




Now you’ll want to check that your upgrade from Windows 10 Home worked. Verify that your Windows 10 Pro upgrade was successful.If the key is valid, your PC will now restart to complete the upgrade process. Paste or type your Windows 10 Pro product key and click “Next” to start the upgrade process from Windows 10 Home to Pro. Enter activation settings and open the product key dialogĬlick “Activation” on the right-hand menu and select “Change product key”.Ī blue pop-up with “Enter a product key” will appear.You can get to the activation settings screen by pressing “Windows + I” and changing to the “Updates and Security” section. It’s no longer a two-step process and follows the usual upgrade path. Microsoft has made upgrading from Windows 10 Home to Pro with an older product key much simpler in recent times. With that tip, let’s get into how to upgrade without data loss. Microsoft can revoke stolen keys, so there’s always a risk when using unknown sellers.īut if you already own an older Windows version, you can use that as a free Windows 10 Pro key. Such cheap product keys often work just fine to upgrade Windows 10 Home to Pro, though it’s worth noting that you should verify they’re obtained legitimately. Those you can either find on one of your older PCs and use them for a free upgrade or purchase them for just around $5 on sites like eBay. But Microsoft also still accepts product keys for Windows 7 Professional and Windows 8.1 Pro in its place. Usually, Microsoft charges $200 for a Windows 10 Pro product key, but you may be able to get it much cheaper than that due to a workaround. How to Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Pro at no cost Once you have a Windows 10 Pro product key, which can be free or low cost, you can start in just a few clicks. You’ll know exactly where to start and what to expect.Contrary to popular belief, an upgrade of Windows 10 Home to Pro doesn’t require a system reinstall. And while you’re waiting for the installation to complete, you can check out our Windows 11 review as well as six new features you should try after you make the jump. It’ll make it easier to zip through the process-and recover faster if something happens to go awry. Once you’ve chosen a method for your upgrade, be sure to first look over our Windows 11 upgrade checklist to get all your ducks in a row. You can check out our guide on how to upgrade to Windows 11 for more details on each of these methods. Mac and Linux users will have to flash or burn the ISO file for Windows 11 to a drive or disc, respectively. Windows users should first try the Media Creation Tool for this process, since it does all the work for you. For a clean install, you must create a bootable USB drive or DVD disc. To perform an in-place upgrade, use the Windows 11 Installation Assistant. The Windows 11 download page is where to go for an immediate upgrade.įor both types of upgrades, head to Microsoft’s Windows 11 download page.
