Dell and the Windows 7 Upgrade Program

For those that have been keeping up with Microsoft's Windows 7 development effort, Brandon over at Microsoft made it official today—the Windows 7 upgrade program will be here tomorrow on June 26. That's when we will begin Dell's Windows 7 Upgrade Option Program in multiple regions.  Our upgrade program includes more than 55 countries and over 20 languages.

Here's what this means:

  • Customers purchasing specific Dell consumer and business PCs with qualifying Windows Vista versions (Vista Home Premium, Vista Business and Vista Ultimate) will be able to register to receive a free upgrade kit for Windows 7.
  • This offer applies to customers who purchase their systems either on dell.com or through their favorite retailer or reseller. Shipping and handling fees may apply depending on retailer or reseller. Program terms vary by country.
  • Dell will ship the Windows 7 upgrade kits on or after the official launch of Windows 7 on Oct. 22.
  • Customers can visit www.dell.com/windows7upgrade to check eligibility.Customers will be able to register for their free* Windows 7 upgrade kit through www.dell.com/windows7upgrade when we get closer to the Oct. 22 launch date
  • Microsoft has designed the upgrade program with consumers and small business customers in mind and will not allow more than 25 upgrade kits to be sent to any one address.

Overall we are looking forward to bringing Windows 7 to market on October 22nd. Early feedback from our customers and Dell engineering testing efforts is that Windows 7 on Dell clients is making everyday tasks faster and simpler for our customers.  Key pundits and analyst are also very bullish about the new operating system. Dell's engineering and services partnership with Microsoft will enable customers to deploy on day one when Windows 7 ships.

* Shipping and handling fees may apply

Update from Lionel: Since Daniel published this post about the Windows 7 upgrade program, I've gotten several questions from customers like jrporter40, kdsreferee and hartwilson about eligibility requirements.

The upgrade program is for customers who have ordered an eligible Dell system on or after June 26, 2009. The order date is one of three determining factors. System eligibility and operating system version are the other two. Eligible systems ordered between June 26 and December 31, 2009 qualify for the Windows 7 upgrade. If you qualify, then you need to register for the upgrade at www.dell.com/windows7upgrade.

You'll need to enter your service tag number in the registration process. If you do not yet have a service tag number for an existing order, have further questions about the program or need to discuss your specific situation, please contact Customer Service.

Customers in the United States can call 1-800-624-9897. Customers outside the U.S. can do the following to find the correct phone number to call:

  • Go to support.dell.com
  • Choose your country or region from the drop-down list
  • Choose the Contact Us link
  • Choose Technical Support
  • Choose Call Technical Support

For Dell customers who have been running Vista for a while, Ars Technica and other sites have written about an option that's available to you. Microsoft recently rolled out a Windows 7 Pre-Order Offer that allows customers running Vista to purchase retail versions of the upgrade to Windows 7 Home Premium and Windows 7 Professional for a discounted price.  See more details about the dates and countries that can take advantage of the Windows 7 pre-order at the bottom of this post from the Windows Team Blog.  

By the way, according to CNET's Ina Fried, the Windows 7 preorder has proved to be a pretty popular item on Amazon.com.

About the Author: Daniel Judd