Thursday, May 24, 2018

Is Windows 10 OEM Home upgrade to Pro possible?


I am considering purchasing the desktop computer that fits my requirements, except it comes with Windows 10 Home while I need the Pro edition. Is an upgrade of the OEM version after purchase offered by Microsoft, and, if indeed possible, how much does it currently cost, roughly, in the US--is it significantly less expensive than the new OS license, which is $200?




I read the Microsoft's Windows 10 Upgrade page, but I cannot make sense of it. The closest statement that seems to apply is



If you don't have a digital license for Windows 10 Pro, Windows 10 Pro is available for purchase from the Microsoft Store.



which possibly implies that there is no upgrade option whatsoever (and the FAQ makes no distinction between retail and OEM). But this is possibly contradicted by my finding posts from people succeeding through quite complex upgrade paths. All in all, I am lost and confused.


Answer




Is Windows 10 OEM Home upgrade to Pro possible?



Yes, absolutely! The fact that it is Windows 10 Home from an OEM source is inconsequential when you want to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.



...if indeed possible, how much does it currently cost, roughly, in the US--is it significantly less expensive than the new OS license, which is $200?



The current price is about half that much ($99.99), and the entire procedure is relatively easy:




  1. In your Windows 10 Home PC, open Settings, and click/tap on the Update & security icon.

  2. Click/tap on Activation on the left side, and click/tap on Go to Store on the right side:


    Go to store


  3. To purchase Windows 10 Pro, click/tap on the $99.99 button


    Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro


  4. Follow the rest of the onscreen instructions to buy Windows 10 Pro.

  5. Click/tap on Start to begin the upgrade process:


    Click on Start


  6. After preparing, Windows will automatically restart and start upgrading to Windows 10 Pro.


    Preparing for upgrade


  7. When the entire procedure is done and you log back into Windows, you will be greeted with a screen that says Edition upgrade completed:


    Edition upgrade completed




(Source: Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro)


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