Problem solved. Maybe Microsoft have blacklisted some OEM key with certain Windows 7 version hard coded, i.e. Starter to Ultimate OK on any key, but Pro to Ultimate is blacklisted on some OEM keys.
This key seems to be blacklisted as well now and I can't seem to upgrade using the install DVD as well
Perhaps the Anytime Upgrade has already been performed at the Factory. ie, Base install of Home Premium, then Upgraded to Pro... Now they have 2 working images... I've never had any issues myself. Do you really need Ultimate??
Sorry for hijacking the OP's thread, no I don't need ultimate, I actually tried the professional keys as well but still no luck. I have a HP laptop with SLIC 2.1 and Windows 7 x64 Home Premium, I would launch the Anytime upgrade from the CP, enter the key, hit I accept then after some verification, says the key can't be used with version or something
I had this issue on a stock HP laptop (do not recall model, not that it matters), and it said an error with invalid key. I have done numerous anytime upgrades using oem slic key with success. Well, after I had rebooted it said ultimate, but there were still no language updates to make into spanish. I did the usual S.O.P. and made sure there were no hidden updates, but that did not show the language updates. This person NEEDED spanish language on the computer. I even checked a particular DLL file to insure that it was reporting Ultimate and it was, but I know it was not ultimate, because it did not have the ultimate SPECIFIC features that I use myself. I ended up doing a system restore and went through the anytime upgrade procedure and it worked. Hundreds of anytime upgrades I have done over the years and that was the first. I usually try to steer the customer to a fresh install with backup of data. We all know the Windows 1/2 life no matter how much maintenance one does our own personal computers, MUCH LESS a customers, who does not really take well care of it and installs this and that and clogs/dirtys the registry and don't even get me started on those automated registry cleaners. Rolling the dice on those if you do not have an image of the registry first. It is just quicker to do a fresh install INSURING to backup ONLY files customers needs. I usually just use Clonezilla and in 15-45 minutes I have an image and then do a fresh install and transfer over data from newly created partition, knowing I have a backup "just in case", but I am getting off topic, so I will shut up now. If you are able to do a fresh install, do yourself the favor and have a like new machine again. It is worth it. BACKUP BACKUP BACKUP, just incase. You can install over existing installation and keep data, but making backups prior to doing is good practice.
glad it is solved, but Either I am missing something or? I just installed Win7 3 different times, and with my WAU gen, each and everyone upgraded? I is losted. But like I said glad its been solved. op might want to remove the key from the first post? dunno if these matter here lol
I actually showed up here, because I was having another issue on a different machine today. This time, I was not getting any invalid/blacklisted key like a few months ago. This machine was just saying upgrade failed. I noticed each time after failed attempt, there was an update when I shutdown. I went through all the updates it was automatically telling me (auto updates was on on this customers computer). I went ahead and did those updates with ONLY sp1 left to install. I tried anytime udgrade again and it still failed with same generic error message. I went ahead and went through with the sp1 update and after that sp1 update, it went through the process and when I saw the message that it was "downloading upgrades", then I knew all was good. I initially did not want to do the sp1 upgrade PRIOR to doing the anytime, just in case there was some included updates that would conflict with the anytime upgrade. I know another poster said here that the oem keys were NEVER blacklisted. I am assured there was a time (even if just for a day or two- and then MS fixed due to legitimate complaints) that there SOME oem keys blacklisted. That one previous hp machine was stock windows 7/slic 2.1 and I used the same hp oem key I have always used for anytime upgrades or making bios mods and I got a message saying the key was invalid/blacklisted. I tried the dell oem and the asus as well, but same message. It may have been a day or two or a week, but there was something for a short time that made the Windows 7 oem slp slic key invalid or blacklisted for using in anytime upgrades. Of course, no problems on fresh install and slic activation, now that I remember, a friend of mine had that problem during the same week, because I remember calling him up and asking if he has had any issues with anytime upgrade and he did on the same week. Coincidence... maybe or perhaps not. Either way, this dell machine I was doing anytime upgrade today on failed the anytime upgrade. I solved it by doing ALL the updates AND installing sp1. Sure, it would have been quicker to just wipe the drive (lots of adaware), which I might end up doing anyways, because customer told me that his friend bought this one from a pawn shop, so there is nothing to save. I was more curious of why the anytime upgrade was not working on this particular machine. Perhaps, because automatic updates had stuff pending in background or perhaps because the anytime upgrade detected that I did not have latest updates or at least sp1 installed? Not sure and did not bother to really research it. So in my case today, I downloaded all updates and then sp1 installation and then it let the anytime upgrade successfully initiate and eventually start downloading the upgrade. My curiosity got answered. Now I need to decide if I will just leave as upgraded Ultimate or do a fresh install. Crap , I already removed most of the bloatware and toolbars and adware. Pretty sleepy. Not a paying customer (favor for an acquaintance of mine that happens to have a friend that works at a restaurant I frequent alot, so maybe I just leave cleaned up as it is, lol. Feels like it's running at 80% of what this spec computer should be running at, so I guess slap office on there and a good defrag and call it a night, lol.
somewhere inside there, you want to do a fresh install and you know it Running at 80% would bug me for a week. Perhaps that is why I didn't have a problem, I was using the sp1 refresh iso's.