Upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro
Entering a Windows 11 Pro key upgrades Home in place, with your files and apps kept
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Last Update 10 days ago
Upgrading Windows 11 Home to Pro takes your Windows 11 Pro key and a restart. Windows changes edition in place, so your files, apps and settings stay as they were, and nothing needs reinstalling.
Steps
- Check that Windows 11 Home is activated, which Microsoft recommends before the upgrade. The status is in Settings > System > Activation.
- Select Start, then Settings > System > Activation.
- Next to Change product key, select Change.
- Approve the User Account Control prompt with an administrator account.
- Type your 25-character Windows 11 Pro key and select Next.
- Windows applies the upgrade and restarts the PC.
After the upgrade
Settings > System > About shows Windows 11 Pro under Windows specifications, and Settings > System > Activation shows Windows as activated. Then link the licence to your Microsoft account, as described in Link your Windows licence to a Microsoft account.
Good to know
- The upgrade only goes one way. Going from Pro back to Home means a clean installation.
- If an error code appears, Windows activation error codes explains what it means. Microsoft lists 0x803FA067 with its invalid key codes, and it's often reported when an edition upgrade doesn't go through.
- Our blog's comparison of Windows 11 Home and Pro covers what Pro adds, from BitLocker to Remote Desktop.