Windows 10: Downgrade Windows 10 Enterprise to Windows 10 Pro

How to: Downgrade Windows 10 Enterprise to Windows 10 Pro

How to Downgrade from Windows 10 Enterprise to Windows 10 Pro


Information Starting with Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14352, deploying Windows Enterprise edition gets easier.

Prior to Windows 10, the upgrade from the Pro to Enterprise clean install) of the OS. In Windows 10, Microsoft enabled bit-less edition upgrade from Pro to Enterprise. This means all the features are on the device already and the upgrade to Enterprise edition can be performed by changing the product key rather than having to download and deploy a new image. However, doing this required a reboot to complete. Microsoft heard a lot of feedback about having to reboot to complete the upgrade so starting with build 14352, a reboot is no longer required when upgrading from the Pro to Enterprise edition.

Luckily, it's just as easy to downgrade from Windows 10 Enterprise back to Windows 10 Pro.

This tutorial will show you how to quickly and directly downgrade from Windows 10 Enterprise to Windows 10 Pro without losing anything, having to clean install, or restart the computer.

You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to downgrade from Windows 10 Enterprise to Windows 10 Pro.


Note






Here's How:

1. While in Windows 10 Enterprise, change the product key to a valid Pro product key. (see screenshots below)


Note If needed, you could enter the Windows 10 Pro activate later with your valid Windows 10 Pro product key when able.

(Windows 10 Pro)
*Arrow VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

OR

(Windows 10 Pro N)
*Arrow 2B87N-8KFHP-DKV6R-Y2C8J-PKCKT







2. Click/tap on Next. (see screenshot below)



3. When Windows is activated, click/tap on Close. (see screenshot below)



4. You have now downgraded to the Windows 10 Pro edition. (see screenshot below)


Note You will need to close and reopen Settings to refresh it to see Windows 10 Pro displayed instead of Windows 10 Enterprise.

*Arrow How to See which Edition of Windows 10 you have Installed






That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro for Workstations
• How to Upgrade Windows 10 Pro to Windows 10 Pro for Workstations
• How to Downgrade Windows 10 Pro for Workstations to Windows 10 Pro
• How to Upgrade from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 10 Enterprise
• How to Go Back to the Previous Windows in Windows 10

:)

 

Can I Convert Windows 10 Enterprise Trial to Pro

You can downgrade Windows 10 Enterprise to Windows 10 Pro,
Click HERE to read an article on TechNet on how to do just that, you will need to purchase a Windows 10 Pro product key . . .

EDIT: Read Fregi Ventum's answer at the bottom of that thread, all you need to do is enter the Windows 10 Pro product key to change versions . . .

 

Is it possible to upgrade windows 7 enterprise to windows 10 pro or downgrade windows 7 to ultimate in order to upgrade to windows 10?

Original Title: Windows 7 enterprise upgrade to windows 10

I have a computer with a legitimate copy of windows 7 enterprise and I decided I want to update it to windows 10. But you cannot upgrade windows enterprise to windows 10 with the free upgrade. Is it possible to upgrade windows 7 enterprise to windows 10
pro or downgrade windows 7 to ultimate in order to upgrade to windows 10?

 

Hello bojimuncher, *Smile

You will need to enter a retail Windows 10 Pro key to activate the Pro edition.

 

Thanks Brink,

We just have KMS and MAK Keys, I guess retail Windows 7 keys wont work here either? Any other methods that I could use to get this to downgrade without wiping it or having to reinstall programs? It has quite a bit of software added to the install as well as settings in each of their programs..

Thanks

 

You should be able to use the MAK key for the Pro edition.

 

It did thanks! I guess it didn't like that I had the NIC disabled from trying a different method earlier.

Thanks again, you're a life-saver!

 

You're most welcome. I'm glad you got it sorted. *Smile

 

False alarm, I stupidly was using the same Enterprise key which worked, but when I try to use a W10pro MAK, KMS or the generic key, I still get the error above. It wouldn't have anything to do with it being a VM would it? Anything else I can try?

Thanks

EDIT: Nevermind, the computer I was using wasn't an insider preview build... sorry for wasting your time.

 

Oops. At least you know the reason now. *Smile

 

But what I've gained in knowledge, I've lost in pride. lol thanks for the help regardless

 

[EDIT: SUCCESS!! This post is obsolete. See my post below for the procedure which successfully allowed me to transform an Installation of Windows 10 Enterprise Evaluation (Build 10.0.14393) into a valid activated installation of Windows 10 Professional build 10.0.14393 -- WITHOUT losing apps, files, or settings. Applying the procedure described in the present tutorial to the Enterprise Evaluation edition (and not the full enterprise edition) fails, because it is not possible to enter a valid Win 10 Pro key to change the product key of an EnterpriseEval install.]

Does this work to downgrade the Windows 10 Enterprise Evaluation (Build 10.0.14393)? I have a retail Windows 10 Pro key.

(Context: My mother's machine was completely hosed by the anniversary update. It would not boot, and I could not recreate the recovery environment. Following some advice I saw online, I downloaded the Enterprise Evaluation .iso; but the procedure I tried with that also failed. Desperate to give her a working machine, I burned a DVD from the Enterprise Evaluation .iso and installed it. It allowed me to save files, but not apps. But now, of course, it has the watermark in the bottom right corner which states that the "Windows Licence valid for 90 days". I would LOVE to be able to turn this into a Pro install without losing everything (again). Do I have a chance?

UPDATE: As a test, I tried to do it myself on a VirtualBox VM. First I installed the Enterprise Evaluation, then I tried to enter my retail product key. "that key doesn't work". Same for the generic key. I also tried a trickl suggested elsewhere, which was to change the ProductID and Name in the registry, and then do a repair install of WIn 10 Pro. in this case, the upgrade would only allow me to choose to keep "nothing". The reason was very cryptic:

"you cant keep windows settings, personal files and apps because your current version of windows might be installed in a unsupported directory."
THe 'current' windows install was a fresh clean install of the enterprise evaluation edition. If i knew what non-standard directory is used for its install, i could set restore it to the standard one and keep my files and apps. Oh well.

 

Hello sbpetrack, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

I'm afraid that it will only work starting with build 14352 to keep everything.

 

I have succeeded to transform Windows 10 Enterprise Evaluation into Windows 10 Pro, *without* losing my settings, files, or installed applications. One part of the process is the procedure described in this tutorial. There is a step which must be done beforehand, however; and I ran into one glitch which blocked me for quite some time:

The process is in two steps: first, upgrade the Enterprise Evaluation to the full Enterprise edition. You need the full Enterprise .iso or media to this. But you do NOT need any Enterprise key other than the publically available installation key. IMPORTANT: In order to be able to preserve apps, files, and settings during this part of the process, it is essential that the Enterprise installation .iso and the Enteprise Evaluation install to be transformed have **identical** default system UI language. If they do not, it is almost certainly easier to change the default system UI language of the running EnterpriseEval installation; but either one can be changed, they simply must agree. NOTE: This step results in an UNACTIVATED installaton of Win 10 Enterprise. This is not a problem; you'll use a valid Win10 Pro key at the end of the process to activate your Win 10 Pro installation.
This part is accomplished as follows:

In your Enterprise Evaluation inastallation, go to \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion; and change the value of registry key EditionID to"Enterprise"; change the value of registry key ProductName to "Windows 10 Enterprise".
Then, insert a full Win 10 Enterpise installation .iso or media into a (real or virtual) drive, click setup, and let it keep your settings, files, and apps. This will only be possible if the system default UI language is the same. This is easily checked by applying one of the commands documented in ISO - See what Language, Edition, and Architecture of Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums to find the default system UI language of the installation media, and comparing that to the output of "dism /online /get-intl" in an elevated command prompt on the running enterprise eval installation. At some point during the install, you will be asked for a product key. Use the generic Windows 10 Enterprise installation key: NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43 . you will end up with an unactivated windows 10 Enterprise system -- but all of the apps files and settings of the previous Enterprise Eval will be with you.

Now we can apply the present tutorial. Strictly speaking, you won't be **changing** the product key, because the new system has none. And chances are that it will immediately begin to complain about the lack of activation. So you placate it by going to Settings-->Activation. Here you will see that the system cannot be activated until you enter a valid product key. What a coincidence, you just happen to have exactly that: You enter your valid Win 10 Pro product key into the installation, and you will immediately see the setting change to Windows 10 Pro. Congratulations!

Final Note: you are done now, but i noticed that in the registry , there was a key left at \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion -- the CompositionEditionID -- which has been left behind at EntepriseaEval. I assumne that this is harmless, but perhaps it should be changed to "Professional" for a Profesional finish. (pun intended)

Grateful acknowlegement is a made of Upgrade Windows 10 Evaluation to Full version easily
It was the source of core of first step above. Also to the Windows Answer FIle Generator
for the generic WIn 10 Enterprise installation key.

--scott

 

Sorry, auto correction strikes again.

You can downgrade from Enterprise to Pro starting with build 14352 and higher. Builds before 14352 would require a clean install to Pro instead of just downgrading.

What you linked to has nothing to do with downgrading from Enterprise to Pro.