Best way to upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Pro?

There is no upgrade path. It must be a clean install so copy all your files for reinstalling. The Pro version is purchased from MS, not Dell.

1. Is that the best way to do it?

It is really the only way to do it unless you purchase a Win 10 Pro License..  It installs over the current install so start it from within Windows, which it should tell you.

When you are done, the system will be digitally registered with the Pro version.

I always try to get mine pre-installed with Pro..  The one system which came with Home I upgraded, I believe from the Microsoft store, but I have not checked if Dell sells it. 

That's nonsense, (referring to Mary G) you CAN upgrade from Home to Pro very simply, and from within Windows. The Pro files are already on your PC, all you have to do is click a few buttons and pay MS the required fee. It varies around the world but it's in the region of US$100.

As a 5 second search of Google would have told you.

---

@Dell admirerwrote:
Hi, I bought win 10 pro, and installed it,but my Dell laptop shows it is still win 10 home. 0can you help?

---

Post a photo of your Control Panel System's info.

Hi there.

I was dealing with the same problem lately.

The reason you are having HOME version installed even tho you are installing from windows 10 pro installation dvd is that, dell bios has digital marker build in bios with its home key.

Now installer picks this information and automatically installs home version not telling/asking anything...

Solution is quite easy. You have to prepare your windows 10 pro installer to pick another key (pro in this case) and install different version of the os. All you need is at least 16 GB USB stick.

1. At first what i had to do was to copy dvd to iso file, which can be made with a free imgburn. Take a look here:

https://www.howtogeek.com/howto/11003/how-to-create-a-windows-iso-from-a-disc-using-imgburn/

2. Now you have to prepare two additional files, which will force new actions to the installer.

Use your text editor or just notepad to create two files.

First: ei.cfg (my containst)

[EditionID]
Professional
[Channel]
OEM

Second: pid.txt

[PID]
Value=XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

where XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX insert your windows 10 pro key, which will be automatically used during install process. I found that you can use generic windows 10 pro key to just install pro version without activation, and than change key, I didn't do that, so I also don't know if that works anyway.

More info:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/windows-setup-edition-configuration-and-product-id-files--eicfg-and-pidtxt

I have noticed that when there is no pid.txt file existing, windows installer during setup will ask you, which windows distro to install.... pro, home, etc.

2. Now prepare you USB pendrive (at least 16 GB, since windows 10 pro installer is about 9,5 GB).

3. Now you have two options:

3a: unpack iso to usb pendrive, it has to look like it was at dvd media, check file, folder number/ size.

3b: use some app which will make usb off an iso file. Like rufus ( https://rufus.akeo.ie/ ), its easy. Just point iso file, and app will do everything for you.

4. Now go back to those two files ei.cfg and pid.txt and copy them to USB pendrive folder "sources".

You are set!

Now go and poweron dell laptop, or staight to bios. Find those settings (photo from img google):

This photo is just an example, but you have to configure it in this way:

Very important : having prepared windwos 10 pro USB pendrive inserted in one of the USBs.

thick UEFI

now click ADD BOOT OPTION

there you will have few options, I don't know how many partitions you have, there will be one with something like that:

partition x/blebleble/usb xxxx

select that, add label USB, and point to pendrive/efi/boot/bootx64.efi

that will add another boot option to boot sequence

if you have something like (windows boot) make it second, "USB" slide to the TOP, another WINDOWS BOOT as second.

This is very comfortable, because when you finish 1st stage of windows install (1st restart), you will only take your USB pendrive off, and reboot computer and windows will install 2nd stage off hdd.

5. Problems.

I have noticed few problems.

If you will suffer from errors during windows installation, like lack of some file, like error past 17% file copy, than check twice your PID.txt file, remove every blank spaces, save file, unmount usb drive, wait for monit to remove your usb. 

Also there was one missing file error during installation. Solution was as follows, restart setup (not installation but whole computer), remove all partitions on target disc, and make new partiton and format.

Happy installing ;)

It's even easier than that.  Open the system applet  in the control panel, and scroll down to the "windows is activated".  Click on the "change product key" and enter your 10 Pro license key.  Done.

In my scenario none of my keys worked. When I was trying to change key I got errors every time.

If the keys were purchased from Microsoft, which should be where they came from -- contact Microsoft support with the error.

If you are currently running Win 10 Home, there may be a link on one of the Settings pages to help with that.  Possibly the Upgrade section under activation but look around.

If you don't find anything, you can go to the Microsoft Store and purchase the upgrade.  There should be instructions as to how to install but it just goes over the current install.  All in all, the process is very easy.

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

You ca buy Pro version, no need to re-install OS, put new serial key and Windows automatically upgrade to newest version.