How to upgrade 1511 from Home to Pro?

Anonymous
2015-11-16T20:31:01+00:00

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.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Install and upgrade

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  1. Anonymous
    2016-03-07T08:34:07+00:00

    Michael -

    While this may be a way if you have an embedded Windows 8 key to assure you end up with Pro without needing to do the workaround, I always remind that we no longer need to do the inferior in-place Upgrade because with Version 1511 you can do the vastly superior Clean Install Windows 10 Upgrade.

    You can optimize the Upgrade somewhat so that it lessens the chance of it choking or passing issues following Overcoming Windows 10 Upgrade Failures. Running the media and choosing to save nothing is nearly the same as the Clean Install but doesn't clear the hard drive, and should also lock in Pro version, although we have recently seem some very strange cases where users claimed that the OS converted from Pro<>Home during an in-place Upgrade which seems utterly impossible. 

    Afaik, it's not another route.

      See my reply above.

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-03-07T08:30:55+00:00

    Thanks, I have rewiped the SSD and am in the process of the upgrade from 7 to 10 via the Insider page.  I hope it doesn't show up as Home again.  I was reading that the plan was for version parity when we have to reinstall, but this happened before and it was a bear to get back to where I was.  This time I'm going to mirror in Acronis again, and Macrium as well.  As much as I've preached to others about redundant backups I got zapped by my own failure to have more than one.  I thank you and Greg for the time you put in to help me, and listening to me vent.

    Michael

    As far as I know all links to get to Win10 - yield the same route whether starting from

    1. Insider Home page options

    a. The Insider Home page

     https://insider.windows.com/Home/Index

    b. Before you install Windows Insider Preview

     http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-faq?ocid=tp2\_nav\_faq

    c. How to use Windows Insider Preview

     http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/preview-how-to

    or

    1. Going to the Get Windows 10 page

    The download options for the both of the above(1 or 2), just point to the 1511 Media Creation Tool

     https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10

    If you've the same device, with an 8x Home embedded key....and use above(1511) route

     --> The Workaround provide by MVP Greg C. should be necessary

    **I could be incorrect and hope I am, but starting from 7 on a device with an 8.1 embedded key on the device, just seems like a really indirect route to recreate the same previous experienced problem - the Win10 install using the 8.1 Home embedded key to determine the resultant W10 edition.

    i.e. Thus my felling -  It would seem that it does not matter where your start....from the Insider page or any other location....they all provide the same Win10 1511 version and/or Win10 media option(USB, DVD, Iso, upgrade directly from the qualifying o/s).

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  3. Greg Carmack 24,780 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2016-03-07T08:14:36+00:00

    Michael -

    While this may be a way if you have an embedded Windows 8 key to assure you end up with Pro without needing to do the workaround, I always remind that we no longer need to do the inferior in-place Upgrade because after Version 1511 you can do the vastly superior Clean Install Windows 10 Upgrade.

    You can optimize the Upgrade somewhat so that it lessens the chance of it choking or passing issues following Overcoming Windows 10 Upgrade Failures. Running the media and choosing to save nothing is nearly the same as the Clean Install  and should also lock in Pro version, although we have recently seem some very strange cases where users claimed that the OS converted from Pro<>Home during an in-place Upgrade which seems impossible. 

    Let us know how it goes.

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-03-07T07:50:15+00:00

    Thanks, I have rewiped the SSD and am in the process of the upgrade from 7 to 10 via the Insider page.  I hope it doesn't show up as Home again.  I was reading that the plan was for version parity when we have to reinstall, but this happened before and it was a bear to get back to where I was.  This time I'm going to mirror in Acronis again, and Macrium as well.  As much as I've preached to others about redundant backups I got zapped by my own failure to have more than one.  I thank you and Greg for the time you put in to help me, and listening to me vent.

    Michael

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-03-07T07:42:23+00:00

    Man you're a thousand percent right.  My Acronis drive mirror got corrupted.  I guess this has just been the perfect storm of badness this past few days.  I'm just rebuilding and sucking it up, because complaining isn't achieving anything for me.  I've actually had some sleep and about 5 Monster energy drinks, so I will resolve this. You and Winston have been great.  

    Michael

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