Can Windows 10 Home be upgraded to Windows 10 pro?

How do you use Windows? Do you run more applications than the average person or need more remote capability? If so, then you’ve probably outgrown your use for the standard Windows 10 operating system. Windows 10 Pro might be for you.

Contents

• Step 1: Check your Windows version
• Step 2: Click to upgrade
• Step 3: Purchase a product key
• Step 4: Restart your PC

That’s not to say that Windows 10 Home doesn’t check a lot of boxes for most people, but upgrading to Windows 10 Pro can elevate your work experience. To upgrade to the Windows 10 Pro, follow our straightforward guide.

Not sure which version of Windows is for you? Check out our head-to-head comparison of Home, Pro, and S Mode.

Step 1: Check your Windows version

Before getting started with upgrading, you should check to see which version your PC is running. To do so, head to the search box in the Windows 10 Taskbar, or click on the Start Menu. Next, type in About. 

In the list of results that appear, click on About Your PC, which will launch a settings window. Scroll down to the bottom portion of the screen, and check under Windows Specifications to see which version of Windows you’re running. If it lists Windows 10 Pro, then there will be no need to upgrade. If not, proceed to Step 2.

Step 2: Click to upgrade

Next up, in that same window, click on Change product key or upgrade your edition of Windows. Doing so should open up the Activation settings page. You will now see two ways to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro.

If you’ve already purchased a Windows 10 Pro product key, you can click on Change Product Key and simply enter your key to upgrade. Windows will check the key against Microsoft servers. Once it validates your computer will download some of the required files for Windows 10 Pro, prompt you to reboot, and then switch you into the new version of the operating system.

Step 3: Purchase a product key

If you don’t already have a Windows 10 Pro product key, you can purchase a one-time upgrade from the built-in Microsoft Store in Windows. Simply click the Go to the Store link to open the Microsoft Store.

Through the Microsoft Store, a one-time upgrade to Windows 10 Pro will cost $99. You can pay with a credit or debit card linked to your Microsoft Account.

Step 4: Restart your PC

It isn’t necessary to download files manually. Microsoft Store will immediately download the necessary ones after your purchase. All you need to do is restart your computer, and you’ll be able to see and access Windows 10 Pro and its display, features, modern security settings, and more.

In our opinion, Windows 10 Pro’s $99 upgrade is well worth the price for any Windows user. Buying Windows 10 Pro outright instead of upgrading will save you more money, though. If you’re already anticipating needing Windows 10 Pro’s more advanced tech, you might want to buy this OS instead of upgrading later.

The standalone cost of a Windows 10 home license is $140. The Windows 10 Pro upgrade is about $100, which brings your overall cost to $240. Typically, Windows 10 Pro will cost you $200 just on its own. The initial upgrade could save you $40 instead of waiting till later.

Editors' Recommendations

• Best Microsoft Office deals for December 2022
• Microsoft warns that relying on Internet Explorer may cause disruptions
• Don’t waste your money on a MacBook Air. Just buy a Chromebook instead
• Microsoft Word Free Trial: Get a month of service for free
• Windows 11 vs. Windows 10: Finally time to upgrade?

Do you want to upgrade from Windows 10 Home edition to Windows 10 Pro edition? Want to buy the Pro license and upgrade to the same from Windows 10 Home edition? Would you like to upgrade from Windows 10 Home edition to Pro without the product key? In this article, we will see how to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro with ease.

Difference between Windows 10 Home and Pro

The Home edition of Windows 10 is designed for home users, and it is perfect for most users who do not need the advanced security and business features available in the Pro edition. The Pro edition offers advanced features like BitLocker, Group Policy, Domain Join, Remote Desktop, Hyper-V, and Azure Active Directory. Go through our difference between Windows 10 Home and Pro editions for detailed information.

Can I upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro for free?

While you can upgrade a non-activated Windows 10 Home edition install to the Pro edition, you need to activate the install to keep on using the Windows 10 Pro after the initial 30-day trial period.

Upgrade from Windows 10 Home edition to Pro edition is not free. In other words, even if you have an activated copy of the Windows 10 Home edition, you need to purchase the upgrade license and activate the install before or after upgrading to the Pro edition.

Upgrading Windows 10 Home to Pro edition

Here is how to upgrade from Windows 10 Home edition to Pro edition with a few mouse clicks.

Step 1: Open the Settings app by either clicking the Settings icon on the left side of the Start menu or using the Windows logo + I hotkey.

Step 2: Once the Settings app is launched, go to Update & security > Activation page to see the current activation status of your Windows 10 Home edition installation.

Step 3: As you can see in the picture below, we’re upgrading from a non-activated install of Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro edition without entering a product key. So you don’t need to have an activated install of Windows 10 Home to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro edition.

Step 4: Click the button labeled Go to Store to open the Store app.

Step 5: Clicking the Go to Store button will open the following page of the Store app. To upgrade from Home edition to Pro edition, click Upgrade to Pro button.

If you want to buy the Pro edition license right away, click the $99.99 or $119.99 button right before the Upgrade to Pro button. The $99.99 button appears when you are trying the upgrade to Pro edition on an activated install of Windows 10 Home edition. The $119.99 button will be shown when you are upgrading a non-activated Windows 10 Home edition to the Professional edition (here you will be purchasing the Pro edition, not just the upgrade license).

Note that you can upgrade to the Pro edition without a key or license. If you like the Pro edition after trying out the features it offers, you can purchase the key later by performing the instructions mentioned above again.

While purchasing the Professional edition from the Store, you will need to provide your Microsoft account details.

Step 6: Finally, you will see the following page with information about features that you will get by upgrading to the Pro edition.

As said before, the setup will not remove your files and programs while upgrading from Windows 10 Home Edition to Pro edition. That said, it’s a good idea to backup important files before making any significant changes to your operating system.

Step 7: Click the Start upgrade button and then click the Yes, let’s go button when you see the confirmation dialog with the “Have you saved all your files?” message to begin upgrading your Windows 10 Home edition to Pro edition.

Your PC might be restarted during the upgrade process, but the upgrade is done on most PCs without a restart.

Depending on your PC’s configuration, the upgrade process might take from a few minutes to hours. On most PCs, the upgrade process should be done in less than 30 minutes.

Once Windows 10 Home Pro edition upgrade is done, you will see Edition upgrade completed notification. That’s all! You may now start exploring new features of the Windows 10 Pro edition.

If you have upgraded a non-activated Windows 10 Home edition to Windows 10 Pro edition, you may now activate your Windows 10 install. If you want to know the activation status, please refer to our check if your Windows 10 install is activated article.