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For example, you'll need a valid product key to install and activate Windows 10 Pro on a device that had Windows 10 Home installed. During the installation, you’ll be asked to enter a valid product key.
Find your product key in the confirmation email you received after buying Windows 10 or Windows 11 in a digital locker accessible through the retailer’s website.
Learn how to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro, including how to use a valid product key or the Microsoft Store.
You might see this error if you entered a product key for the Enterprise edition of Windows to activate Windows 10 Home or Windows 10 Pro. Try entering a product key that matches the edition of Windows on your device.
You can only enter a new product key by going to Settings > Update & Security > Activation and selecting Change product key. Command line tools like slmgr.vbs won’t allow a product key from either of these two editions to be injected into Windows.
Learn how to upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro to access more advanced security and networking features.
A product key is a 25-character code that's used to activate Windows and helps verify that Windows hasn't been used on more PCs than the Microsoft Software License Terms allow. Windows 11 and Windows 10 : In most cases, Windows 11 and Windows 10 activates automatically using a digital license and doesn’t require you to enter a product key.
After you upgrade to Windows 10, you can reinstall or do a clean installation on the same device. You won't need a product key to reactivate Windows 10 on the same hardware. For more info on how to create your own Windows 10 installation media, see the Microsoft software download website.
If you used a product key to get to Windows 10, then you’ll need that key again after the hardware change. To find out how to locate your key, see Find your Windows product key. For more info about product keys and digital licenses, see Activate Windows.
To activate using your digital license, you'll need to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro: Save your work and close any open apps. In the troubleshooter, select Upgrade to Windows 10 Pro .