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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.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
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Michael -
I think he's referring to the Default Product Key by the way he describes it. There's nothing wrong with that since it is needed as a workaround now to change versions to Pro when Version 1511 forces Home version during a Clean install due to embedded 8/8.1 Product key. It doesn't actually activate the OS, though, so shouldn't be used unless there is Pro Digital Entitlement already on the PC.
Crisis averted. Your advise worked sublimely. As for the post to the end user, I thought that could be the case, but with the use of the personal possessive "my", I felt better safe than sorry in case the key in question was not a Master, and given the referral to a personal email address, thought it best to err on the side of caution. I hope you were right, but the Default would've been no harm/no foul to put in the post. As we get an increasing flood of end users on the forum, I'm seeing that they are mostly just uninitiated into protocols, and an odd hostility exists toward them from some Insiders, as if they were interlopers of some kind. Some of us seem to have forgotten what it was like back on 21 October 2014. Thanks again. It's good to have all 6 testbeds on Pro. Personal preferences are just that, but I find Home edition somewhat akin to the mentally challenged 3rd cousin of Pro. That's just me though.
Michael
So a couple of hours later my activation was voided. So looks like I have to start over. Yay me.
Greg, while I appreciate the help, the migration to digital certificate authentication has rendered the universal keys pointless,. The only thing they accomplish is to invalidate your activation. I am boned at this point, since any necessary reinstall is Home edition. An already irritating program has been made worse.
mm
Then we continue with steps which will lead to resolution, just as we do for thousands of others who always reach a solution if patient and cooperative.
The Generic Pro key is only used to change the version to Pro. Is it still at Pro? Then it worked.
Now as to reinstating Digital Entitlement so it remains and is stable:
Right click Start button to open Admin Command Prompt
Type slui 4, press Enter.
Follow prompts to refresh your activation ID in MS Servers.
If it fails stay on the line for an agent, explain the situation.
If they are not as helpful as they should be, then depending upon where you go the original Pro Upgrade you may need to reactivate. If Store, sign in there to reapply your Pro Upgrade. If using a Product Key, after confirming Version 1511 at Settings>System>About, insert the key at the link there.
