Guest Post by Brian V. Brian is 18 and owns a southern California based PC repair business.

Microsoft has just announced that Windows 7 Anytime Upgrade discs are going to be sold at major retail stores around the globe.

Like other Windows 7 discs, all versions of Windows 7 will be available to users on one single disc. All you need to do is enter your product hey and the installer will know which version you are licensed to use. According to the article to upgrade your version of Windows 7 all you have to do is…

• Consumers will use the WAU Tool to go online, shop, learn and purchase a product key for the upgrade.
• This key will be delivered automatically to the customer’s machine via the Internet
• Once the key is received, the WAU Tool will initiate the upgrade process (EULA acceptance, feature unlock, etc.)

This is where making it available in retail stores comes in handy. Now anyone can walk into their nearest store and purchase an Anytime Upgrade key. That’s right no disc just a sticker with your product key all in a fancy packaging. Once you have that all you need to do is…

• Consumers will have the opportunity to purchase a Media-Less Key (MLK) at Retail.
• When they return to their PC, the customer will use the same WAU Tool to manually enter the Product Key printed on the MLK.
• Once the key is entered, the WAU Tool will initiate the upgrade process (EULA acceptance, feature unlock, etc.)

This will be a great addition for people who don’t like to make online purchases, don’t have a credit card, or just have some spare gift cards lying around. Now anyone will be able to upgrade Windows 7 at anytime. Here’s a preview of the new retail packaging.

Source: TomsHardware.com