is it poss to choose win 10 HOME from win 10 PRO usb ?

VidePlayerWebm · 14 Apr 2022

hi,

Is it possible to choose win 10 home for installation instead of pro? The lic is for win 10 pro on usb.Am only wanting to use the usb as a copy of windows

thanks

dalchina · 15 Apr 2022

You can freely create a Win 10 installable medium at any time you want using the MS media creation tool (and for any build). Such a medium can install multiple editions.

The license code - or your digital activation rights- or what you're upgrading from then determine the edition you get.

zebal · 15 Apr 2022

win10 license will not work for win10 pro but you can install home if you wish and end up with unactivated OS.

NavyLCDR · 15 Apr 2022

zebal said:

win10 license will not work for win10 pro but you can install home if you wish and end up with unactivated OS.

That made absolutely no sense whatsoever.

NavyLCDR · 15 Apr 2022

VidePlayerWebm said:

hi,

Is it possible to choose win 10 home for installation instead of pro? The lic is for win 10 pro on usb.Am only wanting to use the usb as a copy of windows

thanks

The standard Windows 10 USB flash drive created by Microsoft's Media Creation Tool contains multiple editions of Windows 10, including both Home and Pro. The edition that is installed is decided based upon 1 of 2 things:
1. If there is a product key for Windows 8 or 10/11 stored in the computer's firmware by the manufacturer, then Windows setup will retrieve that product key and install the edition of Windows 10/11 that matches that product key without asking the user for any intervention. OR
2. Windows setup will ask the user for a product key. The user can either enter a product key, if know, or click on the "link" that says I don't have a product key - then the next screen will as the user which edition of Windows 10/11 they want to install.

@VidePlayerWebm, you are overthinking this way too much!

Pejole2165 · 15 Apr 2022

If you create a plain text file and name it ei.cfg with the contents [Channel] as first line and Retail as second line and drop it into the sources folder on the installation media it should show a menu on start up allowing you to choose an edition from those available on the disk.
However the information provided by NavyLCDR remains effective except, the menu will allow you to override the firmware held key, but you will end up with an non activated copy of Windows Home until you provide a valid key.

If you use this method to install Pro on a machine that normally has a Home entitlement, then decide not to buy a new key you will have to clean install Windows again to get back to the Home version.
If you wish to upgrade to Pro from Home, then install Home as usual, purchase the Pro key from MS, change your activation key in settings and it will unlock the Pro features on your installed, activated Home install, generating a digital entitlement allowing you to install Pro clean from then on, making the ei.cfg method of some use.
If you have a valid Win7 Pro/ Ultimate key or Win8 Pro key (I think those are the correct versions) then you can use those keys to upgrade Home to Pro negating the need to buy the Pro upgrade key. At least I think this method still works.

But I'm sure these methods are maybe overly complex for what you want to achieve.
I'm sure someone will chime in if I have got anything wrong.

idgat · 15 Apr 2022

VidePlayerWebm said:

hi,

Is it possible to choose win 10 home for installation instead of pro? The lic is for win 10 pro on usb.Am only wanting to use the usb as a copy of windows

thanks

The "version" downloaded to create the USB is a generic version, neither Home nor Pro,

Installed with no key > an un-activated version of Windows 10 Home

Otherwise, the license key activates the installation. You (the user) doesn't choose - the license key determines the version that is activated.

Matthew Wai · 15 Apr 2022

VidePlayerWebm said:

Is it possible to choose win 10 home for installation instead of pro? The lic is for win 10 pro on usb.Am only wanting to use the usb as a copy of windows

After booting a PC from the USB device, will you see the following list?

is it poss to choose win 10 HOME from win 10 PRO usb ?-select-operating-system-you-want-install.jpg

VidePlayerWebm · 15 Apr 2022

Matthew Wai said:

After booting a PC from the USB device, will you see the following list?

no in fact.I think there are a so many variations to the installation of windows i see,as the result each time depending on if i had the original oem version or the newly installed version on an existing ssd or a brand new ssd.The result was that there was little choice,only between 32bit or 64 bit win 10 as i think the situation was as NavyDLR had mentioned,that the laptop manufacturer had in fact saved the lic key in the bios as it did not ask for any lic key this time.But it did in a previous time with the orig ssd.

Thanks for the help

- - - Updated - - -

Pejole2165 said:

If you create a plain text file and name it ei.cfg with the contents [Channel] as first line and Retail as second line and drop it into the sources folder on the installation media it should show a menu on start up allowing you to choose an edition from those available on the disk.
However the information provided by NavyLCDR remains effective except, the menu will allow you to override the firmware held key, but you will end up with an non activated copy of Windows Home until you provide a valid key.

If you use this method to install Pro on a machine that normally has a Home entitlement, then decide not to buy a new key you will have to clean install Windows again to get back to the Home version.
If you wish to upgrade to Pro from Home, then install Home as usual, purchase the Pro key from MS, change your activation key in settings and it will unlock the Pro features on your installed, activated Home install, generating a digital entitlement allowing you to install Pro clean from then on, making the ei.cfg method of some use.
If you have a valid Win7 Pro/ Ultimate key or Win8 Pro key (I think those are the correct versions) then you can use those keys to upgrade Home to Pro negating the need to buy the Pro upgrade key. At least I think this method still works.

But I'm sure these methods are maybe overly complex for what you want to achieve.
I'm sure someone will chime in if I have got anything wrong.

thanks

- - - Updated - - -

NavyLCDR said:

1. If there is a product key for Windows 8 or 10/11 stored in the computer's firmware by the manufacturer, then Windows setup will retrieve that product key and install the edition of Windows 10/11 that matches that product key without asking the user for any intervention. OR

thanks for the info.Was only using the pro ver usb as a copy of windows.

Berton · 15 Apr 2022

I create the USB Thumb drive from within the MCT/Media Creation Tool and it will install either the Home or Pro version depending upon what the computer originally came with or had clean installed previously, seems to be associated with/recognizes what the manufacturer did. Pretty much what Windows 8 started. I've never had to install the Retail version and no System Builder version since Windows 7.