On February 26, 2006, Microsoft announced the editions of Windows Vista to be released to retail and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

The retail products were made available during the consumer launch of Windows Vista on January 30, 2007.

As a result of this change, users would be required to purchase the aforementioned retail packaging in order to use Anytime Upgrade functionality[2][13] and Windows Vista Service Pack 1 omitted the option to purchase a license online.

Anytime Upgrade in Windows Vista performs a full reinstallation of the new product edition while retaining the user's data, programs, and settings.

This process works the same way as in Windows 7, with a few exceptions: When first announced, Anytime Upgrade was available in the United States, Canada, EMEA, European Union, Norway, Switzerland, and Japan, with Microsoft stating that availability of the program would expand after launch of Windows Vista.

[11] English version retail packaging for Anytime Upgrade was made available at the consumer launch of Windows Vista for North America and Asia-Pacific regions.

[12] In 2009, Ars Technica reported that Anytime Upgrade retail packaging for Windows 7 may only have been available in regions without broadband Internet access or where retail packaging was ineligible to be offered.