Windows Videos

Okay thanks.

Kari said:

Using a multiple edition install media, it should let you choose. See the third video, in 1:40 I start the upgrade from Home to Pro, then when upgrade is done I do a clean install selecting Home or Pro in 4:19.

This was a bare metal clean install of the Anniversary Edition. I had no choice of what to install, nor did it ask for a product key. It just looked at the BIOS and installed Home.

Kari said:

Option two is to use install media only containing the preferred edition, in this case Pro.

And where would I get that? Further, since the BIOS only show Home, would the Pro installation activate?

Kari said:

Option three is the "legacy" way, enter product key for preferred edition when Windows setup starts.

And you can only do that if it asks for a Key; it did not.

Kari said:

I've seen issues when Home key is in BIOS / UEFI, Windows not letting you choose edition even though Pro is digitally licenced already.

And this is exactly what I experienced.

Wynona, I have no machines with key embedded in UEFI, can't test if this still works in 10 but it worked at least with Windows 8.1 when I used it last time:

- Open Notepad
- Write this (exactly as shown):

Code:

[PID]
Value=12345-ABCDE-67890-FGHIJ-KLMNO

- Replace 12345-ABCDE-67890-FGHIJ-KLMNO above with your Windows 10 Pro key
- Save as X:\Sources\PID.txt (exactly that name, replace X with actual drive ID of your Windows 10 Pro USB install media)

The thing here is, when Windows Setup finds a valid key in PID.txt file in installation source, it shouldn't even look a key in BIOS / UEFI, bypassing it.

Kari said:

Wynona, I have no machines with key embedded in UEFI, can't test if this still works in 10 but it worked at least with Windows 8.1 when I used it last time:

- Open Notepad
- Write this (exactly as shown):

Code:

[PID]
Value=12345-ABCDE-67890-FGHIJ-KLMNO

- Replace 12345-ABCDE-67890-FGHIJ-KLMNO above with your Windows 10 Pro key
- Save as X:\Sources\PID.txt (exactly that name, replace X with actual drive ID of your Windows 10 Pro USB install media)

The thing here is, when Windows Setup finds a valid key in PID.txt file in installation source, it shouldn't even look a key in BIOS / UEFI, bypassing it.

As you well know, Kari, I'm no coder!

So, when I save X:\Sources\PID.txt . . . My flash drive being I:\, I should save as I:\Sources\PID.txt?

Wynona said:

As you well know, Kari, I'm no coder!

So, when I save X:\Sources\PID.txt . . . My flash drive being I:\, I should save as I:\Sources\PID.txt?

Yes. Sources folder on install media.

I am very interested in hearing if this old trick still works :)

Kari said:

Yes.

I am very interested in hearing if this old trick still works :)

Someone else told me to do that, but I can't remember who. So it probably works.

Right now, I don't have anything to reinstall to, but may in the next few days.

I've chickened out on changing the HDD in Lappy to SSD because I want to add RAM as well, but that's way too far into the guts to do, so I'm going to take it to Tim the Computer Guy, probably this afternoon for the upgrade.

Wynona said:

Someone else told me to do that, but I can't remember who. So it probably works.

To be sure we are on same page with this: the PID.txt only has two lines, first one only [PID] and the second one Value=YourProductKey :)

That's it.

Kari said:

To be sure we are on same page with this: the PID.txt only has two lines, first one only [PID] and the second one Value=YourProductKey :)

That's it.

Yup, we be on the same page!

BTW, it was Alpha who told me to use that method:

Now I just put a PID.txt file with the generic Pro key in it, in the sources folder.

Then he gave me this link, which goes into more detail:

Solved Installation does NOT ask for key during install - Windows 10 Forums

And by then I was totally confused, and didn't follow through, which if I had, I'd have known by now what PID.txt is. :)

I think that if there is a drawback, it would be that I would have to be sure not to try to use that flash drive on another computer; it would start screaming, PIRACY, PIRACY, PIRACY!

Kari said:

Yes. Sources folder on install media.

Important step! (writing down now...)

Kari said:

I am very interested in hearing if this old trick still works :)

I am interested as well.

I'd also be interested to know if using the generic key will be enough to get your Pro version installed and activated, since your system was already activated with Pro @Wynona.

simrick said:

Important step! (writing down now...)


I am interested as well.

I'd also be interested to know if using the generic key will be enough to get your Pro version installed and activated, since your system was already activated with Pro @Wynona.

Awww, are y'all gonna make me reinstall Winders!? You gonna make me da sacrificial goat!?