Some vendors offer an upgrade option as part of the purchase, but many PCs sold in the retail channel are preloaded with Home edition. Let's say you buy a new PC with Windows 10 Home installed by the OEM. I've been testing upgrade/activation scenarios on a wide variety of hardware over the years to see how things work. Since then, they have simplified the process dramatically. Microsoft first made this option available in Windows 10 version 1511. This scenario worked during the early Windows 10 upgrade program, and after some testing and multiple reports from independent testers worldwide I can confirm that it still succeeds in 2021, more than five years later. After you complete the upgrade from Windows 10 Home, the Windows 10 Pro digital license is attached to the specific hardware you just upgraded, allowing you to reinstall that edition of Windows on that hardware anytime, without the need for a product key. Or perhaps you have a shrink-wrapped retail copy of Windows 7 Professional or Ultimate, where the license associated with the product key is no longer in use.īest of all, you only need to use the older product key one time. Maybe you still have a key for one of the heavily discounted upgrades to Windows 8 Pro that Microsoft offered in the first few months after that product's ill-fated launch in 2012. It's worth rummaging through your garage, storeroom, or email archives to see if you can locate one of those old keys. In recent versions of Windows 10, the upgrade from Home to Pro is quick and easy. In fact, you can use a product key from any of these older Windows versions to perform a clean install or to upgrade to Pro. You could pay $99 for an upgrade, but before you reach for your wallet, consider a less expensive option.ĭo you have an old product key from Windows 7 Pro, Windows 7 Ultimate, or Windows 8/8.1 Pro lying around? Those keys can be reused to enable an upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro, potentially saving you the upgrade fee. This down-market edition (maybe we should just call it Windows for Cheapskates) doesn't have the features you need for getting real work done: Remote Desktop server access, BitLocker disk encryption, group policy support, and control over when updates get installed, just for starters. If you purchase a new PC with Windows 10 Home preinstalled, prepare to be annoyed. These laptops - from ASUS, Dell, Lenovo, and other vendors - are new and available for purchase today. Best cheap Windows 10 laptops under $350 in 2021

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