and fulfillment are being handled by Mentor Media, Microsoft’s authorized replicator for fulfilling Windows® 7 upgrades. Visit the Mentor Media website for further FAQs regarding ordering and billing.

Will I be able to upgrade software on behalf of others who are using Windows Vista® as well?
Yes, as long as they are eligible for this program. Please refer to Mentor Media’s Terms & Conditions for more details.

Technical

What makes Windows® 7 Home Premium the right choice for home customers?

  • Simplifies everyday tasks: Easier navigation, simpler home networking, improved device capabilities, and faster web browsing with Windows® Internet Explorer® 8 makes your computing experience easier and more fun.
  • Works the way you want: Faster, more responsive, and more reliable— Home Premium gives you broad application compatibility, with fewer interruptions.
  • Makes new things possible: Home Premium provides more choices for how you can interact with your PC, making it easier for you to enjoy photos, music, and video from almost anywhere.

Will Windows® 7 Home Premium work with my printers, applications, and devices?
Windows® 7 was built on the foundation of Windows Vista®, so many of the printers, applications, and devices that work with Windows Vista® will work with Windows® 7. If it works with Windows Vista®, it should work with Windows® 7. This also means fewer application-compatibility issues.

I’m currently using Windows® XP or I have downgraded to Windows® XP from Windows Vista®. How do I upgrade to Windows® 7?
If you have an eligible computer that originally had Windows Vista® and you downgraded to Windows® XP, you can run the clean installation of Windows® 7. If your computer originally had Windows® XP, you are not eligible for the Windows® 7 upgrade kit and you will need to purchase a retail version of Windows® 7.

Which SKUs are right for different home users’ needs?

  • Windows® 7 Home Premium—the best entertainment experience available on a PC. If you like media, Home Premium is for you. It’s easy to create a home network and share all of your favorite photos, videos, and music—you can even watch TV whenever and wherever you want.
  • Windows® 7 Professional—everything you need for work and home. If you plan to use your PC to work from home, we recommend Professional. It is the right choice for small businesses and the customer who works at or from home. Professional has all the business features needed for work and all the entertainment features of Home Premium.
  • Windows® 7 Ultimate—designed for people who want it all. Windows® 7 Ultimate gives you everything Home Premium and Professional offer—plus added security features and the flexibility to work in multiple languages.
  • Windows® 7 Home Basic—makes everyday tasks faster and easier. Home Basic is an economical option offered in emerging markets only. It’s a good choice for customers who don’t have advanced multimedia, entertainment, or networking needs. Home Basic makes it faster and easier to get to the applications and documents you use most often, so you can spend less time looking and more time doing the things you want.
  • Windows® 7 Starter—simple and easy to use. Starter is a great way to get started with a small notebook PC. It combines the familiarity and compatibility of Windows with the latest in PC reliability and responsiveness.      

What are the system requirements for Windows® 7?
Please visit our requirements page for system requirements information.

Can I do only a clean installation for Windows® 7 on my PC with Windows Vista® or I can do only an upgrade installation?
You can do either a clean or upgrade installation of Windows® 7 if your PC was originally loaded with Windows Vista®. Note that only a clean installation of Windows® 7 is allowed if you have downgraded the OS from Windows Vista® to Windows® XP.

Will all the settings in Windows Vista® OS be reset after upgrading to Windows® 7?
No, settings in Windows Vista® will not be changed when you upgrade to Windows® 7. However, some applications may not function correctly if they are not compatible with Windows® 7.

What should I do if some applications are not working properly after the Windows® 7 upgrade?
Please contact the original application vendor.

Who should I contact to help if I encounter problems during the Windows® 7 Upgrade installation?
If you are still under warranty, you may contact technical support for issues with the Windows® 7 upgrade installation.

If I buy a retail version of Windows® 7, will all drivers for my computer be on the Acer  website?
Software and driver downloads for supported models will be available close to the official release of Windows® 7.