I want to upgrade my Windows 10 Home Dell XPS 15 9550 to Windows 10 Pro for RD and Bitlocker. I have two Windows 10 Pro OEM keys, but it appears that I can not use those in the upgrade option for some reason? Why is that and is there a way around it?
My understanding is OEM means Original Equipment Manufacturer. You are not that. So the keys are no good for what you want. perhaps if you wipe the disc clean and do a new install, but personally Iâd buy a new HDD and use that in your machine to put pro on. Be aware that Iâm home schooled about computers so what I say should be served with a lot of salt.
I am not a lover of upgrades. Do a fresh install.
Transfer your files onto another drive and install fresh. Move your files in. If everything is good after a period of time, delete your windows old file.
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You canât use those keys because the version of windows you got pre-installed is custom from OEM.
If you want to put a blank OEM version on your computer then you need to reinstall. Note, this means that you loose all the bundled software that came with the computer; usually is all garbage but some people like garbage so its up to you.
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It doesnât generally work to try to upgrade using OEM keys but if you use the pro key when you do a fresh OS install, itâll work.
Fun Fact Microsoft isnât telling you: You can still use existing windows 7 and 8 or 8.1 keys to activate windows 10 as long as you do a fresh install and you type the product key yourself. (I can prove that with about 4 machines belonging to myself and my friends)
If you need to extract your product key, you can use âProdukeyâ.
This is correct.
This is not correct. OEM keys can and do work for OEM copies of windows installation. I have used OEM keys with a Dell ISO I made in the past without issue.
This. You dont even have to move your files, just dont format the drive and windows will automatically move everything from the old install to a âwindows.oldâ folder for you to go through later.
See above. The only thing âcustomâ about these installs is logos and backgrounds.
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Are you absolutely sure that you have OEM keys and not retail keys? There is a difference and one will not work for the other (without a tweak of course).
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How are you trying to âupgradeâ? are you using an ISO and choosing upgrade, or are you just typing in the new key to the existing installation and trying to activate?
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Is there any error message you get when trying to âupgradeâ
I did try to do a fresh install when I bought the conputer. But the key is saved to the BIOS somehow. I think.
Donât forget about the wonderful bloatware! 
Thats applied during drive imaging at the factory. It has nothing to do with the OEM installation discs. Though most OEMs dont provide discs anymore, the ISOs that can be had are separate from the bloatware included from the factory windows install.
Correct. But I prefer to move my files from another drive. I find it much faster to reorganize and be back up and running.
I tend to always forget something so its nice to have it all there and then delete everything else waaaay down the road. Iâm very disorganised when it comes to files and stuff. Search has made me lazy.
- I am absolutely positive they are two Windows 10 Pro OEM keys. They were for my new system builds.
- I am trying to upgrade using the built in Windows tool. (recently) I also tried a fresh install with Windows Instillation Media, but it just used the original key for Home from the factory because it is somehow embedded in the damned computer. So I never actually got to the screen to put in my license key. (This was around December when I got the computer)
- When I try to upgrade with the built in Windows tool it just tells me that Itâs not a supported key I believe.
I would follow this:
Enter in the key listed there. Then use your pro key.
Just be careful with this upgrade path unless you are sure the key will work. I would get another hdd and install win10 pro on that drive and see if your OEM key will activate. I donât believe you can roll back to home easily like you can from a different version of Windows. Just make sure you have good backups and be prepared to restore from the backup or pony up for an upgrade key. I ran into this situation myself, hence my words of caution.
The problem with that idea is if he puts another drive in he will still automatically activate home due to the SLIC on the dell.
There are generic keys for every version listed here:
After going back to home it should activate via SLIC again no problem since theres already a digital license for the machine.
Also if the pro keys are indeed legitimate keys and they dont work to activate after having done the above method, you can always contact microsoft and do the telephone method of activation.
open up admin CMD and use âslmgr.vbs -ipk 00000-00000-00000-00000-00000â where 00000 is your pro key. Then in a run prompt type in âslui 4â
If they use the win10 pro install media, it may try to put the home key from the mobo. Thatâs not a big deal if it does since it can easily be changed once it boots. If it activates with the OEM key, great. They know it works and can either clone it to their main drive or reinstall. The problem with the upgrade is there is no way I know of to roll back to home if it doesnât activate with their keys (AFAIK). The upgrade will want a special upgrade key that canât be used to do clean install. It will be tied to the original home OEM key from dell.
In short, Microsoft doesnât make it easy in these scenarios.
I think what needs to mentioned here is considering how long his current Windows install has been running. I will bet it is long overdue for a fresh install.
So rather than finding a way to upgrade, just do a fresh install.
There is no windows 10 pro media. The key determines which version is installed. The installation media has both versions.
Re read my reply to you. You can do this.
This is only the case if you are upgrading from a previous version of windows, which has also changed since the anniversary update.
I should also mention that this is not the same kind of upgrade that takes place when you are migrating to a newer version of the OS (which I agree should be done with a fresh install). This is more like flipping a switch to turn on features.
You can create pro only media. I have done it. I havenât used media that has home and pro along with 32 and 64 bit installs so it is possible it is defaulting to home since it detects a home key. If they create media with only pro on it, it wonât be able to install home.
I agree that the upgrade to pro is a matter of switches microsoft flips in home to make it pro. However, there is no easy path to unflip those switches. I just ran into this situation myself and was forced to restore from my backup before the upgrade. If they are upgrading the OS (Win 7 to 10), then microsoft offers the rollback option. But even that doesnât always work as planned. This is coming from my experience in IT support, granted I havenât tried it in a few months. Maybe they fixed it since then.
If you can make me an OEM pro only windows 10 ISO, I would like to have it for my future installs since my USB drive is starting to get pretty full.
Again re read the post above. I linked the keys to âunflip those switchesâ.
They arent, or we wouldnt be here. What youâre talking about is absolutely correct if were talking about an upgraded windows version, but were not. They have 10 home, they want 10 pro. I have had this issue first hand and dealt with it in the same exact way.