Windows 10: Can't upgrade to an OEM version of Windows 10 Pro with product key

Scenario: Bought Win10 Home OEM for new computer build. Installed it and all of my requisite 3rd party software. Then find out that Home 10 does not allow RDP connections. *cry Buy 10 Pro OEM for $128 (rather than pay $99 for an upgrade through the Windows store so I have a copy of Home on hand which you know will come in handy some day).

Try to put in the new product key to do the upgrade. Get error 0xC004F050.

Call Microsoft and find out that I need to do a clean install to get Windows 10 Pro. *Mad I forgot to ask if the problem was the original Home OEM or the new Pro OEM or the combination.

In the off chance that I could save some time, I tried to do un upgrade from the setup.exe on the disk. The options for keeping the existing files and programs were grayed out - only the clean install option was available. And it said it was going to do a clean install of Window 10 Home, rather than Pro, even though the disk was a Pro disk. Weird.

I found no mention of this anywhere on the web so I am mentioning it here and a couple of other places to maybe save someone else some grief.

- Brad

:)

 

Trying to upgrade to Win 10 Pro

Thats because OEM Windows 10 Pro licenses can't perform upgrades. You will have to do the following first: Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro using the following default product key: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T Review instructions how to perform an Easy Upgrade
using the default key: How to Perform an Easy Upgrade in Windows 10 How to upgrade to a higher edition of Windows 10 such as Pro or Enterprise After upgrading, proceed to enter the
Windows 10 Pro OEM product key. Click Start > Settings > Update & security > Activation > Change the product key then enter the new product key then click Next to Activate

 

Upgrading from Windows Home to Windows Pro

Default product key does not work, allowing me to do an upgrade to Windows PRO OEM edition on existing Windows Home install, and afterwards changing the product key to my paid version. I guess I'll need to reformat and do a completely new Windows Pro install
with the OEM edition I have ... unless someone else has a way around this. Doesn't really seem right since I actually paid more for the OEM edition (by mistake) than I would have if I would have just bought the $99 upgrade version. I think the upgrade version
even includes licenses for multiple machines.

 

Hi.
Have you tried this?
Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro - Windows 10 Forums

It may work .

I'm thinking you'd be able to activate your W10 Pro install with your W10 Pro key after the upgrade.

 

Yeah, that and a few other tricks. Doesn't work with OEM, only full version. One of the tradeoffs for a cheaper version of Windows.

 

Oh bummer. *Sad

 

Do this download the windows media tool just to make sure you get all the new updates i used a usb stick much faster then use the OEM key and ask any of the "TenForum Nerds" *Biggrin there is no difference between OEM and the Retail DVD *Smile) so it should work when i bought Windows 10 home oem it said Retail on DVD *Biggrin so it should work

 

Did you check your key with ShowKey? That error says the key is invalid.

 

@Superfly, MS tech support said the key was fine. And it worked find when doing the clean install. The key is "invalid" in that you cannot use it for an upgrade. MS error codes are notoriously opaque and duplicative.

@kimkl. Correct, it is the key that makes it retail, OEM, pro, home, etc. And I did use my USB install drive I keep handy (I am the IT department for my friends and family as I am sure many of you are.)

@simrick, I looked at your post originally on my phone and the link looked just like a different post I tried. Actually, I did not try what you suggested (don't want anyone else giving up on that trick in case it might work for them.) But it is was too late for me in any case. *Sad

 

Oh! So it may still work - would be interesting to know that. *Smile

 

Yea i am the IT Technician for my whole Town "Small Town" most are over 75 so When i say Wireless they say "Yes my lad we used that during the War" Vietnam War !!SMACK%¤# get hit with a cane on my Head no you slacker the Great War WW1 hehe *Biggrin

 

Yup, just tested in a VM - OEM keys are not accepted for anytime upgrade - has to be a retail key.

@kimkl.... LOL!

 

Cheers. Thanks for testing that. Maybe @Brink should add a note to the tutorial.

 

Thank you guys. Note added under step 5 below. *Smile

Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro

 

Cheers Brink!