Windows 10 Pro ISO

zbook · 19 May 2019

alphanumeric said:

You switch from Home to Pro or Enterprise etc via change product key. It just unlocks that editions features. I do it all the time. I can go back down editions too, except I can't go back to Home with out reinstalling Windows. Home is the only exception though, for what ever reason?

For enterprise there is a free trial period and it requires a clean install.
Once you have a pay version what are the advantages/disadvantages of returning to pro?

NavyLCDR · 19 May 2019

zbook said:

For enterprise there is a free trial period and it requires a clean install.
Once you have a pay version what are the advantages/disadvantages of returning to pro?

Well, one advantage to returning to Pro would be that you would have a legally and permanently activated Windows 10. As alphanumeric pointed out:

alphanumeric said:

Enterprise requires either a MAK or VL key to upgrade to it for the first time.

Enterprise is for corporate users activated by a volume license provided to the corporation, not "common citizens".

It would be interesting to know where @Bluewind downloaded his upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise from and if it was one of those scams that promises permanent activation, which in reality is likely the illegitimate pico kms activation scam.

alphanumeric · 20 May 2019

zbook said:

For enterprise there is a free trial period and it requires a clean install.
Once you have a pay version what are the advantages/disadvantages of returning to pro?

Compare Windows 10 Editions

At one time I ran Enterprise to get access to the official Microsoft Windows To Go utility. Thats also now in other Editions so usually I just run Pro now. It has all the features in it I need.
Normally Enterprise would be a licensed via subscription plan from Microsoft. Volume Licensing. Its not something a consumer would normally be running. I had a My Visual Studio Enterprise Subscription (formerly MSDN) which gave me access to the Windows 10 Business ISO and the product Codes to go with it. I get MAK keys for Enterprise as there are no Retail keys for it.
At one time Enterprise was its own separate ISO, that was the only Edition on that ISO. Education I believe was also like that when it was first released. Now there are two ISOs, Consumer and Business. The Consumer ISO is I believe what the Media Creation Tool delivers. It has the same Edition options as my Visual Studio Windows 10 Consumer ISO.

Long story short, I think the answer your looking for is the one NavyLCDR posted above.

Bluewind · 20 May 2019

Well, finally a resolution.

But first I want to sincerely thank all of you who replied with your thoughts.

I finally had a chat session with MS Support and she told me the situation was due to a known issue with upgrading to Pro from Home in certain situations. (I had done that upgrade twice before on two different machines.) I then used a Macrium image to put things back to where they were.

Thanks once again and I'm marking this as solved.

- - - Updated - - -

NavyLCDR said:

Well, one advantage to returning to Pro would be that you would have a legally and permanently activated Windows 10. As alphanumeric pointed out:

Enterprise is for corporate users activated by a volume license provided to the corporation, not "common citizens".

It would be interesting to know where @Bluewind downloaded his upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise from and if it was one of those scams that promises permanent activation, which in reality is likely the illegitimate pico kms activation scam.

Hidden somewhere in my posts is this. I didn't knowingly dl Enterprise: I went to MS Store and paid for the upgrade to Pro. Instead I got Enterprise installed. Thankfully, MS refunded my $99 after telling me that was a know issue.

dalchina · 20 May 2019

Thanks for letting us know. If you gleaned more about what 'certain conditions' are that might be interesting.

alphanumeric · 20 May 2019

First I've heard of this? I'd also be interested in what these "certain conditions" are?