Stop me if you've heard this before...


  1. Posts : 1
    Windows 10 Build 1809
       #1

    Stop me if you've heard this before...


    Hi there,

    After running Win 10 (Professional) without incident since it was introduced, our trusty desktop system decided it was ready to die.

    We had all data and apps transferred to temporary replacement system. When that old boat anchor was replaced by this new Dell laptop, everything worked as advertised except for Windows Pro. The laptop came with Win10 Home. We want our legally purchased Win10 Pro back.

    From the info I received, the disturbing news that I cannot revert to our old Win 10 Pro. I understand the reasoning behind it, but I cannot accept the fact that I'll need another $100 for the same OS I'd been using since Moby was a minnow.

    Since it was introduced to our system originally via download from MS, I have no source media for Win10 Pro. I've got the original receipt from the old Company Store in Redmond, a valid product key from Win7, and the original DVDs for that OS. The old, original download for Win10 Pro the upgrade was lost long ago.

    Can anyone help with this issue? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 2,539
    Windows 10 Pro 64bit
       #2

    Is the Windows 10 pro retail (bought from a store) or an upgrade from home via Microsoft?
    If it was an upgrade then it’s classed as OEM (unless it was an upgrade from retail version via the store) & therefore ‘dies’ with the original PC, if it was retail then you can either create media for another PC & manually choose the Windows download settings for pro & clean install, Create a “ei.cfg” file containing the following text:
    [EditionID]
    Professional
    [Channel]
    Retail

    Save the ei.cfg file to the \Sources folder on your Windows 10 installation media (USB flash drive).

    or use the default key to upgrade manually: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T
    Last edited by Bastet; 23 Jun 2019 at 04:45. Reason: corrections
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 18,424
    Windows 11 Pro
       #3

    Bastet said:
    or use the default key to upgrade manually: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T
    The default product key will no longer work with recent versions of Windows 10 to upgrade from Home to Pro unless the computer already has a digital license for Pro stored on Microsoft's Activation Servers. Since @FourSalt's computer has never had Pro activated on it before, attempting to use the default key to upgrade Home to Pro will fail. Microsoft has also cracked down on using previous versions of Windows Pro (Windows 7 and 8/8.1) product keys to upgrade Windows 10 Home to Pro.
    @FourSalt, at this point, if you want to use the Windows 7 Pro product key to attempt to activate Windows 10 Pro on your new computer you have a couple of choices. Choice #1 is the most reliable.

    1. Do a clean install of Windows 7 Pro on the computer. Your Windows 7 Pro product key may be blocked from automatic online activation. If that is the case, then you will have to use phone activation. Once your Windows 7 Pro is activated - it does NOT have to be updated, and all of the hardware drivers are NOT required to be installed - then you upgrade it to Windows 10 Pro by just running setup.exe from a Windows 10 installation source (ISO file, USB flash drive, DVD).

    or 2. Do a clean install of Windows 10 Pro. You will have to force Pro to be installed using the method in post #3. Your Windows 7 Pro product key may then possibly work to activate it. If it fails, then you have little choice but to go back to choice #1 to activate Windows 7 on that computer first.

    The good news is that once that computer has an activated Windows 10 Pro on it, that digital license for that computer for Windows 10 Pro will be stored permanently on Microsoft's Activation Servers and you won't have to go through any of this again.

    Oh and I have heard this before. Many, many times.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 15,441
    Windows10
       #4

    NavyLCDR said:
    The default product key will no longer work with recent versions of Windows 10 to upgrade from Home to Pro unless the computer already has a digital license for Pro stored on Microsoft's Activation Servers. Since @FourSalt's computer has never had Pro activated on it before, attempting to use the default key to upgrade Home to Pro will fail. Microsoft has also cracked down on using previous versions of Windows Pro (Windows 7 and 8/8.1) product keys to upgrade Windows 10 Home to Pro.
    @FourSalt, at this point, if you want to use the Windows 7 Pro product key to attempt to activate Windows 10 Pro on your new computer you have a couple of choices. Choice #1 is the most reliable.

    1. Do a clean install of Windows 7 Pro on the computer. Your Windows 7 Pro product key may be blocked from automatic online activation. If that is the case, then you will have to use phone activation. Once your Windows 7 Pro is activated - it does NOT have to be updated, and all of the hardware drivers are NOT required to be installed - then you upgrade it to Windows 10 Pro by just running setup.exe from a Windows 10 installation source (ISO file, USB flash drive, DVD).

    or 2. Do a clean install of Windows 10 Pro. You will have to force Pro to be installed using the method in post #3. Your Windows 7 Pro product key may then possibly work to activate it. If it fails, then you have little choice but to go back to choice #1 to activate Windows 7 on that computer first.

    The good news is that once that computer has an activated Windows 10 Pro on it, that digital license for that computer for Windows 10 Pro will be stored permanently on Microsoft's Activation Servers and you won't have to go through any of this again.

    Oh and I have heard this before. Many, many times.
    One trick I have done is to clean install Pro10 as dual boot in a VHD, and activate that first.

    Then the default key works on the Home version ie user does not have to reinstall apps etc.

    Then it is simple to remove it.

    A variant on this is to install Pro 10 as a Windows To Go drive on a usb flash drive using Rufus (my old fave wintousb is no longer free) first and activate that.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 2,539
    Windows 10 Pro 64bit
       #5

    NavyLCDR said:
    The default product key will no longer work with recent versions of Windows 10 to upgrade from Home to Pro unless the computer already has a digital license for Pro stored on Microsoft's Activation Servers. Since @FourSalt's computer has never had Pro activated on it before, attempting to use the default key to upgrade Home to Pro will fail. Microsoft has also cracked down on using previous versions of Windows Pro (Windows 7 and 8/8.1) product keys to upgrade Windows 10 Home to Pro.
    @FourSalt, at this point, if you want to use the Windows 7 Pro product key to attempt to activate Windows 10 Pro on your new computer you have a couple of choices. Choice #1 is the most reliable.

    1. Do a clean install of Windows 7 Pro on the computer. Your Windows 7 Pro product key may be blocked from automatic online activation. If that is the case, then you will have to use phone activation. Once your Windows 7 Pro is activated - it does NOT have to be updated, and all of the hardware drivers are NOT required to be installed - then you upgrade it to Windows 10 Pro by just running setup.exe from a Windows 10 installation source (ISO file, USB flash drive, DVD).

    or 2. Do a clean install of Windows 10 Pro. You will have to force Pro to be installed using the method in post #3. Your Windows 7 Pro product key may then possibly work to activate it. If it fails, then you have little choice but to go back to choice #1 to activate Windows 7 on that computer first.

    The good news is that once that computer has an activated Windows 10 Pro on it, that digital license for that computer for Windows 10 Pro will be stored permanently on Microsoft's Activation Servers and you won't have to go through any of this again.

    Oh and I have heard this before. Many, many times.
    Thanks @NavyLCDR, I wasn’t aware the default key no longer works. :)
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 31,471
    10 Home x64 (22H2) (10 Pro on 2nd pc)
       #6

    Bastet said:
    Thanks @NavyLCDR, I wasn’t aware the default key no longer works. :)
    Starting with 1709 (aka RS3) you cannot upgrade Home to Pro with the generic key unless you already have a digital license for Pro on that machine.


    Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 2,539
    Windows 10 Pro 64bit
       #7

    Bree said:
    Starting with 1709 (aka RS3) you cannot upgrade Home to Pro with the generic key unless you already have a digital license for Pro on that machine.


    Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro
    Thanks @Bree.
      My Computer


 

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