Method of buying Home to Pro Upgrade that gets a Re-usable Key?

NavyLCDR · 31 Jan 2017

ondablade said:

Ho hum. Thanks guys. Seems like MS support may not be all that reliable.

Is getting past the Home key in the UEFI difficult, or just a matter of selecting one of whatever number of presented options?

Create a PID.txt file containing the following text:

[PID]
Value=XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

The Xs get replaced with your Windows 10 Pro product key. If your Windows 10 Pro activation is with a digital license, then insert the generic product key: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

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

Windows 10 decides which version (Home or Pro) to install in the following order:

1. Finding a product key in the PID.txt file
2. Finding a product key in UEFI/BIOS
3. The user manually enters a product key when asked for one
4. No product key is found or entered - then the user is asked for Home or Pro

alphanumeric · 31 Jan 2017

If you install with stock unmodified install media and an embedded key is detected, you won't be asked for a key of given a choice of what version is installed. It will auto install the version matching the detected key. In that case you do as posted above. You add a PID.txt file to your install media. Very easy to do if your using a USB thumb drive.

Superfly · 31 Jan 2017

Fafhrd said:

MS is phasing out the 'product key' in favour of a licensing system based on the hardware (i.e Motherboard) that Windows 10 is installed upon, and stored by MS online on their activation server system.

They want you to register this by linking it to your Microsoft Account (MSA) then use your MSA if you need to transfer your retail product to replacement hardware.

In other words... "Big Brother" - total (remote) control... just a way of forcing MSA, IMHO....good luck to those requiring MS support btw.

jimbo45 · 01 Feb 2017

Hi there

Another possibility

If you have an old W7 / W8 / W8.1 installation (or media) or old TechNet keys for these - you CAN still upgrade to W10 FREE -- not sure when Ms will close this particular upgrade path but 2 days ago (Jan 30)it was still working (I created a new W10 x64 pro VM using W7 Ultimate as the upgrade path. No problem with W10 activation - and it's FULL RETAIL).

I'm not even sure if the W7 system has to be activated first either --I simply entered the Key when installing the W10 OS - didn't even need to have W7 installed first.

Cheers
jimbo

alphanumeric · 01 Feb 2017

Originally when the free upgrade offer first started, the qualifying OS had to be installed and activated. You had to upgrade and activate Windows 10 before you could clean install and activate 10 on that same PC. Windows 10 install media only accepted Windows 10 keys. Latter on the install media was altered to accept Windows 8 and 7 keys on a clean install, no having to upgrade first. It's still coded that way, and reads Windows 8 and 10 OEM keys. I wish it wouldn't read the Windows 8 keys but it does. It will be interesting to see what keys are accepted on the next consumer release build. And if the unofficial free upgrade stops at that time.

ondablade · 01 Feb 2017

Thank you again guys. As ever it's easy when you know how. I find I just can't hold that sort of detailed information in my head unless I use it fairly regularly - it fades very quickly.

I'm simply looking to change the OEM Win 10 Home on a new notebook for Pro Jimbo. The whole upgrade path deal seems to have lots of kinks.

I'm off now to get on with it....