Windows 10: Do I need Windows 11 Home to activate Windows 11 PRO?

I got a key for Windows 11 PRO and tried to activate it only to be met with "The product key you entered didn't work. Check the product key and try again, or enter a different one. 0xc004f050". I don't have Windows 11 Home activated on this computer so I'm wondering if I bought PRO just for me to have to buy Windows Home as well. I thought I could just upgrade directly to Windows 11 PRO so I just want to confirm if that's true or if my key is simply faulty.

:)

 

Windows 11 Home to Pro upgrade

Want to upgrade 11 Home to 11 Pro. Tried download, but apparently files transferred were for 11 Enterprise. This will not activate; error is "invalid digital license or product key". This is on a new Surface. How to proceed?

Can withdraw/delete this. The suggestion to downgrade - listed below - with a 'fake' windows 10 key works.

 

Windows 11 home to Windows 11 pro upgrade by product key - not active

HI,

I bought a product key for windows 11 pro, I did install it however i get error code an not able to activate -> 0x80072EE7.

Is there a way to resolve the issue? Tried to do the phone activation but it doesnt help. Windows suggest installing windows 11 home again (which I dont want since I bought windows 11 pro).

 

Unable to upgrade Windows 11 Home to 11 Pro

Thanks much, Dave, indeed it was a big job.

Clean install of Windows 11 from a bootable USB helped to Activate the Pro.

Just to summarize what was done:

1. Took backup of the drives and save some on cloud.
   
2. Installed the Media creation tool app as you suggested (https://www.microsoft.com/software-...t=Windows 11 Installation-,Media,-If you want)
   
3. Connected the USB and ran the application and downloaded the Windows 11.
   
   1. additional thing which I had to do is to install WLAN driver to the USB in advance, to have the WIFI option available as it was required to connect to a network to download the latest windows features while reinstalling the Windows, and Wi-Fi option was not available.
      
4. Turned off the 'Secure boot' from the BIOS menu.
   
5. Changed the 'Boot Order' in the BIOS menu to first use the USB Boot.
   
6. Saved and Exit, which triggered Restart and Windows installation.
   
7. During the network connecting stage to install the latest updates and features - 'Let's Connect you to a network', I opened the CMD (Shift + F10) and ran than WLAN driver exe to install it and then I was able to connect to my WIFI network.
   
   1. Optional to this step is to BYPASS the network connection stage by following this - bypass "lets connect you to a network" - Microsoft Community
      
   2. Then, doing that manually once Windows has been installed.
      
8. Once everything is set-up, I followed the suggestion from this again, and it worked - Unable to upgrade Windows 11 Home to 11 Pro - Microsoft Community