Windows 11 Home to Pro

You do own the Windows 10 home and pro licenses?

The only way I can think to get the insider Windows 11 pro version is to clean install windows 10 pro (with valid license) and rejoin the inisder program and start from there again. Then your windows 10 pro license will become a valid windows 11 pro license

Thanks for that thought, sadly the laptop in question is now loaded with a wealth of other programmes and a fresh clean restart, for a second time is not a viable option.

I was hoping that perhaps there was a valid work around within the Insider Dev Channel knowledge base that I could effect.

It would have been good if Microsoft themselves had thought about this issue .. first time I've encountered the problem but then I'm only running three Insider PC's not many millions!

Have you tried putting the Pro licence in Windows 11, if your hardware supports it , it is a free upgrade so the Pro licence should work.

Is there a way to upgrade to Win 11 Pro?

Jonathan

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Hello Jonathan,

Please check the following thread I answered for couple others with same concern:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/all/windows-11-insider-edition/5f9bd0dc-53d9-426e-ac9b-554551892e1e

Note: offline when entering the generic key.

Regards,

BryceSor,

I did try that .. thought it was all going to run through as "the motions did appear to be being followed", (percentage update completed counter and so so on), but then at the end it rejected the upgrade.

Hi Johnny,

Thanks for the link .. this may have worked if this laptop had 10 Pro on at some time however it didn't. The "update" process that engaged as I started the brand new laptop recognised me and that I was a Dev Channel Insider and started the Win 11 download .. as soon as that was starting to download I couldn't update to 10 Pro because of the "pending 11 install".

Very frustrating especially as I now do not have features and facilities that I really need.

I am loath to go back to a clean install as my laptop is my primary PC and is already loaded with a significant amount of number of programmes.

There must be a fix that can be implemented from Microsoft that does not compromise their income stream but I cannot see it at the moment.

Hi.

If you have a Windows 10 Pro license, that should be valid for Windows 11, too, shouldn't it ?

The upgrade from Home to Pro should be simple. It is something like an enablement package, I believe.

When in Windows 11 Home, go to Change Product Key and enter the Windows 10 Pro key. That should be it. The upgrade should begin.

I haven't done this at all, though.

Good luck.

Very frustrating especially as I now do not have features and facilities that I really need.

I am loath to go back to a clean install as my laptop is my primary PC and is already loaded with a significant amount of number of programmes.

Hate so say it but you shouldn't run insider builds on primary and production machines.

Dev and Beta channel builds can cause issues and will have bugs.

If you have a Windows 10 Pro license, that should be valid for Windows 11, too, shouldn't it ?

The upgrade from Home to Pro should be simple. It is something like an enablement package, I believe.

When in Windows 11 Home, go to Change Product Key and enter the Windows 10 Pro key. That should be it. The upgrade should begin.

Hi Suat,

Yes it would Suat. You do not need to change to Pro on W10 first. As long as the device itself was Activated at some point with Pro, the generic key only enables the change of window versions. W11 would detect the previous Activation of Pro as it does in a total clean install.

If for example, the device was "Never Activated" with Pro, changing versions would result in an non-activated device.

The laptop that I upgraded to Pro, can switch back and forth between Home & Pro, it remains Activated in either as it is now licensed for both. Activation is tied into the Hardware ID now on MS servers. Nothing has changed here with W11.

Granted, there was a verify issue with total clean install of W11, MS fixed back in build 22000.65.

Regards,

Hello Jonathon,

You should still be able to upgrade to Pro through the Store as W11 is based on W10. All my devices are already at Pro so I looked at Workstation from W11 and is available, but have no use for that. It will upgrade to Pro after a reboot. You just need that key upgrade. Activation has not changed. As a note, I assume this laptop is W11 compliant, you might not want to change this if it is not.