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

Discus and support Upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro with Windows 8.1 Pro key in Windows 10 Installation and Upgrade to solve the problem; 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... Discussion in 'Windows 10 Installation and Upgrade' started by Remiscan, Jan 15, 2020.

  1. Remiscan Win User

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


    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?

    :)
     
    Remiscan, Jan 15, 2020
    #1

  2. windows 10 key

    I read through most of that thread and it seems you have to jump through windows insider hoops. Is there a Retail Windows 10 x64 PRO ISO I can download directly from microsoft that my windows 8 key will work with?
     
    Easy Rhino, Jan 15, 2020
    #2
  3. Clean Windows 10 (?PRO?) install

    I have bought a legit "Windows 10 Pro" key of a key website. It is legit since i'm currently using it for over a year now. I currently have Windows 10 Pro installed on my PC and I want to do a clean install. I just can't find the windows 10 Pro download in the tool. But if i could use a windows 10 pro key with a normal windows 10 install, I'll be good to go.
     
    JeroenBeunckens, Jan 15, 2020
    #3
  4. omaer97 Win User

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

    omaer97, Jan 15, 2020
    #4
Thema:

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

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