Can't Upgrade from 10 Home to 10 Pro


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I bought a retail license of Windows 10 Pro.  I have an ASUS desktop that is currently activated with a digital license.  It's been a long time but, I'm guessing maybe its because I did the free upgrade to Windows 10 Home?  Anyway, whenever I go to "change the product key" I get an error code 0x80070057.  It says to make sure I'm connected to the net.  I am connected.  I can browse and do whatever else.  Windows Update actually works.  I just can't upgrade from Home to Pro.  My bet is that it has something to do with it being activated with a digital license and not a key.  I thought I found a site yesterday that tells you how to reveal the original product key with the machine and change it from that but, I can't find that site anymore and I can't get this upgrade going and need help.  =(

 

Thanks for any help anyone here can provide.

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2 hours ago, Steve B said:

I bought a retail license of Windows 10 Pro.  I have an ASUS desktop that is currently activated with a digital license.  It's been a long time but, I'm guessing maybe its because I did the free upgrade to Windows 10 Home?  Anyway, whenever I go to "change the product key" I get an error code 0x80070057.  It says to make sure I'm connected to the net.  I am connected.  I can browse and do whatever else.  Windows Update actually works.  I just can't upgrade from Home to Pro.  My bet is that it has something to do with it being activated with a digital license and not a key.  I thought I found a site yesterday that tells you how to reveal the original product key with the machine and change it from that but, I can't find that site anymore and I can't get this upgrade going and need help.  =(

 

Thanks for any help anyone here can provide.

You don't just change the key, you need to perform an "upgrade"

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Well, the problem is nothing I have tried works.  Every time I try to "upgrade" it just assumes I'm installing Windows 10 Home.  I have a key for PRO.  No matter what I try, I can't get beyond this point and its actually beginning to make me mad.  There shouldn't be so much trouble trying to do a simple upgrade.

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3 minutes ago, Steve B said:

Well, the problem is nothing I have tried works.  Every time I try to "upgrade" it just assumes I'm installing Windows 10 Home.  I have a key for PRO.  No matter what I try, I can't get beyond this point and its actually beginning to make me mad.  There shouldn't be so much trouble trying to do a simple upgrade.

It is not hard at all. And it is fast.

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I can't do "change a product key" upgrade route because of the error code I mentioned in the OP.  I can't use the installation media creation route because it assumes I'm trying to install Windows 10 Home and doesn't give me an option to input any different key to change that.  I can't do an inplace upgrade because of the same problem, it assumes I'm trying to install Windows 10 Home and doesn't give me an option to make it Pro.

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Where did you get the upgrade key?

 

If you purchased it online through a "reseller" there are a lot of flaky ones

 

If the key has dubious origin, it can get blacklisted on the Microsoft activation servers

 

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I bought a full retail version from newegg.  I'm not getting errors that the key or license is bad.  That's my problem that I can't even get to that point.  

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3 minutes ago, Steve B said:

I can't do "change a product key" upgrade route because of the error code I mentioned in the OP.  I can't use the installation media creation route because it assumes I'm trying to install Windows 10 Home and doesn't give me an option to input any different key to change that.  I can't do an inplace upgrade because of the same problem, it assumes I'm trying to install Windows 10 Home and doesn't give me an option to make it Pro.

The code for "Pro" is already inside "Home" so your mental model is flawed.

 

The problem is most likely key related.

 

Normally, you go to the Activation screen in settings and enter new key. Nothing else needed.

 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca/help/12384/windows-10-upgrading-home-to-pro

 

 

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7 minutes ago, Steve B said:

I bought a full retail version from newegg.  I'm not getting errors that the key or license is bad.  That's my problem that I can't even get to that point.  

If you have a full retail key, then use the web to access your Microsoft Account settings.

 

There, you can remove the "Digital Entitlement" for Windows 10 Home from that computer. (and use it somewhere else later)

 

You should then end up with an unactivated Windows.

 

Full key might be easier to enter at that point.

 

(Also, check if the key actually from Newegg or one of their resellers)

 

 

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Also, Microsoft Windows Support people are insanely great!

 

Just don't let them transfer you to the Microsoft Account/Web/Bing whatever guys since that support is horrid beyond all imagination!

 

You can go to Windows Support and use the "chat app" on the web page - a lot easier than being on hold on a phone.

 

A Retail Key is like a Super Power Pill - it will activate 4 times automatically (even on different hardware) and then pretty much unlimited via phone support.

 

 

 

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Well, its been taken care of.  I thought I'd just call Microsoft before I punched through my monitor. LOL.  Don't know what was causing the error code mentioned.  However, the tech was able to get it all going by creating a test administrator account and doing the "key change/upgrade" through the test account.  After all it was said and done, the test account was deleted and all is well and I'm now running on Windows 10 Pro.

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1 minute ago, Steve B said:

Well, its been taken care of.  I thought I'd just call Microsoft before I punched through my monitor. LOL.  Don't know what was causing the error code mentioned.  However, the tech was able to get it all going by creating a test administrator account and doing the "key change/upgrade" through the test account.  After all it was said and done, the test account was deleted and all is well and I'm now running on Windows 10 Pro.

Yup, like I said, Windows Support is insanely great!

 

Welcome to Hyper-V!!  world's best Hypervisor, and... not much else really...

 

 

 

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10 hours ago, Steve B said:

Well, its been taken care of.  I thought I'd just call Microsoft before I punched through my monitor. LOL.  Don't know what was causing the error code mentioned.  However, the tech was able to get it all going by creating a test administrator account and doing the "key change/upgrade" through the test account.  After all it was said and done, the test account was deleted and all is well and I'm now running on Windows 10 Pro.

Sounds like your normal user account doesn't have admin privileges ad that's why you were getting the error.

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