Attempting Win7Pro to win10 upgrade Win10 insistists on HOME not PRO

I downloaded the Win10 and created the USB drive on a stick.

I suspect the fact that you chose what to download and didn't choose the correct iso led to this:

it tells me I cannot keep 'My Personal Files and Apps' because I'm installing a different version.

See:
Upgrade to Windows 10

Section 4 tells you how to use the MS media creation tool which would have obtained the correct iso or created the correct bootable installation medium for your system.

The licensing issue is best addressed by those more familiar with it. My guess would be the previous Win 10 digital entitlement is being used. You may need to deactivate that- if that's possible- to use the Win 7 Pro license.

Hi woodwalter. Welcome to the TenForums @woodwalter

I'm assuming you are back to running Win 7 Pro on machine. Since you bought your machine with Windows 10 there is no doubt in my mind that the licensing key is being picked up from BIOS. Look the machine over, if no COA sticker that would confirm this. As far back as Windows 8 machines were being delivered with BIOS keys and no COA

Not sure if this will work but worth a shot.

Use the MCT tool to create an ISO. To that ISO add an ei.cfg file.

The link on how to create and add to iso is in this post.

Windows 10 Home upgrade to Pro Version

Try running the setup from this modified ISO.


Ken

Hi, as far as I'm aware the USB or ISO created by Media Creation Tool contains all versions of Windows 10 (Home, Pro etc), all I did on a machine with Home key in the BIOS (or UEFI) was copy an ei.cfg file to the Sources folder on the USB containing the lines [Channel] and Retail, include square brackets and put each on separate lines, this gives you an option on install to choose the version to install. I know this works for a clean install, haven't tried as an upgrade install though.

Your issue is most probably caused by a so called System Locked Pre-installation (SLP) key. The SLP keys are product activation keys equipment manufacturers get with low cost from Microsoft. All SLP keys are edition specific, in your case Windows 7 Home edition.

Every attempt to upgrade that machine simply bypasses the current Windows 7 Professional activation, checks BIOS / UEFI and finds the Windows 7 Home SLP key.

To work around this, create following two files in your Windows installation media, its Sources folder:

File PID.TXT (%InstallMedia%:\Sources\pid.txt):

[PID]
Value=VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

The product key in above sample code is a generic Windows 10 product key.

File EI.CFG (%InstallMedia%:\Sources\ei.cfg):

[EditionID]
Professional
[Channel]
OEM
[VL]
0

With these two files in Sources folder of your install media, you should be able to bypass the SLP Home edition key and upgrade your current Windows 7 Professional to Windows 10 Pro.

Kari

woodwalter said:

Thanks all for your responses! I basicly did what Kari suggested, with a slightly different EI.CFG file.

You are welcome. That is an easy workaround when a BIOS / UEFI embedded SLP key prevents you to to install or upgrade to a specific edition.

Kari

Excellent.

Keep this process close, if you have to clean install again it will likely read internal key again.