How to upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro

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Windows 11 is available in two editions, including Home and Pro. Windows 11 Home edition is the most common of the two, and it includes all the features suited for home and office users and gamers.

On the other hand, Windows 11 Pro includes all the features available in the Home edition, plus other more advanced business features, such as Remote Desktop, BitLocker, Group Policy, Active Directory support, and many other features.

Usually, the Home edition is more than enough for anyone using a computer at home for web browsing, working with applications, and gaming. However, if you must have the advanced features, it’s possible to upgrade from Home to Pro without having to perform a clean installation using a product key or through the Microsoft Store.

In this guide, you will learn the two quick ways to upgrade a device from Windows 11 Home to Pro.

Upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro via Settings

If you have an existing product key, you can easily apply it through the Activation settings to upgrade the system. Also, since Windows 11 and Windows 10 share the same technologies, you can use a Windows 11 Pro or Windows 10 Pro product key to upgrade a device running a Home edition of Windows. You can even upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 11 Pro with either product key.

Important: Although this is a non-destructive process that will also preserve your files, it’s still recommended to create a temporary full backup in case you need to roll back.

To upgrade a Windows 11 Home computer to Pro, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings on Windows 11.

  2. Click on System.

  3. Click the Activation page on the right side.

    Windows 11 activation

  4. Click the Change button for the “Change product key” setting.

    Change product key

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  5. Confirm the Windows 11 Pro product key to upgrade the Home edition.

    Windows 11 Home to Pro upgrade

  6. Click the Next button.

  7. Click the Start button.

Once you complete the steps, the computer will upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro.

If you purchase a Windows 10 Pro product key, you may be able to save some money. For example, at the time of this writing, the upgrade version can be found for $99 at Amazon, which translates into $100 savings since the Pro edition of the OS usually goes from $199.

Upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro via Microsoft Store

To purchase and Windows 11 Pro product and upgrade the Home edition, use these steps:

  1. Open Settings.

  2. Click the Activation page on the right side.

    Windows 11 activation

  3. Click the Open Store button from the “Upgrade in this Microsoft app” setting.

    Buy Windows 11 Pro opion

  4. Click the Buy button.

    Microsoft Store upgrade Home to Pro

  5. Continue with the on-screen direction to complete the purchase and upgrade process.

After you complete the steps, the upgrade process will start.

While you use the change product key or the Microsoft Store option, the upgrade process will take about 30 minutes.

It’s important to note that Microsoft technically also offers another edition known as Windows 11 Pro for Workstation, but this is the most expensive edition that includes everything available with the Pro edition, plus some extra server-grade features. However, unless you are working with server hardware and software, it’s not recommended to upgrade.

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