How to upgrade 1511 from Home to Pro?

Anonymous

I'm not having any luck figuring out how to upgrade from Home to Pro with an existing key. My system has been running Home and is currently running version 1511. I've decided to go ahead and use an existing key to upgrade to Pro. I did a clean install, expecting to be asked to specify a version and provide a key during install, but was never asked for either. The installer simply formatted the hard drive and installed Home and activated it, with no input from me after the install started other than agree to the terms and tell it my language.

OK, no problem I thought, I'll just go to the Activation setting and give it the new key from there. However, if I tell it I want to change the key it comes back and says the key I'm giving it can only activate Pro and I'm running Home. If I go the Store route and tell it I already have a Pro key, it gives me the same message - it tells me my key is for Pro but I'm running Home. Nowhere along the way does it offer to take my key and give me the upgrade, rather it implies that I must somehow magically upgrade it myself before changing the key. And that would be fine if I could figure out how to do that.

Anyone know how to force an install of Pro when the installer automatically installs Home with no option given to change it?

Volunteer Moderator/MVP Edit 4/21 -

One must insert the Generic Version Key to first change to Pro. After Version 1803 if you don't yet have a Digital License for Pro it will not change to Pro version by inserting the default Version key. So access Action Center at right end of task bar to turn on Airplane Mode to go offline, copy and paste the Generic Pro Key VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T in Settings > Update & Security > Activation > Change Product Key which will change Home to Pro, then go back online and it will activate with your Pro Product Key or Digital License.

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181 answers

Greg Carmack 24,780 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2016-05-12T22:44:27+00:00

Is this the inferior in-place Upgrade, or just the default key method to Pro?

I'd first go over the Windows 10 Install Integrity Checklist
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Anonymous

2016-05-11T14:30:38+00:00

A customer had Win 10 Home edition. He needed RDP. So I sold a Win 10 Pro key.

Upgrade with given Default key and afterwards the Win 10 pro key worked. System is now a Win 10 pro system.

But RDP is nog working. See also:

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/577cec1c-5f2c-4220-9af3-b01b674ddf56/remote-dekstop-makes-connection-trys-to-send-screen-and-then-disconnect?forum=win10itpronetworking

Something went wrong with upgrading, I guess.

Checked offloading issues on TCP level, re-tick RDP in Control Panel, checked firewall is RDP in Public / Domain.

What is te best and fastest way to solve this?

Is there some update where RDP will be re-installed or reset?
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Anonymous

2016-04-26T11:05:16+00:00

Hi Charles,

I had the same issue, activating Windows 10 Home on a new PC with my product kay from my old broken PC was ok. I also have a valid Windows 8 Pro upgrade key but that wasn't accepted by MS server. So I tried the method you explained here above and that worked out perfectly !

Thanks for clear explanation !

Jean Pierre
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Anonymous

2016-03-10T02:15:08+00:00

Greg, with all due respect, and it is definitely due, this has consistently failed for me. Like I said, I've tried every permutation of this to achieve parity upgrade. However, I was already going to post to you and Winston (thanks again to you as well). That I have seen why this isn't working the way it should. Whoever set up the MCT dropped the ball. I found this out merely by accident. My wife insisted that her HP ProBook 655 G1 be returned to W8.1 Pro. As HP embeds their serial keys in the BIOS, that part was taken care of. The hitch was that my OEM install disk is somewhere in my hoarder level computer office and I couldn't find it. So i went to the download page for windows 8.1. When you use the MCT for 8.1, it asks which version you want to install, and you use the drop down to pick it. All the development team or whatever group deals with this has to do is fix the W10 MCT to work the same. I sent this info to Feedback. I also may have another work around as well, I will let you know if it works. Oh slui 4 won't work, you have to input slui 04. That's just for the benefit of those unfamiliar with working in a cmd window. I did test the process using the Home key, and that of course works flawlessly. Lol, do you think a 72 number ID is long enough? You guys have been great, I need to go back and mark your posts as helpful. Even if you don't find your solution in advice, it can often lead you to find your fix. You guys have done this for me. Thanks again.

Michael
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Greg Carmack 24,780 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2016-03-09T05:17:33+00:00

The procedure to Clean Install Windows 10 Upgrade including if necessary the workaround to change to Pro version to activate with existing Digital Entitlement or old OS Product Key in Version 1511, works consistently with some hiccups. It has nothing to do with Insider program which is handled after install by opting-in in Advanced WIndows Update settings.

There may be some anomaly in your install that we're not aware of, so perhaps starting over with activated Windows 7 to Upgrade in-place is the best approach now. You may need to retrieve use of the key running slui 4 command, however if that is the case then the same should be able to be done to activate Version 1511 Windows 10 Pro.
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