Update: This offer is now expired. The links below now go to pages where the upgrade packages are offered at their full retail prices.
Yesterday, Microsoft announced pricing information for Windows 7. (You can read all about it in my post at ZDNet: Microsoft unveils ’screaming deals’ for Windows 7.)
The big news for would-be upgraders in the United States is that you can pre-order Windows 7 Home Premium or Windows 7 Professional at a significant discount right now, and have the product shipped to you on October 22, when it’s officially released.
The discount is 50% or more over the normal estimated retail price (ERP) of the two mainstream consumer editions. In the United States, you’ll be able to buy a Windows 7 Home Premium upgrade for $50 or get the Windows 7 Professional upgrade for $100.
At Microsoft’s website, you can find links to 12 online dealers that are participating in this promotion. If you want to buy from Amazon.com, you can use one of the links below and order directly (full disclosure: I make a commission on each sale through these links):
Here are the links to the software:
You’re eligible for this special upgrade pricing on any PC that currently has a licensed copy of any edition of Windows XP or Windows Vista.
Questions? Ask away in the comments below.
Actually, that information is now explicitly available: “This product includes both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.” It’s on the http://store.microsoft.com/microsoft/Windows-7-Home-Premium-Upgrade/product/B0F9E641” rel=”nofollow”>page where you actually place the order.
Thanks Ed! It sure does. I’m an idiot.
FYI, I haven’t checked in for a long time, but I still enjoy your blog and it is still on my must read list after all these years. Thanks for continuing to do it.
Interestingly, Amazon limits you to thee upgrades.
The limit of three is dictated by Microsoft apparently. I noticed that Newegg is limiting purchases to a single copy of each edition.
Never mind Ed. The free Windows 7 upgrade offer must be completed by mailing in a receipt for Windows Vista purchased on or after June 26, 2009. This does not apply in my case. However, I find it amusing that the Validation Page will accept any 25-character product key, including an Office PK and that one can complete the online form without question.
I suspect all it’s doing is checking to confirm that the key is in the right format, not whether it’s valid, activated, blocked, etc. But it should have mentioned the receipt to you before you started.
Is the remote desktop client available for Windows 7 Home Premium?
I bought an OEM version of XP Media Center edition. Will this upgrade work with it?
Thanks!
I like Windows 7 but I’m not impress at the pre-order promotion thing, I feel like I’m being force to buy it right away and that the promotion price should have been the regular price in the first place. so i guess I’m sticking with Vista as main OS. I’m interested to know how well this pre-order promotion does wether it’s successful or fail to draw buyers.
IIS 7.5 Question.
I haven’t thought much about it before now but is it true that IIS 7.5 comes with Windows 7 Home Premium?
On WinSuperSite.com it states that this is true but I can’t find anything confirming this.
I believe that Vista Home Premium does not come with ISS 7.0
I already ordered two copies of Windows Home Premium from Amazon this morning.
very very excited!
Right now I’m using some very cool themes that cycle through several desktop backgrounds. Fluff I know, but I like them. Will the choices be simplifed in Home Premiums?
Ed
Why is this not more broadly available?? I dropped a line to Paul Thurrott regarding this issue and the fact that these special offers are not available in Australia as far as I can see. Regarding pricing released by Microsoft they could and should have cut further on Windows 7 editions across the board further and that is disappointing. At least give everyone a chance to get hold of what I believe will be one of the best O\S’s to come out of Microsoft in some time.
Ok, i’m totally confused.
I bought a new laptop last week and I had to pay to upgrade it to Ultimate so that i could run it in English (since i’m in japan).
So what should I do now? Seems like i’m kinda screwed. Upgrades apparently don’t work for OEMs. Even if they do there is no offer for Ulimate… or could i upgrade to an english version of 7 pro?
Seems like anyone who got vista in the last few months is being penalized…. shoulda stuck with my old xp cd…
Tim, who told you upgrades don’t work for OEM versions? Of course they do. You can purchase an upgrade version of Windows 7 for $100 and use it just fine. If you decide you still need Ultimate, you’ll probably be able to upgrade to it for less than $50.
I got mine from Micro Center who had them for $39 and $89 respectively. Deal should be good for a few days, but its in store only. They also knock off 5% additional if you join their email notifier service. Well worth it I got my Core i7 920 for $189 + tax recently so the emails aren’t that obnoxious and have saved me some $$.
Hi Ed,
I have a PC with came with Windows Vista Home Premium on it. The sticker on the computer (it is from iBuyPower.com) does not have any trace of “OEM” on it. Also, I formatted the drive on this PC and installed a Retail version of Windows Vista Business x64 on it that I used for over a year before installing the Windows 7 RC on it. Now if I purchase a Windows 7 Professional Upgrade for 99.99, how would Microsoft be able to ascertain that my PC had a legitimate copy of Windows Vista Business on it prior to installing Windows 7 RC ? Also, I am not sure if the Windows Vista Home Premium that was originally installed on it was OEM or Retail.
Cranial,
Any version of Windows XP or Vista qualifies for an upgrade to any version of Windows 7. You don’t have to prove it to install it, and Microsoft won’t try to ascertain anything… In fact, you qualify for two upgrades: one for the original version on your PC and another for the retail version.
Ed,
Thanks for the reply. So for the original version of Vista that was on my PC if i get the W7 Home Premium Upgrade would I only be able to install it on that PC or can I transfer it to another machine that has nothing on it ? I know I can do that for the retail but what about for the original install that came with my PC, I am not sure if that one was an OEM.
Cranialsurge,
I too was thinking of this just now. I’m waiting on a new Dell PC that is coming with Vista Home Premium. It was one of the qualifying models for the Windows 7 upgrade program on the Dell Europe site – which means, on October 22 or thereabouts, I will get a copy of Windows 7 E Premium….. either for free, or for the small price of shipping and admin. Now, if there is no such thing as an upgrade in Europe, and people are getting sold retail versions for the usual price of OEM’s and upgrade discs……that SHOULD mean those of us who get the free upgrade also get a retail disc. Which SHOULD leave us free to install it on future machines. Can anyone clarify?
If you receive a free Windows 7 Upgrade from Dell, it will be a Dell branded OEM version that is BIOS-locked to a Dell motherboard. Since it would be an “E” version, you’ll need to perform a clean install.