How to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro for free | ZDNET

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Step 3. In the Check File System window, check the “Try to fix errors if found” option. Here is a list of the best data recovery software for Windows and Mac users. Use data recovery software to retrieve deleted or lost data quickly. In order to avoid data loss issue or system revert issue, it’s highly recommended for you to backup Windows 10 system and data before upgrade to Windows 10 Pro edition.

After Step 1 and Step 2, you can now upgrade Windows 10 from Home to Pro edition with either method offered below. Open Windows Store, log in with your Microsoft Account, click on your account icon and select Download and Updates ; 2.

After the update, search Windows 10 in the search box and click on it; 4. Since then, they have simplified the process dramatically. Here’s the scoop. Some vendors offer an upgrade option as part of the purchase, but many PCs sold in the retail channel are preloaded with Home edition. This could also be the case if you took advantage of the free Windows 10 upgrade offer on a PC running a Home edition of Windows 7 or Windows 8.

In either case, the upgrade takes just a few minutes. You’ll see a succession of progress screens and your system will restart. After the upgrade completes, you should see a Success notification. Check the Activation screen again to confirm that you’re now running Windows 10 Pro. After you’ve successfully performed a Home-to-Pro upgrade, you can file that product key away.

Your upgrade is now a digital license, attached to your unique hardware. If you perform a reinstallation of Windows, Microsoft’s activation servers will recognize the hardware and activate Windows 10 automatically.

I have tested this scenario multiple times on hardware that originally shipped with Windows Home and was upgraded to Windows 10 Pro. After the upgrade was complete, I used a bootable USB flash drive containing Windows 10 setup files to reinstall a clean copy of Windows 10 Pro, skipping the option to enter a product key as part of setup, as shown below.

When prompted, be sure to choose Windows 10 Pro as the edition to install. The system was properly activated, because Microsoft’s servers recognized the hardware and used the digital license.

The ultimate Windows 10 information hub. Looking for technical information about Windows 10 releases, new features, known issues, troubleshooting, and tech support? Start here. The one gotcha in this series of scenarios comes when you have a system that includes digital licenses for both Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro.

In that scenario, you can inadvertently restore Windows 10 Home. This happened recently when I used a recovery image to reinstall Windows 10 on a Surface Pro PC that had originally shipped with Windows 10 Home and had been upgraded to Windows 10 Pro. If so, the upgrade takes just a few minutes. After entering the product key, follow the prompts to perform the upgrade. After the upgrade completes, you should see a Success notification. When you reinstall Windows 10, the installation process will ask to enter a product key.

Both times you can chose the option to skip entering the key. When prompted, be sure to choose Windows 10 Pro as the edition to install. The should be properly activated. There is one scenario that can cause some issues. When your system includes digital licenses for both Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro.

To get started, you will first need to have a license to install Windows You can then download and run the media creation tool. For more information on how to use the tool, see the instructions below. Note : Before you install Windows 10, check to make sure your PC meets the system requirements for Windows We also recommend going to the PC manufacturer’s website for any additional info about updated drivers and hardware compatibility.

After downloading and installing, the tool will walk you through how to set up Windows 10 on your PC. All Windows 10 editions are available when you select Windows 10, except for Enterprise edition. Follow these steps to create installation media USB flash drive or DVD you can use to install a new copy of Windows 10, perform a clean installation, or reinstall Windows If you have Office or earlier and choose to perform a clean install of Windows 10, you will need to locate your Office product key.

For tips on locating your product key, check Find your Office product key or Enter the product key for your Office program. Select the language, edition, and architecture bit or bit for Windows After completing the steps to install Windows 10, please check that you have all the necessary device drivers installed.

Note: Drivers for Surface devices may be found on the Download drivers and firmware for Surface page. To open a boot menu or change the boot order, you’ll typically need to press a key such as F2, F12, Delete, or Esc immediately after you turn on your PC. For instructions on accessing the boot menu or changing the boot order for your PC, check the documentation that came with your PC or go to the manufacturer’s website.

If changing the boot menu or order doesn’t work, and your PC immediately boots into the OS you want to replace, it is possible the PC had not fully shut down.

 
 

 

How to Upgrade From Windows 10 Home to Pro

 
You can use this page to download a disc image (ISO file) that can be used to install or reinstall Windows The image can also be used to create. To get started, you will first need to have a license to install Windows You can then download and run the media creation tool. For more information on.