Vista - Upgrade from Home Premium to Utlimate using Retail Ultimate or only with "Upgrade Anytime"

My new computer came with Vista Home Premium--I've had it for about a month.
Today, I received a brand new copy of the full retail version of Ultimate
from a client, because I need to be able to run remote desktop, etc. I wish
he'd done it a month ago, before I installed everything.

Can I use a full retail copy of Ultimate to upgrade my computer's Home
Premium version of Vista, or is that possible only using the Upgrade Anytime
option. I.e., am I going to have to do a complete new installation?Given
that I've already installed lots of software--including programs that
required activation--I would like to avoid that whole aggravation if
possible.

Thanks in advance.

I don't know the answer for sure, but I do know upgrades are carried out
from within the existing OS... so pop the Ultimate DVD into your system when
it's running (don't boot from the DVD). If it won't upgrade, it will tell
you so... I should think... Upgrade not available or something like that...

Lang

"Just Moi" <justmoi@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:eZC9WZpZHHA.3272@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...
> My new computer came with Vista Home Premium--I've had it for about a
> month. Today, I received a brand new copy of the full retail version of
> Ultimate from a client, because I need to be able to run remote desktop,
> etc. I wish he'd done it a month ago, before I installed everything.
>
> Can I use a full retail copy of Ultimate to upgrade my computer's Home
> Premium version of Vista, or is that possible only using the Upgrade
> Anytime option. I.e., am I going to have to do a complete new
> installation?Given that I've already installed lots of software--including
> programs that required activation--I would like to avoid that whole
> aggravation if possible.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
>
>