# Installing genuine Win 7 Pro over non-genuine Win 7 Ultimate - preserve settings/software? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 24, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-genuine-win-7-pro-over-non-genuine-win-7-ultimate-preserve-settings-software/530274 "2010-02-24T17:22:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-genuine-win-7-pro-over-non-genuine-win-7-ultimate-preserve-settings-software/530274/1 "2010-02-24T17:22:23Z")
I have a machine with a non-genuine Windows 7 Ultimate install, and I wish to make it legal by installing genuine legal Windows 7 Professional. Can this be done in a manner that will preserve all the settings and installed software? ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-genuine-win-7-pro-over-non-genuine-win-7-ultimate-preserve-settings-software/530274/2 "2010-02-24T17:23:25Z")
yeah, wrong forum, I reported it myself ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-genuine-win-7-pro-over-non-genuine-win-7-ultimate-preserve-settings-software/530274/3 "2010-02-24T18:10:41Z")
I don’t think you’ll be able to do this without losing your settings & software installs. I suppose there’s a slim chance it might work out, but I wouldn’t bet on it. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-genuine-win-7-pro-over-non-genuine-win-7-ultimate-preserve-settings-software/530274/4 "2010-02-24T18:15:49Z")
I don’t know either, but an upgrade is an addition of features, and what you want to do is a downgrade, sort of take features away. My guess is that it won’t work; generally speaking with Microsoft products, that’s not an option in my experience (with server software etc). Hopefully someone who knows for sure will reply too. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 6:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-genuine-win-7-pro-over-non-genuine-win-7-ultimate-preserve-settings-software/530274/5 "2010-02-24T18:44:32Z")
Yeah, I suspect it’s not possible, when I try to do an Upgrade it won’t let me. This sucks, I’ve had to reinstall Windows several times recently, and don’t want to have to go through all that again. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-genuine-win-7-pro-over-non-genuine-win-7-ultimate-preserve-settings-software/530274/6 "2010-02-24T18:56:04Z")
Moving thread from ATMB to General Questions. ---
**Author:** ![HorseloverFat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@HorseloverFat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HorseloverFat)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-genuine-win-7-pro-over-non-genuine-win-7-ultimate-preserve-settings-software/530274/7 "2010-02-24T19:12:59Z")
You can use the profile move wizard (or whatever its called nowadays) to move your userdata and other settings but the programs will be to be manually reinstalled. More info here: [http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/easy-transfer.aspx](http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windows-vista/features/easy-transfer.aspx) It’ll get some of your programs settings so the program’s installer may remember some of your old settings. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-genuine-win-7-pro-over-non-genuine-win-7-ultimate-preserve-settings-software/530274/8 "2010-02-24T19:23:42Z")
I found a hack that might work: [http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/11/03/hack-to-in-place-downgrade-from-windows-7-ultimate-or-professional-to-less-premium-editions/](http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/11/03/hack-to-in-place-downgrade-from-windows-7-ultimate-or-professional-to-less-premium-editions/) And thanks **HorseloverFat** , that will help if the hack doesn’t work. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [February 24, 2010, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-genuine-win-7-pro-over-non-genuine-win-7-ultimate-preserve-settings-software/530274/9 "2010-02-24T20:46:12Z")
Another vote for Easy Transfer. Don’t leave vestiges of a non-legit copy, do a new install. You never know when MS will decide to disable your copy. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2010, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-genuine-win-7-pro-over-non-genuine-win-7-ultimate-preserve-settings-software/530274/10 "2010-03-01T13:18:11Z")
> [@Revtim](#): > > I found a hack that might work: > [http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/11/03/hack-to-in-place-downgrade-from-windows-7-ultimate-or-professional-to-less-premium-editions/](http://www.mydigitallife.info/2009/11/03/hack-to-in-place-downgrade-from-windows-7-ultimate-or-professional-to-less-premium-editions/) FYI, this seemed to work pretty well. Left4Dead2 didn’t run and had to be reinstalled for some reason, but otherwise went pretty well.