Windows 10 edition upgrade

Applies to

  • Windows 10

With Windows 10, you can chop-chop upgrade from one edition of Windows 10 to another, provided the upgrade path is supported. For data on what edition of Windows ten is right for you, see Compare Windows 10 Editions. For a comprehensive list of all possible upgrade paths to Windows 10, meet Windows 10 upgrade paths. Downgrading the edition of Windows is discussed in the License expiration section on this page.

For a list of operating systems that authorize for the Windows 10 Pro Upgrade or Windows 10 Enterprise Upgrade through Microsoft Volume Licensing, see Windows x Qualifying Operating Systems.

The following table shows the methods and paths available to change the edition of Windows 10 that is running on your reckoner.

Note

The reboot requirement for upgrading from Pro to Enterprise was removed in version 1607.

Tip

Although information technology isn't displayed yet in the tabular array, edition upgrade is too possible using edition upgrade policy in Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager.

not supported. (X) = not supported
supported, reboot required. (green checkmark) = supported, reboot required
supported, no reboot. (bluish checkmark) = supported, no reboot required

Edition upgrade Using mobile device management (MDM) Using a provisioning package Using a command-line tool Using Microsoft Store for Concern or PC Entering a production key manually Purchasing a license from the Microsoft Store
Home > Pro not supported. not supported not supported not supported supported, reboot required supported, reboot required
Home > Pro for Workstations not supported. not supported not supported not supported supported, reboot required supported, reboot required
Abode > Pro Education supported, reboot required. supported, reboot required supported, reboot required not supported supported, reboot required not supported
Home > Instruction supported, reboot required. supported, reboot required supported, reboot required not supported supported, reboot required not supported
Pro > Pro for Workstations supported, no reboot. supported, no reboot supported, no reboot supported, no reboot
(Microsoft Shop for Business)
supported, no reboot supported, no reboot
Pro > Pro Instruction supported, no reboot. supported, no reboot supported, no reboot supported, no reboot
(Microsoft Store for Business)
supported, no reboot not supported
Pro > Education supported, reboot required. supported, reboot required supported, reboot required supported, reboot required
(Microsoft Store for Business organization)
supported, reboot required not supported
Pro > Enterprise supported, no reboot. supported, no reboot supported, no reboot supported, no reboot
(1703 - PC)
(1709 - Microsoft Store for Business)
supported, no reboot not supported
Pro for Workstations > Pro Education supported, no reboot. supported, no reboot supported, no reboot supported, no reboot
(Microsoft Store for Business)
supported, no reboot not supported
Pro for Workstations > Education supported, reboot required. supported, reboot required supported, reboot required supported, reboot required
(Microsoft Store for Business organisation)
supported, reboot required not supported
Pro for Workstations > Enterprise supported, no reboot. supported, no reboot supported, no reboot supported, no reboot
(1703 - PC)
(1709 - Microsoft Store for Business concern)
supported, no reboot not supported
Pro Pedagogy > Didactics supported, reboot required. supported, reboot required supported, reboot required supported, reboot required
(Microsoft Store for Business)
supported, reboot required not supported
Enterprise > Didactics supported, reboot required. supported, reboot required supported, reboot required supported, reboot required
(Microsoft Shop for Business)
supported, reboot required not supported

Annotation

  • For information about upgrade paths in Windows ten in South mode (for Pro or Teaching), check out Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise in Due south mode
  • Each desktop edition in the tabular array also has an N and KN SKU. These editions accept had media-related functionality removed. Devices with N or KN SKUs installed can be upgraded to corresponding Northward or KN SKUs using the same methods.

Upgrade using mobile device direction (MDM)

  • To upgrade desktop editions of Windows 10 using MDM, you'll need to enter the production key for the upgraded edition in the UpgradeEditionWithProductKey policy setting of the WindowsLicensing CSP. For more info, see WindowsLicensing CSP.

Upgrade using a provisioning packet

Use Windows Configuration Designer to create a provisioning bundle to upgrade a desktop edition. To get started, install Windows Configuration Designer from the Microsoft Shop.

  • To create a provisioning package for upgrading desktop editions of Windows 10, go to Runtime settings > EditionUpgrade > UpgradeEditionWithProductKey in the Available customizations panel in Windows ICD and enter the product key for the upgraded edition.

For more than info near Windows Configuration Designer, see these topics:

  • Create a provisioning package for Windows 10
  • Apply a provisioning package

You tin run the changepk.exe command-line tool to upgrade devices to a supported edition of Windows 10:

changepk.exe /ProductKey <enter your new production key here>

You can also upgrade using slmgr.vbs and a KMS customer setup key. For example, the post-obit command will upgrade to Windows ten Enterprise.

Cscript.exe c:\windows\system32\slmgr.vbs /ipk NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43

Upgrade by manually entering a production key

If you lot are upgrading only a few devices, yous may desire to enter a product cardinal for the upgraded edition manually.

To manually enter a product key

  1. From either the Showtime menu or the Starting time screen, type 'Activation' and click on the Activation shortcut.

  2. Click Modify product central.

  3. Enter your product key.

  4. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Upgrade by purchasing a license from the Microsoft Shop

If you do not have a product key, you can upgrade your edition of Windows 10 through the Microsoft Shop.

To upgrade through the Microsoft Store

  1. From either the Start menu or the Offset screen, type 'Activation' and click on the Activation shortcut.

  2. Click Go to Store.

  3. Follow the on-screen instructions.

    Notation

    If you lot are a Windows ten Home N or Windows ten Home KN user and have trouble finding your applicative upgrade in the Microsoft Store, click hither.

License expiration

Volume license customers whose license has expired will need to change the edition of Windows 10 to an edition with an active license. Switching to a downgraded edition of Windows 10 is possible using the same methods that were used to perform an edition upgrade. If the downgrade path is supported, then your apps and settings tin be migrated from the current edition. If a path is not supported, so a clean install is required.

Downgrading from any edition of Windows 10 to Windows 7, 8, or 8.1 by entering a different product central is not supported. You also cannot downgrade from a later version to an earlier version of the same edition (Ex: Windows ten Pro 1709 to 1703) unless the rollback process is used. This topic does non discuss version downgrades.

Scenario example

Downgrading from Enterprise

  • Original edition: Professional OEM
  • Upgrade edition: Enterprise
  • Valid downgrade paths: Pro, Pro for Workstations, Pro Education, Instruction

You lot tin can motility directly from Enterprise to any valid destination edition. In this instance, downgrading to Pro for Workstations, Pro Didactics, or Teaching requires an additional activation key to supersede the firmware-embedded Pro key. In all cases, you must comply with Microsoft License Terms. If yous are a book license client, refer to the Microsoft Volume Licensing Reference Guide.

Supported Windows 10 downgrade paths

✔ = Supported downgrade path

Southward = Supported; Non considered a downgrade or an upgrade

[blank] = Not supported or non a downgrade

Destination Edition: (Starting)

Edition Home Pro Pro for Workstations Pro Education Education Enterprise LTSC Enterprise
Home
Pro
Pro for Workstations
Pro Didactics
Education S
Enterprise LTSC
Enterprise Due south

Windows N/KN: Windows "N" and "KN" SKUs follow the aforementioned rules shown above.

Some slightly more than complex scenarios are not represented by the table above. For example, you can perform an upgrade from Pro to Pro for Workstation on a computer with an embedded Pro key using a Pro for Workstation license cardinal, and then later downgrade this computer back to Pro with the firmware-embedded primal. The downgrade is immune but only because the pre-installed OS is Pro.

Windows 10 upgrade paths
Windows 10 volume license media
Windows 10 Subscription Activation