Cost of Upgrade from XP to Win10Pro

Yup, that's exactly what I intend to do. So I can do it a machine with any version of Pro installed? But not on a XP machine. Right?

I know the machine can handle it -- I already have it running on it. I want to buy an identical one as a backup.

My issue is that I want to install 1511 and not the current version and I wanted to make sure that I can downgrade the version with the key of the later version.

It looks like XP requires a new key that costs $200, so I will get one with any 10Pro.

badrobot said:

Okay. I don't know what to say now. You are buying a backup OS? Or a backup machine? You can make OS backups for FREE. Perhaps, your issue is not knowing how to make backups. We can help with that, too. So that you don't have to reinstall all the time. It is called image backup.

Backup machine. I want to have two identical machines that I keep in sync, such that if anything happens to one I always have the other.

The one I have came with 1511, which I configured, customized and optimized. So I want to install the same version on the new one I am buying and they come with later versions do I needed to know if I can downgrade a later version to 1511 with the key of the later one. XP will cost me $200 to install 1511 on. 10WinPro 1607 or 1703 won't.

My last. If wanting a backup machine and buy one with Win10 on it and you have the .iso for a particular version you could go ahead and set up the new computer with a Microsoft Account which should create a digital license for it, shown as Activated on the right-click of Start button, choose System. Then you could get the .iso available, I prefer a DVD if the computer has such a drive, wipe the HDD/SSD and install the desired version WITH the Ethernet cable plugged in [or maybe Wi-Fi turned on] which should let the install find the Microsoft Account. When finished it should be activated but there's procedures if it isn't.

As far as the new machine, you specified an identical, unfortunately unless purchased at exactly the same time and source they won't be identical. Even if identical in that respect, it takes only the installation of a program on one of them to keep it from being identical with the other.

@oao,

Yes, you can do exactly what you want to do. Let's say you buy a computer with Windows 10 Pro, the latest Creator's Update build activated on it. Yes, you can copy your existing Windows 10 Pro version 1511 over to it and if it doesn't activate automatically with the digital license for the new computer, you can activate with the Product Key. The same Product Key will activate Windows 10 from the original 10240 build all the way up to the most recent CU build, as long as it is the same edition, IE Home or Pro.

I believe WU’s will eventually update you from 1511 going forward: it’s just a matter of time.
I know you want to stay with 1511 and have it configured, customized and optimized the way you want it but be prepared for constant manual 1511 usage which could become counterproductive. Microsoft is in charge of WU’s: even if you get the Pro version where you can delay WU’s, I believe there is a time limit where delaying them comes to an end. Since I’m not in the delaying WU’s method, I can only make this as a general comment.
badrobot has provided excellent recommendations on using system image backups which can help you stay with 1511 as long as you can
And I just noticed Berton's message and I certainly agree with that.

Additionally, I would like to mention, I have serviced XP, 8.1 & 7 computers in which WU’s were not kept up to date which eventually reached a time that caused many problems and I don’t see why the same thing can’t happen in Windows 10.

Berton said:

My last. If wanting a backup machine and buy one with Win10 on it and you have the .iso for a particular version you could go ahead and set up the new computer with a Microsoft Account which should create a digital license for it, shown as Activated on the right-click of Start button, choose System. Then you could get the .iso available, I prefer a DVD if the computer has such a drive, wipe the HDD/SSD and install the desired version WITH the Ethernet cable plugged in [or maybe Wi-Fi turned on] which should let the install find the Microsoft Account. When finished it should be activated but there's procedures if it isn't.

As far as the new machine, you specified an identical, unfortunately unless purchased at exactly the same time and source they won't be identical. Even if identical in that respect, it takes only the installation of a program on one of them to keep it from being identical with the other.

I know the difference between a backup and a backup machine. I need both.

I had instances when the hw failed and I was left without a machine for extended time--can't afford that.

I use one machine when working out of my office and one @home.

When I say I keep them in sync I mean that whatever I install or configure on one I do to the other. And I use OneDrive for syncing.