Windows 10: I have a product key to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro instead of Home, but I have no where to...

As the title says, I don't really have anywhere to back up my files in case something happens. Should I risk the upgrade without backing up my files?

submitted by /u/Sergosh21
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:)

 

Used wrong product key for Win 10 install, got 10 Home instead of Pro

You beat me too it, was just about to suggest entering the 10 Pro generic key. And then after it upgrades entering the 8.1 Pro key to activate it.

 

Upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro with Windows 8.1 Pro key

I've got two laptops:

• the old one, with Windows 10 Pro (1909) installed after a free update from Windows 8.1 Pro
• the new one, with Windows 10 Home (1909) installed

I've got the Windows 8.1 Pro product key, and I want to transfer it to the new PC. Microsoft support tried to help me, but here's the conclusions we reached:

• I can't use the 8.1 Pro product key in the setting to upgrade my Windows 10 Home to Pro
• I could use it if I had Windows 10 Pro installed instead of Home
• I can't use the generic Windows 10 Pro product key to start the upgrade, because the new PC doesn't have a Pro licence
• I could upgrade directly from Windows 10 Home to Pro if I had a Windows 10 Pro product key instead of a Windows 8.1 Pro product key
• I can't upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro and activate it later, because the installer (from the media creation tool) automatically understands that I have a Home licence and not a Pro licence, and doesn't let me choose

So, according to the support guy, my only option is to clean install Windows 10 Pro, and then it will recognize my Windows 8.1 Pro key and activate it.

It seems so weird to me that, having a valid Pro licence (in the form of a Windows 8.1 Pro product key), I can't directly upgrade my Windows 10 Home to Pro. Like, I have the licence, it will only work if I enter it after the upgrade, but I can only start the upgrade after entering the licence ??

So here I am, asking if there's a workaround that would allow me to simply upgrade my Windows 10 Home to Pro without losing any files, programs or settings, just like if I had a Windows 10 Pro product key instead of a Windows 8.1 one.

Is there any way to convince the media creation tool or whatever else to download an iso/anything that would upgrade Home to Pro?

Whatever the answer is, thank you


EDIT: Okay so I had a weird idea and I have no idea if it would work, but basically: what if I clean installed Windows 8.1 Pro on another partition on the new PC, activated it to with the product key, updated it to Windows 10 Pro (is that still possible?)... Would that link a Windows 10 Pro licence to my Microsoft account as a digital licence for the new PC, that I could then use to upgrade the other partition to Pro for free through the Microsoft Store?

 

Can't upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro

Hi Bill,

Thank you for posting your query in Microsoft Community. We apologize for the inconvenience caused and will assist you in the best possible ways.

I suggest you to download and create an installation media for Windows 10 Pro form the link provided below:

Download Windows 10

After the installation media is created, suggest you to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro from the installation media. When the upgrade asks for product key, enter the product key purchased for Windows 10 Pro. If it does not accept, suggest you to skip the activation
step. After the Operating System is installed, suggest you to activate by phone by following the steps below:

• Press “Windows key + R” and type “slui 4” and press Enter.
• Select the Region from the list and click Next.
• Call the Toll-Free number provided on top and can activate via phone.

Hope this helps. Keep us posted on the status for further assistance.