Use the Windows Anytime Upgrade to change your Windows 7 version

There are several versions of Microsoft's latest operating system, Windows 7. The most basic is called Windows 7 Starter, and it's often found on cheaper ‘netbook' computers.

For home users there are three other versions: Home Premium, Professional and Ultimate. The Anytime Upgrade System, however, enables you to change the version of Windows 7 that your computer runs.

Do it any time
The Anytime Upgrade tool is included with all versions of Windows 7. It allows you to upgrade your current Windows installation to any version above it: from the Starter edition you can upgrade to Home Premium, Professional or Ultimate. What you can't do is downgrade from, say, Ultimate to Home Premium.

To see what version of Windows 7 you have, right-click the My Computer icon and click Properties. The version will be displayed with other details.

What does it offer?
Moving from Starter to Home Premium has the main advantage of adding Windows Media Center, which lets users play DVDs and watch internet TV. It also includes the Aero system that makes Windows look better, and the Snipping Tool to take easy screen grabs.

The problem is that a lot of these functions can be done by software that's available free online. For instance, an alternative to Windows Media Center, VLC Media Player, has DVD and CD playback and can be used in conjunction with a TV tuner. It doesn't integrate as well as Windows Media Center but it doesn't cost anything.

Most computers on which Windows 7 Starter is installed are low-powered netbooks designed mainly for simple tasks such as email and word processing. As a result, a lot of them will struggle with the Aero graphics and with Windows Media Center, and they tend not to have CD or DVD drives, all of which make the upgrade less attractive.

Professional features
Most new PCs come with Windows 7 Home Premium installed. So what are the advantages of an upgrade from this to Professional?

It will cost £120 to make the upgrade, a substantial amount considering Windows Home Premium itself costs £150 if you buy it in the shops. In effect, this means paying £270 for an operating system, although for most people the initial cost of the operating system will have been built into the original retail price of the computer.