Windows 11

Question

I have Windows 11 Home installed on my laptop. Let's say I buy an activation key for Windows 10 Pro. And I use it. I have 3 questions:

1. Will it go to Windows 10 pro? will it become Windows 11 pro?
2. if it does become Windows 10 pro. Lest say I upgraded it to Windows 11 using the Microsoft official download link. Will it become Windows 11 pro or stay home?
3. Will I lose any data in the process?

Answer 1

You can first upgrade Windows 11 Home to Pro using generic product key:

https://www.kapilarya.com/how-to-upgrade-windows-11-home-to-pro

Then you can use Windows 10 Pro key to activate your Windows 11 Pro.

This upgrade won't affect data. Still if you want to take extra precaution, backup data to external drive before upgrade.

Answer 2

1. If you use a Windows 10 Pro activation key on a device that currently has Windows 11 Home installed, your system will not automatically downgrade to Windows 10 Pro nor upgrade to Windows 11 Pro. The key is specifically for Windows 10 Pro, and it will not apply to a different version or edition of the operating system.
2. If you were to downgrade to Windows 10 Pro using your purchased key and then decide to upgrade back to Windows 11 using the official Microsoft download link, your system should upgrade to Windows 11 Pro. When you upgrade your operating system, the edition (Home or Pro) usually carries over. However, it's always advisable to verify this with Microsoft support or through their official documentation to avoid any unexpected issues.
3. In terms of data, any upgrade or downgrade of an operating system carries a risk of data loss, though this is not typically the case if the process completes successfully. It's always recommended to back up your important files before starting any such process. It's also worth noting that some applications may not function correctly after an OS change, particularly if they are not compatible with the new version.