upgrade from Win 10 to Win 10 pro using win 7 ultimate key?

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  1. Posts : 13
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #11

    I tried this but it doesn't work with my Win 7 key.
    alphanumeric said:
    In Windows 10 go to the System Page. Then click change product key down to the right of the Windows Activation section. The try typing in your 7 Ultimate key. If its rejected you will be no worse for wear. It will just stay on 10 Home. If it's accepted it will upgrade with no install media required. Once its upgraded it will reboot to 10 Pro. Then go back in and make sure its activated. I've done this to go from 10 Pro to 10 Education and from 10 Pro to 10 Enterprise. I entered Windows 10 keys though. Once you go up, you can't go back down without reinstalling, just so you know. All system restore points are erased when you upgrade. I don't think there is an clickable Add Features option anymore, not that I've seen like in Windows 8.
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  2. Posts : 490
    Windows 10 Pro
       #12

    spapakons said:
    I thought booting from the USB or DVD allows you to do a clean install only, not an upgrade! To upgrade you have to start setup from inside Windows and then you can only upgrade from Home to Home, not Pro.
    Correct. Booting from media is a clean install. But if the user starts Setup from within Windows he is not asked for a product key so all that happens is that he upgrades his Home to Home. He never has the opportunity to tell Setup what he really wants to do. With the clean install he does have that opportunity and the product key is the tool. That gives him his migration from Home to Pro without having to purchase the Pro Upgrade from the Microsoft Store. His computer becomes activated by digital entitlement for both Home and Pro. Should work that way. The last version of Windows that used that method to select which edition to install was Vista.
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  3. Posts : 13
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #13

    I do have the November Update installed. When I go to the Windows store, there is an option to enter a key to upgrade. But for some reason a Windows 7 code won't work here but I thought that was one of the main points of the new update.
    spapakons said:
    Entering a Windows 7 key is not supported in Build 10240. But you can do it (at least they say so, haven't done myself) in the new TH2 (Threshold 2 build 10586) version, found here.

    However, you cannot use the new ISO to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro. It will only upgrade from Windows 10 Home build 10240 to Windows 10 Home build 10586. To upgrade to Pro the only way is through the Windows Store, as suggested by the other posters. But as far as I remember, there is no way to use your key there, you will be asked to buy a new Windows 10 Pro key for $99. The only way to go Pro for free is to backup your data and clean-install Windows 10 Pro using the new ISO from the link above. When asked for a key type your Windows 7 Ultimate key and will proceed to install the Pro version.

    Language Warning: As I have also posted in this thread there are two English language options to download. The "English" and "International English". The names are misleading, as one would expect "international" to mean American English. No it is not! "International English" is the BRITISH English (GB) version and cannot be used to update an American English (US) windows installation, as most of us have. If you are looking for American English (US) the correct version is "English". Beware to download the right language version!
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  4. Posts : 490
    Windows 10 Pro
       #14

    erictheduke said:
    I tried this but it doesn't work with my Win 7 key.
    Correct. You can't upgrade to another edition by merely changing the product key. It requires installation of the Pro software and then activation with the Win 7 key. See my reply to spapakons.
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  5. Posts : 13
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #15

    Thanks for the post, but I'm really trying to get to pro without a clean install. I hate having to set up everything with a clean install!
    Cbarnhorst said:
    Actually, he can migrate from Home to Pro using the current Media Creation Tool using a Windows 7 Ultimate key. He inserts the media and then restarts the computer. Since it is a clean install, when Setup opens the product key pane he enters the Ultimate key and that will tell Setup what edition of Windows 10 he wants to install. The free upgrade covers 7 Ultimate to 10 Pro so he will be fine. Setup always opens the product key pane during clean installs.
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  6. Posts : 490
    Windows 10 Pro
       #16

    erictheduke said:
    Thanks for the post, but I'm really trying to get to pro without a clean install. I hate having to set up everything with a clean install!
    Then you will have buy the Pro Upgrade. There is no way to simply enter a product key to do it. Microsoft is not going to let a user with Home turn it into Pro without a purchase or already owning a Pro license. Since you own the right to a Pro license (7) I see no need to buy another one (10). I would save the money and back up your files and after installation reinstall your programs and restore your files.
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  7. Posts : 13
    Windows 10
    Thread Starter
       #17

    Cbarnhorst said:
    Then you will have buy the Pro Upgrade. There is no way to simply enter a product key to do it. I would save the money and back up your files and after installation reinstall your programs and restore your files.
    Well when I go to the windows store, it does ask me for a product key but mine doesn't work. After the new update, I don't see why my product key shouldn't work there.
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  8. Posts : 490
    Windows 10 Pro
       #18

    erictheduke said:
    Well when I go to the windows store, it does ask me for a product key but mine doesn't work. After the new update, I don't see why my product key shouldn't work there.
    Because the Windows 10 Home product key is not a retail key. It is the dummy "giveaway" key that everybody with the free Windows 10 upgrade has. It is blocked on Microsoft's activation servers just like OEM keys. If there were a way to enter a product key during the free upgrade you could do it that way, but there isn't. Contact the Store. When you buy online the digital entitlement is zapped to your computer. There will be no Pro product key sent you in an email. All you get is the download link in an email (I think).

    As an aside: My wife installed Pro and then went online and bought Pro ($200) because she thought that was the way it worked. All she got was the digital entitlement for the already installed Pro. No download link. Microsoft sensed it was already istalled. (She didn't know about the Pro Upgrade (sigh).)

    What you need to do is back up your files and restart with the Windows 10 media and reformat the hard drive. Then after you select Pro and installation proceeds put in the 7 Ultimate product key when asked. Or if you don't see a place to select an edition, putting in the product key when asked will make that selection. By the way, Pro is the default installation if no selections are made.
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  9. Posts : 4,131
    Windows 3.1 to Windows 11
       #19

    otherwise you can get digital entitlement via a clean installation of 10586 and entering the ultimate key during setup
    In other words you need digital Entitlement from Windows 7 Ultimate to get Windows 10 Pro

    You can clean install Windows 10 Pro (10589) and enter your Ultimate Product Key - to get a digital Entitlement activation

    It does not appear that digital Entitlement is an upgrade path from home to pro
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  10. Posts : 490
    Windows 10 Pro
       #20

    Kyhi said:
    In other words you need digital Entitlement from Windows 7 Ultimate to get Windows 10 Pro

    You can clean install Windows 10 Pro (10589) and enter your Ultimate Product Key - to get a digital Entitlement activation

    It does not appear that digital Entitlement is an upgrade path from home to pro
    Correct. Setup want to install based on already established digital entitlement if it is there and OEM entitlement if not. Upgrades don't ask for product keys so there is no chance to redirect the installation.
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