Upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro using this product key

[Batu69]

 

If you’re running Windows 10 Home and want to know whether it’s worth moving on to Windows 10 Pro, there’s a straightforward way of switching between the two versions of Microsoft’s latest operating system.

 

All you need to do is swap your current Windows 10 Home product key for the default Windows 10 Pro one which Microsoft has made available to all users.

 

On the Microsoft Community Forums, Charles of Microsoft says:

 

Quote

From your Windows 10 Home running Version 1511, enter the Windows 10 Pro Default key under change product key.

VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

This default key will not activate the system, just take you to Pro so you can activate using a valid Pro key that you will provide.

Once you have done this, the system will go through an upgrade process from Home to Pro, but will not be activated on Pro.

 

As you can see from the above, while this will upgrade your copy of Windows 10 Home to Pro, what it won’t do is activate it. If you decide you like the Pro version, you will need your own product key to activate the OS and use it permanently.

 

To switch product keys, open Settings and go to Update & security > Activation > Change Product key. Enter the product key from Microsoft (VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T) in the space provided. The upgrade process takes quite a while to complete so be patient.

 

If you want to buy a key for Windows 10 Pro, go the Activation page in Settings and click the Go to Store button.

 

Article source

[steven36]

If you're want the pro version of windows 10 right now would be the best  time  to buy it . While its still almost as cheap as the home version at some sites  .Prices will go up in July 2016.

[mikie]

Just buy something cheap like win7 pro 32bit for $45 in a box & use its key.

[steven36]

1 hour ago, mikie said:

Just buy something cheap like win7 pro 32bit for $45 in a box & use its key.

Once you're hardware goes bad or you need to upgrade you're  hardware or change pcs  you will only have windows 7  the catch to Win 10 free its only good for the life of you're hardeware after July 2016. So its would not be the same as buying Win10  pro were you get a real Win 10 key.

[csmdew]

Are u saying that if u change your hd after jul 2016, after having upgraded to win 10 from win 7 now,  then the new win 10 key u have is not going to work; I do believe you are wrong.

[vibranium]

People have pointed out that Microsoft will store a hardware hash of your system when activating your upgrade-for-free copy of Windows 10.

 

Changing the hard disk does not seem to affect this (I've tried), It is speculated that changing NIC or mainboard would change the hash so much that you need to re-activate. If you're past July 2016 and your hash changes too much, most probably the free activation becomes ineffective.

 

 

[csmdew]

Also you will have the key plus you can call and also get re activated if all else fails to work, I do not believe that if you make changes to your pc after next year your upgrade is history as stated above.

[Jonnyeast]

Hi folks

 

After reading all the above, about changing hardware etc after July 2016

and presuming Win10 will not work (activate) on a new computer or a change of motherboard

I presume that my Win7 will install ok (legit key)

but there will be no option to update to Win10 other than to buy it

Is that right.

 

[vibranium]

Some people are of the view that M$ will extend the offer past July 2016 because of the poor take-up rate.

 

The best answer is that for now the cutoff date stays.

[csmdew]

13 hours ago, Jonnyeast said:

Hi folks

 

After reading all the above, about changing hardware etc after July 2016

and presuming Win10 will not work (activate) on a new computer or a change of motherboard

I presume that my Win7 will install ok (legit key)

but there will be no option to update to Win10 other than to buy it

Is that right.

 

if u stay with 7 and reinstall after cutoff with 7 your key will still work as has been stated by MS; what I'm just saying is, if u upgrade and change out components u will still be able to keep 10 activated after next year's cutoff date.

[steven36]

7 hours ago, csmdew said:

if u stay with 7 and reinstall after cutoff with 7 your key will still work as has been stated by MS; what I'm just saying is, if u upgrade and change out components u will still be able to keep 10 activated after next year's cutoff date.

I posted  it somewhere at this site  before the link too . Speruser site were a guy had to change his motherboard he was called M$ to try to activate it  they give  him the runaround and told him he had to install windows 8 activate it  update it to windows 8.1 then update it to windows 10 then you will be able to clean install on that hardware . Microsoft only gives you the key for life time of you're hardware .

 

If you want  too buy a windows 10 pro its best to buy it in  a box from  like from new egg  it will be as cheap as buying the home version for now  .  According to forbes Microsoft is going charge full retail if you use that method in the 1st post.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2015/12/22/windows-10-free-upgrade-key/

 

But the thing about  windows 10 pro  x64 even though its that cheap for now has only a 3 star rating , With many , many, bad reviews  about windows 10 . So seems there going have a hard time selling it  . Maybe in 2020  people will have no choice unless they want stop using windows but that's 4 years away .  A lot can change in 4 years. People who use windows  7 are mad  about them pushing the update wait tell 4 years  from now when you're  faced with no more security updates  .

 

 

[Jonnyeast]

9 hours ago, csmdew said:

if u stay with 7 and reinstall after cutoff with 7 your key will still work as has been stated by MS; what I'm just saying is, if u upgrade and change out components u will still be able to keep 10 activated after next year's cutoff date.

Thanks for the reply, So if I have to change any components

my upgraded PC with Win10 will still be valid after said date.

or worse case I can just reinstall Win7.

[steven36]

If you plain to replace motherboard  you better do it before July 2016. Microsoft counts it the same as buying a new machine the key is sid  depended  on your hardware ID.

 

Quote

 

However, people running an upgraded version of Windows 10 may need to buy a new copy of Windows 10 if they switch to a new machine or "significantly upgrade the device" - which Microsoft counts as replacing the motherboard.

 

 

 

 

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/windows-10-will-microsoft-charge-you-if-you-need-to-reinstall/

 

If it gives out you will to have install old windows or buy / you could pirate it lol .

[Jonnyeast]

Thanks for reply steven36

 

I guess if I'm going to do any hardware upgrades on any of my computers

 

I'd be wise to do it sooner rather than later!

 

before upgrading to Win10

 

thanks

[mona]

One scenario bothers me a lot :

 

My desktop consists  of 2 hdds with 2 OS-es installed in dual boot.

I got legit box W7 license and so my main system  is W7.

Let's  say I upgrade now my W7 to W10 to get free legit copy of W10.. 

So my old W7 box key will be replaced by shitty W10 registration closely tied up to the existing hardware.

 

What is gonna happen if after that I would restore my old W7 from my image backup (so already activated)  to the separate partition on the second hdd - as the second OS of my dual boot rig ?  Will this old W7 key be still valid and working,  even it was previously used to get free W10 upgrade ?

[VileTouch]

34 minutes ago, mona said:

One scenario bothers me a lot :

 

My desktop consists  of 2 hdds with 2 OS-es installed in dual boot.

I got legit box W7 license and so my main system  is W7.

Let's  say I upgrade now my W7 to W10 to get free legit copy of W10.. 

So my old W7 box key will be replaced by shitty W10 registration closely tied up to the existing hardware.

 

What is gonna happen if after that I would restore my old W7 from my image backup (so already activated)  to the separate partition on the second hdd - as the second OS of my dual boot rig ?  Will this old W7 key be still valid and working,  even it was previously used to get free W10 upgrade ?

your w7 license remains intact, and it's valid to activate both 7 and 10, but only one at a time.

the edition of 10 you will get is the same as the edition of 7 you have down to the architecture (x86 or x64) except ultimate (but ultimate is not for sale on retail anyway)

also, i suggest replacing the dual boot with a virtualized environment. (i recommend vmware over virtual box or others. much better performance and compatibility. specially with gpu.)

 

the only exception to discourage virtualization over dual boot would be if you use specialty drivers for some devices (you absolutely know it if you do). such as wi-fi (wink) or custom video drivers.

[csmdew]

4 hours ago, steven36 said:

I posted  it somewhere at this site  before the link too . Speruser site were a guy had to change his motherboard he was called M$ to try to activate it  they give  him the runaround and told him he had to install windows 8 activate it  update it to windows 8.1 then update it to windows 10 then you will be able to clean install on that hardware . Microsoft only gives you the key for life time of you're hardware .

 

If you want  too buy a windows 10 pro its best to buy it in  a box from  like from new egg  it will be as cheap as buying the home version for now  .  According to forbes Microsoft is going charge full retail if you use that method in the 1st post.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonkelly/2015/12/22/windows-10-free-upgrade-key/

 

But the thing about  windows 10 pro  x64 even though its that cheap for now has only a 3 star rating , With many , many, bad reviews  about windows 10 . So seems there going have a hard time selling it  . Maybe in 2020  people will have no choice unless they want stop using windows but that's 4 years away .  A lot can change in 4 years. People who use windows  7 are mad  about them pushing the update wait tell 4 years  from now when you're  faced with no more security updates  .

 

 

yea I know what you're saying but u know components don't really mean MBs, I mean that's like buying another pc. I was talking about general components that we all change from time to time, video, mem, audio, and stuff like that.

[vibranium]

On ‎12‎/‎22‎/‎2015 at 10:31 PM, csmdew said:

Also you will have the key plus you can call and also get re activated if all else fails to work, I do not believe that if you make changes to your pc after next year your upgrade is history as stated above.

 

The hash for the "digital entitlement" is calculated at the time of activation (i.e. before July 2016). If Microsoft ends this free update scheme in July, and your hash is altered in a big way after that, having a Win7 or Win8 key will no longer help you reactivate.

[mona]

On 22 grudzień 2015 at 5:56 AM, vibranium said:

People have pointed out that Microsoft will store a hardware hash of your system when activating your upgrade-for-free copy of Windows 10.

 

Changing the hard disk does not seem to affect this (I've tried), It is speculated that changing NIC or mainboard would change the hash so much that you need to re-activate. If you're past July 2016 and your hash changes too much, most probably the free activation becomes ineffective.

 

 

 

What does NIC stand for ?

[vibranium]

NIC = network interface controller or network interface card

[mona]

5 hours ago, VileTouch said:

your w7 license remains intact, and it's valid to activate both 7 and 10, but only one at a time.

the edition of 10 you will get is the same as the edition of 7 you have down to the architecture (x86 or x64) except ultimate (but ultimate is not for sale on retail anyway)

also, i suggest replacing the dual boot with a virtualized environment. (i recommend vmware over virtual box or others. much better performance and compatibility. specially with gpu.)

 

the only exception to discourage virtualization over dual boot would be if you use specialty drivers for some devices (you absolutely know it if you do). such as wi-fi (wink) or custom video drivers.

 

I use to use both :  virtualized  enviroment (VMware workstation)  AND  dual boot, but for different purposes.

More details on that  a bit later. 

[csmdew]

u'll get re-activated if u replace a nic, put odds on it; u might have to call in to MS to get it though.

[mikie]

I change wifi nic sort of often, also cpu's ... never has effected activation on the free win10.

Supposedly a retail or purchased key can be moved to another machine, but oem key will not.

You can use your win7/8 keys now to activate windows 10 newer builds and once that is on the activation server it should be able to be moved to a new motherboard anytime in the future.

 

My guess is this free upgrade is a test for Microsoft and promotion to the masses too - when the free deal end date arrives... they will probably have a new free deal.  Cant sell this windows 10 thing for money if they expect to force upon you their source of advertising revenue and other app / software license sales from.

[steven36]

2 hours ago, mikie said:

My guess is this free upgrade is a test for Microsoft and promotion to the masses too - when the free deal end date arrives... they will probably have a new free deal.  Cant sell this windows 10 thing for money if they expect to force upon you their source of advertising revenue and other app / software license sales from.

I don't think so  they cant expect business to really buy it if they keep giving it free to home users.  Actually them giving it away free  has not went the way they planed at all . Giving away something free  and still no great results ? To the point there trying  to force people  to take something that's free?

 

The way i see it if it were all that , witch i know from my own personal  experience its not , they would be happy to upgrade for free , They cant even give it away so they have to force it on people.  So how do  they  ever expect  to sell it to business ? Windows 10 was not the 1st windows they gave away Windows 7 was free for a time to users who bought new Vista machines within a year of its release it went on to be one of the best selling windows ever. 

 

The whole PC computer industry is loosening out big time  for years from Win 8 and now Win 10.

1. A lot people are using phones instead pcs now .

2 The economy  is not in good shape

3. Were windows 10 is free everyone is holding on  to what they have regardless  if they upgrade or not .

4. Computer vendors  rely of the fact windows 10 wont be free so maybe they can recover in 2017.

5. If it were me.  i would not rely on something they cant giveaway to get me out of a jam they been in for years.

 

[vibranium]

3 hours ago, mikie said:

I change wifi nic sort of often, also cpu's ... never has effected activation on the free win10.

 

That's very interesting.

 

Is your Windows 10 activated from pre-loaded Windows 8? If it is, then Microsoft will check against the Win8 key that is stored on your motherboard