"Upgrading" unlicensed (!) Windows Home to Windows Pro

SIW2 said:

Dell Latitude E5440 14-inch Notebook Intel Core i5-4300U ? Or perhaps a different 4th gen cpu

If it is the above, I would be very surprised if it didnt have slic2.1 table in bios.

They came with win7 pro.
Dell Latitude E5440 14-inch Notebook (Intel Core i5-4300U 1.90GHz, 4GB RAM, 500GB HDD, DVDRW, WLAN, Bluetooth, Webcam, Integrated Graphics, Windows 7 Professional) - Dell
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Maybe in future-time it had w10 Pro. Not in 2014 *originally*. The 2015 user manual under the Dell Service Tag shows how to turn off the computer in either Windows 7 or Windows 8. I think that's the more likely scenario. And at their likely price point (cheap cheap cheap!), not likely W7/8 Pro!

I barely know how to spell BIOS! Is that to see original O/S or to see if TPM?

In that 2015 User Manual, it says TPM is disabled. (which is hopeful for encryption)

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hershey4 said:

Maybe in future-time it had w10 Pro. Not in 2014 *originally*. The 2015 user manual under the Dell Service Tag shows how to turn off the computer in either Windows 7 or Windows 8. I think that's the more likely scenario. And at their likely price point (cheap cheap cheap!), not likely W7/8 Pro!
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I stand corrected! I looked around the Service Tag documentation and found this in specs:

421-8067 : Windows 7 Professional, 64-bit , No Media, Latitude, English


So for whatever reason, someone "upgraded" to W10 Home. Not knowing where/how/who they got this from, hard to say. Maybe too late to get "free" W10 Pro.

Silver lining: that's hopeful for encryption if they don't buy a new laptop.

Look on the back for a Windows 7 COA sticker. If the computer has a removable battery it might be in the battery compartment under the battery. There should be a product key printed on it.

NavyLCDR said:

Look on the back for a Windows 7 COA sticker. If the computer has a removable battery it might be in the battery compartment under the battery. There should be a product key printed on it.

Ah ah! It says Windows 7 Pro OA and there is a key. So what does this mean for getting to Windows 10 Pro? would have to reinstall 7 Pro first?

Does that mean losing everything (software, users, settings) on the existing laptop?

Hi,
Enter the 7 pro key

You cannot use a Windows 7 Pro product key to upgrade Windows 10 Home to Pro. Disconnect the computer entirely from the internet. Change the product key to the generic for Windows 10 Pro - VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T. This should initiate the upgrade to Pro. After you are upgraded to Pro, reconnect to the internet, then change the product key to the Windows 7 Pro product key.

NavyLCDR said:

You cannot use a Windows 7 Pro product key to upgrade Windows 10 Home to Pro. Disconnect the computer entirely from the internet. Change the product key to the generic for Windows 10 Pro - VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T. This should initiate the upgrade to Pro. After you are upgraded to Pro, reconnect to the internet, then change the product key to the Windows 7 Pro product key.

Perfect! That's just what I am looking for. Thank you.

I will make sure first that TPM is available in the BIOS. I think it will be. I don't care for the non-TPM encryption alternatives.