If you’ve purchased a new PC with Windows 11 Home preinstalled, you might be ready to dive right in. However, for power users, the Home edition lacks critical features like connecting to a Windows domain-based network, managing disk encryption, or creating virtual machines.
To access these advanced capabilities, you’ll need to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro. While the upgrade process is straightforward, it’s important to approach it carefully to avoid unnecessary expenses or having to repeat the process after a reinstallation.
In this guide, I’ll walk you through three common scenarios for upgrading from Windows 11 Home to Pro. The process starts with one key requirement.
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Product Key for Windows 11 Home to Pro
Unfortunately, one popular option is no longer available. Previously, you could reuse a product key from Windows 7 Pro, Windows 7 Ultimate, or Windows 8/8.1 Pro to upgrade from Windows 10/11 Home to Windows 10/11 Pro. However, Microsoft closed this loophole in September 2023, when it officially ended the free Windows 10 upgrade program.
If you purchased a retail copy of Windows 10 Pro for an older PC that you’ve since retired, you can reuse the product key from that license. (Keep in mind, OEM keys preinstalled on a PC are not transferable.) Alternatively, you can search for discounted copies of Windows 11 Pro online. While Microsoft lists the retail price at $199, significant discounts are available directly from us here Windows 11 Pro Product Key.
If you’d prefer to avoid using a product key, Microsoft offers a $99 upgrade directly through the Microsoft Store. However, this license is tied to the specific PC used for the upgrade and cannot be transferred to another device.
The good news? You only need to use the product key once. Once you upgrade to Windows 11 Pro, a digital license will be linked to your hardware. This digital license allows you to reinstall and activate the Pro edition automatically on the same device without needing the product key again.
How to upgrade a new PC
Imagine you’ve just purchased a new PC with Windows 11 Home preinstalled by the manufacturer. While some vendors include an upgrade option during the purchase process, most retail PCs come with the Home edition because it’s more cost-effective.
This scenario could also apply if you upgraded an older PC to Windows 11 using the free Windows 10 upgrade offer. For example, if your system originally ran Windows 7 Home or Windows 8.x Home, and you eventually moved to Windows 11, it would fall into this category.
In either case, upgrading to Windows 11 Pro is quick and straightforward, taking just a few minutes.
Go to the Activation page
To begin in Windows 11, navigate to Settings > System > Activation. This will open the activation page. Ensure your system is properly activated before proceeding. If it’s not activated, address that issue first to avoid complications.
Enter a Pro product key
Click the arrow next to the “Upgrade your edition of Windows” heading to expand the section. Find your product key for Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro, then click the “Change product key” button and enter the 25-character key.
Let the upgrade complete
Once you’ve entered the product key, follow the on-screen prompts to begin the upgrade.
Your system will go through several progress screens and restart. Once the upgrade is complete, you’ll see a “Success” notification. To confirm the upgrade, go to Settings > System > Activation and verify that you’re now running Windows 11 Pro and that activation was successful.
Boot from a USB flash drive
To install a fresh copy of Windows on a PC with an existing digital license for Windows 10/11 Pro, start by booting from a USB flash drive with the Windows setup files. The setup files can be dowloaded and a bootable USB flash drive created by using the Windows 11 Media Creation tool.
When you work your way through the installation you will be asked to enter a 25-character activation key. Entering a Windows 11 Pro key will install Windows 11 Pro to your system.
Check the activation status
Once the setup is finished, sign in and check the activation status by going to Settings > System > Activation. If you haven’t made significant hardware changes, Microsoft’s servers will recognize the device, and you should see a notification confirming that the system is activated with a digital license. If activation fails, click Troubleshoot to attempt a fix.
How to restore Windows 11 Pro after a reinstall
The potential issue in these scenarios arises when a system has digital licenses for both the Home and Pro editions. This often happens when you buy a PC with Windows Home preinstalled and later upgrade it using a Pro product key.
In such cases, you might unintentionally restore the original Home edition. I’ve encountered this situation several times while testing Windows installations and upgrades. For instance, I recently used a recovery image to reinstall Windows 11 on a Microsoft Surface Pro that initially came with Windows 11 Home and was upgraded to Pro.
If this happens to you, don’t waste time searching for the product key you used to upgrade. Instead, use Microsoft’s generic product key to force the upgrade and follow the steps outlined below.
Go to the Activation page
Navigate to Settings > System > Activation and check the installed edition and activation status. If you see that Windows 11 Home is activated, expand the “Upgrade your edition of Windows” section and click “Change product key.”
Enter the generic Windows 11 Pro product key
Enter this product key:
VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T
This generic key is designed specifically to switch editions on PCs that already have a properly activated copy of Windows 11 Pro. However, it’s not a catch-all solution. If your hardware doesn’t already have a Pro license, you’ll encounter an activation error and will need to provide a valid product key or purchase an upgrade.
Follow the prompts to complete the upgrade
Follow the on-screen prompts and restart your system to finish the upgrade.
Since you’ve already upgraded to Pro on this hardware, Microsoft’s activation servers will recognize the digital license and automatically activate your newly installed copy.
Windows 11 Home vs Pro
The main difference between Windows Home and Pro editions lies in the support for advanced business features. For everyday tasks, there is little distinction between the two, as both editions share the same user interface and manage files and apps in the same way.
Windows Pro edition, however, includes additional features not available in the Home edition, such as Domain Join, Hyper-V, BitLocker, Microsoft Update for Business, Remote Desktop Server, and Assigned Access. For a detailed comparison, you can visit Microsoft’s website.
