How to upgrade to Windows 10 Pro

By Ed Bott

There are plenty of good reasons to pay a little bit extra for Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise. These business-focused editions cost more, but they have features that power users and IT pros appreciate--including, among others, BitLocker disk encryption, Hyper-V virtualization, the ability to set your PC up for remote access, and (perhaps most important of all) additional controls for deferring Windows updates so you can test and install those updates on your own schedule.

If you purchase a new PC that has Windows 10 Home installed, you several options to upgrade it to Windows 10 Pro. In all cases, start by going to Settings > Update & Security > Activation. There, under the heading Upgrade Your Edition Of Windows, you'll find two links:

Click Go To The Store if you don't have a product key and want to pay for the upgrade to Windows 10 Pro. This process takes place entirely online and does not require a product key.

Click Change Product Key if you already have a valid product key for Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise. Enter that key and follow the steps to complete the upgrade.

Note that a product key from a Pro version of Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1 works here as well. Just enter that key when prompted and your upgrade should proceed just as if you had used a Windows 10 key.

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