How to Upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro Edition

Windows 11 is available in two editions: Home and Pro. While the Home edition is suitable for home and office users, Windows 11 Pro offers more business-orientated features such as BitLocker, Group Policy, Remote Desktop, and many other features. You can upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Pro if you desire more advanced capabilities. There are multiple ways to upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro.

The majority of new desktops and laptops ship with Windows 11 or Windows 10 Home. Even while the Home edition is enough for the majority of simple users, it is likely to have a limited amount of features and functionalities. However, if you are a professional or manage a business, you may wish to use Windows 11 Pro's additional capabilities, such as Remote Desktop, Mobile Device Management, BitLocker Drive Encryption, and Group Policy.

The Windows 11 Pro edition is primarily designed for business and professional PCs. It will have all the features and functions of the Home edition, plus a few extra ones that aren't in the Home edition.

There are various Windows 11 editions, including Home, Professional, Enterprise, and Education. There are distinct features in each edition that are tailored to specific user types. However, Windows 11 Home cannot be upgraded to Windows 11 Enterprise. To accomplish this, a Windows 11 Enterprise product key and a clean installation of the Enterprise version are required. Currently, you can only upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro without reinstalling the operating system.

In this tutorial, we'll show you how to upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Professional using the Windows Store or the Pro product key.

Windows 11 Home vs Windows 11 Pro Edition

For the majority of users, the options are Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro. These are the two versions available at most stores and installed on new computers. Both are directed towards distinct demographics.

The Home edition is the basic version for those who mostly use it at home. The Pro Edition, on the other hand, is superior for business users and professionals who typically use the device for work. Windows 11 Pro also includes numerous additional security and business features.

The Home and Pro editions have the same fundamental and essential features. However, the Home model lacks some of the Pro edition's enhanced security and connection features. If the desired feature is not available in Windows 11 Home, you must upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. Once you've opted to upgrade, you can use this guide.

If you are unsure about your Windows version, right-click the Start menu and select "Settings." You can also open the Window Settings app by pressing and holding Windows+I.

Select the "System" tab in the Settings application. Select "About" by scrolling down and clicking on the option.

Under "Windows Specifications" on the About page, you may determine the version of Windows 11 you have.

To upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro, a valid product key or digital license is required. Alternately, you must purchase an upgrade from the Microsoft Store.

How to Upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro via Microsoft Store

Currently, Windows 11 is not available on the Microsoft Store, so you must initiate the upgrade via the Settings app. The license to upgrade from the Home edition to the Pro edition costs around $100. For this to function, you must have a valid Windows 10 Home license on your computer. If you do not already own Windows 10 Home, the new Pro version will set you back approximately $199.99.

1. Open Windows Settings by right-clicking the Start Menu (the Windows icon) and choosing "Settings" or by pressing Windows+I.

2. On the left panel, click "System," scroll down the System Settings on the right, and click "Activation."

You can also choose the "About" option at the very bottom of the "System" settings.

On the About Settings page, under Related settings, click the "Product key and activation" link.

3. It will direct you to the page where you may activate Windows 11. Here, you can enlarge the section titled "Update your Windows version." Evidently, you can either change the product key (which we'll cover in the following section) or purchase the upgrade using the Microsoft Store app.

4. Click "Open Store" to access the Microsoft Store application and purchase an upgraded license.

5. The Microsoft Store will explain the feature differences between the Home and Pro versions of Windows and give you the opportunity to purchase the upgrade. To acquire the new pro license, click "Buy." The upgrade (Pro license) for Windows 11 Home users will cost roughly $99. In the image below, the pricing is displayed in Indian rupees, although it should cost approximately $99; the price may vary by currency and area.

6. In the Windows Security prompt box, enter the password or PIN for your computer.

7. Click "Next" in the following window.

8. Fill out the billing information, if you haven't already.

9. After the purchase, the upgrade is implemented. Then, restart your computer to activate the enhanced features of the Pro edition. Windows 11 Pro been installed on your computer.

How to Upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro with Product Key

You can also switch from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro by using a free product key for Windows 10 Pro. You can also use Windows 8/8.1 Pro or Windows 7 Pro keys to install and activate Windows 11 Pro.

If you don't have a product key for Windows 11 Pro, you can buy one from the Microsoft website or a trusted online store. If you have a Pro product key, you must remove the license from the old PC and use the same key on the new PC. Follow these steps to get Windows 11 Home upgraded for free to Windows 11 Pro:

1. Open the Windows Settings app and click the "System" tab on the left side.

2. Click the "Activation" button.

3. On the Activation page, expand the "Upgrade your version of Windows" option and click the "Change" button next to "Change product key."

4. To run the Windows Activation tool, you may need to get permission from an administrator. Then, a window that says "Enter a product key" will show up. Here, you can enter the product key for Windows 10 Pro or an older version of Pro and click "Next."

5. Click "Start" to start the process of upgrading.

When the upgrade is done, your PC will restart on its own to reflect the changes. If not, you'll have to manually restart your PC to make sure all the changes from Windows 11 Pro take effect.

How to Upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro using Command Prompt

You can also use Command Prompt to change Windows 11 Home to Pro. This method also needs a Windows 11 Pro, Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10 Pro product key.

First, open the Command Prompt as Administrator. To do this, use Windows search to look for "Command Prompt" or "cmd." Then, from the list on the right, choose "Run as administrator."

How to Find Windows 11 Product Key

First, you need to find your Windows 11 Product Key and write it down somewhere safe. You can skip this step if you already know your product key. If Windows was already on your computer when you bought it, it most likely has a digital license.

You should always write down your product key somewhere else before you change it. Most of the time, your computer's motherboard is where the digital license is kept. You can also find the digital license/product key on the physical copy of Windows. But you probably lost or got rid of the box Windows came in. You might not have your product key with you because you were careless.

Still, you don't have to worry if you can't find your product key on paper. You won't have much trouble finding it on your computer. Here's how: Type the following command at an elevated Command prompt and hit the Enter key:

OA3xOriginalProductKey = wmic path softwareLicensingService get

How to Change Product Key to Upgrade Edition

After writing down your product key, type the following commands in the same order. Press Enter after each.

slmgr.vbs /upk

The current product key will be removed by this command. When prompted, click "OK."

slmgr.vbs /cpky

With this command, the product key will be removed from the registry. When prompted, click "OK."

slmgr.vbs /ckms

This command will remove the machine name from the Key Management Service. Your OS no longer has the product key.

Now, type the following command or copy and paste it, then press Enter.

DISM.com/online/Get-TargetEditions

On the screen, you will see a list of the Windows editions to which you can upgrade.

If "Target edition: Professional" is on the list, you can only upgrade to Windows 10 Pro.

To upgrade the edition, type the following command: (replace the sample product key with your Pro product key)

sc config LicenseManager start= auto & net start LicenseManager

sc config wuauserv start= auto & net start wuauserv

changepk.exe /productkey RK8FG-HTPTM-9C7SM-9PMIT-3VS55

exit

Now, wait for the upgrading process to finish, and then restart your system.

If you want to switch back to Windows 11 Home Edition, use the commands above to remove the Pro key, then use your Home product key to switch back to the Home Edition. If you have an OEM license, however, your computer will automatically start the Home edition when you remove the Pro product key.

So, that's how to move from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro Edition. If you have trouble upgrading, just leave a comment below and we will help you.