How to upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro
You don't need to reinstall anything: entering a Windows 11 Pro key on a Home PC unlocks the Pro features in a few minutes and keeps your files and apps.
Updated 7 October 202601What changes when you upgrade
Windows stays exactly as it is, with your files, apps and settings. You simply get the Pro features on top: BitLocker encryption, Remote Desktop, Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, Group Policy and joining a work domain. See Windows 11 Home vs Pro for the full list.
02Upgrade step by step
- Save any open work. The PC restarts at the end.
- Open Settings → System → Activation.
- Open Upgrade your edition of Windows and click Change next to Change product key.
- Enter your Windows 11 Pro key (a Windows 10 Pro key works too) and click Next.
- Click Start to upgrade. Windows prepares the Pro edition and restarts, usually within 5–10 minutes.
- Back in Settings → System → Activation, it should now say Windows 11 Pro and Active.
03Good to know
- Keep the PC connected to power and to the internet during the upgrade.
- It's a one-way upgrade in practice: going back to Home means reinstalling Windows.
- If you see an error such as 0xC004F050, check the key for typos and see the activation errors guide, or contact us.
Products in this guide
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