I used the media creation tool to get a w10 iso. Apparently there used to be an option select pro vs home, but no longer.
During install when I skip activation, it installs the home version. Do I have to activate to get the choice of pro vs home, or is there a way around this?
When you are installing Win10 and it asks for the product key, just type in the generic Win10 Pro key. I do it for upgrades and clean installs. It always installs the correct version and activities. Here are the generic keys.
Generic key to install Windows 10 RTM
You can also create a PID.txt file and put it in the sources folder of the installation media. If you did it this way, Windows would not ask you for a product key and automatically install Win10 Pro. Here is a guide on how to create one.
Windows Setup Edition Configuration and Product ID Files (EI.cfg and PID.txt)
You can also just upgrade your Home install to Pro by changing the product key to the Windows 10 Pro generic key.
OK, that gives me the eval version of pro. There is a prominent post on this site that says the only way to get the free upgrade is to go thru the upgrade process on the current install. Does this still hold, or does the slmgr.vbs -ipk let me bypass that.
You have two ways to get Windows 10 activated for free, assuming you will do it within next four weeks. After July 29 it will always cost you:OK, that gives me the eval version of pro. There is a prominent post on this site that says the only way to get the free upgrade is to go thru the upgrade process on the current install. Does this still hold, or does the slmgr.vbs -ipk let me bypass that.1.) In-place upgradefrom a valid, genuine and activated Windows 7, 8 or 8.1- Windows 7 Home editions and Windows 8 8 / 8.1 will be upgraded to Windows 10 Home, Pro requires a purchased product key
- Windows 7 Professional and Ultimate, Windows 8 / 8.1 Pro will be upgraded to Windows 10 Pro2.) Clean installusing a valid, genuine product key of Windows 7 or 8 / 8.1- Windows 10 edition will be according to same principle as above in 1.
In addition you can always change / add a valid, genuine product key in a non-activated Windows 10 using Settings app.
Kari
It should activate with a valid Windows ( 7 or 8 or 8.1 ) Pro key.
You can clean install without activation but I'm not sure why you'd want to unless it is just to see if it runs fine before doing the upgrade to activate your Win7 or 8 to Win 10. I have an ISO burned and when you get to a certain part of the install it asks you to select Home or Pro and you select the version you already have installed on the machine. If you currently have a pro version you can get Win 10 pro free. If you don't currently have a pro version you can get Windows 10 home free (and activated) and would then need to pay to upgrade to Pro. You can't install Win 10 Pro without activation and then keep it I think, unless you have a Win 10 Pro product key you've purchased.
You likely didn't get an option because the upgrade is based on what current version of Windows you are actually upgrading.
For example, if you have Windows 7 Home Premium installed, and you upgrade, you are getting Windows 10 Home. The only way to change that is to use a license key that will get you Pro, such as Windows 7 Pro or Ultimate.
Let me ask a different way - are there times when an in-place upgrade is the only thing that works to get activated, or are these other methods (change key in activation window, pid.txt, slmgr.vbs) all equivalent methods that will all pass or fail the same?OK, that gives me the eval version of pro. There is a prominent post on this site that says the only way to get the free upgrade is to go thru the upgrade process on the current install. Does this still hold, or does the slmgr.vbs -ipk let me bypass that.
It seems that if you clean install to blank media, the win10 installer can only look to the bios and HW to see if you are eligible. If you in-place upgrade, then it can also see that you were activated on a prior eligible OS.
Windows 10 build 10586 allows you to activate it by manually entering a matching product key from Windows 7, 8, 8.1, or 10.
