Windows 10: Salvage Win10 Home, upgrade to Pro

Hello Great Group,

I am interested in steps I might take to salvage my Windows 10 Home license from a dead computer's drive, then upgrade to Pro on a new computer. Is this possible? If so, how?

Details: 'Puter hanging issue became fatal, then died, I borked the BIOS, made a mess, building a new machine and plan to harvest as much as possible from the old drives. I have a backup of C: where Win10 lived as well as two identical SSDs (both with Win10 on them), yet do not want to boot from one of the old disks fearing that 1) Windows may be corrupted, or 2) The drive might have some nasties on it.

Upgrading from Home to Pro is about $100? cheaper than just buying Pro. So, I'd like to upgrade from the old license if possible, but I'm not sure what steps to take and in what order in order to accomplish this mission.

Are these the correct steps? (I'm guessing)

Build the new computer
Update BIOS if necessary
Install Win10 Pro without key
Attach old drive
Scan old drive with Malwarebytes
Run Belkin Advisor on that drive to reveal key?
Enter key into Pro?

I've no clue what might happen at this point. Key invalid? Upgrade to Pro somehow?

Thanks in advance for your insight.

:)

 

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.

 

Upgrading OEM Win10 Home to MSDN Win10 Pro

Moving to a new PC that I'm building myself. Currently running Dell OEM Win10 Home. New PC will have Win10 Pro, MSDN (multi-activation or retail keys) version.


My backup software can do a "system transfer" that will allow me to transfer everything (OS and applications) to the new computer.


Should I upgrade from OEM Home to MSDN Pro on the old computer and then transfer everything to the new computer?


Or just install Win10 PRO MSDN on the new computer and use the backup software vendor's application transfer program to move the applications and registry entries?


My goals are:

1. Not have any "dinosaur bones" either from the OS on my SSD from the old OEM Home version on the new PRO version

1. Not have to reinstall and reconfigure everything (which would take about a week)

Thanks for any advice I can get...

 

Win10 Pro

Hi, I bought a Win10 upgrade license on my old laptop. At the time I had a lot of issues upgrading the OEM Win10 Home as the upgrade purchase didn;t come with a product key. After lots of phone calls with MS they eventually provided me with a product key
and the laptop was upgraded to Win10 Pro.

I now have a new laptop and still require the Pro functionality. Following the steps here (which also tells me my Win10 Pro upgrade license is transferrable):

How to Transfer your Windows 10 License to a New Computer

the OEMM Win10 Home didn't upgrade using the MediaCreationTool (it just offers to install Win10 Home), and the System > Upgrade and Settings > Activation upgrade function doesn't accept the product key I've purchased.

Any help would be appreciated - although useful Win10 is awful to upgrade and MS seem to have deprecatated a lot of their contact options.