Upgrade Windows 10 Home to Windows 11 Pro?


Dude.. no one is going to take up a case for 5 bucks. That's an issue for small claims court at best.
That's the point. If it's $9.99 and under, the credit card issuing bank will just give a permanent credit for the full amount. If it's $10.00 or over, then it will go through the investigation process and it will be on the burden of the seller to prove the key is legal among other things because they will not be paying $10.00, it will come with a chargeback fee added on top of it which will be expensive. If one paid via Paypal, then it's a different issue.
 

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If you don't own a valid license you'll end up with a non-activated Windows. Home, Pro, Enterprise...does not matter.
Remember the person had to have a valid license since we're talking about upgrading as the Home license would always be valid, it's the one that you upgraded to that's risky.
 

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Never-mind... I'm done here..
 

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Remember the person had to have a valid license since we're talking about upgrading as the Home license would always be valid, it's the one that you upgraded to that's risky.
Aah yeah...I got carried away a bit.

But anyways in this case only option is to clean install Windows Home, since you can't downgrade a Windows Pro install.
 

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Oh... other than being a waste of both time and money you're correct.
You can waste both time and money even if you did it the full price route as someone mentioned earlier so it should really be said, YMMV either way. You just want to keep them to a minimum.
 

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Comcast/XFinity 1.44Gbps/42.5Mbps
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Remember, you do not really know how they bought the keys since it could be someone trying to get rid of a product as how often do people really pay sticker price for anything.

And just for your information, I am a Microsoft shareholder for longer than most people so I know how they make money. It all depends on the distribution channel on where someone gets their stuff which might not always be someone buying a volume license key.

View attachment 6740


And using your Ferrari example, I know for a fact that many people have bought BMW's at cost since there is something known as MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) and what prices it's allowed to be sold at. Some manufacturers have something called MAP (Minimal Advertised Price) which is what they agreed not to sell under. Louis Vuitton and Rolex are two examples of things that never sells below sticker price as it's their policy but Omega on the other hand can often be bought under the MSRP.

But anyways, using your link, it has been said that it's Volume Licenses that are the ones that are the ones with problems as this is what I get with what they recommended as a way to check using slmgr -dli:

View attachment 6739

People can sell things for anything they want to and there is virtually no risk since it's not like the money will be lost as this is protected by Regulation Z of the US Truth in Lending Act should something go wrong.
As an MSFT share holder I would be concerned about non-official distribution - MS has not enforced the EULA close to adequately on consumer products - even a VL key can get a retail digital licence.

Don't get me wrong... I'm all for freedom of choice, but if it involves circumventing official means of activation (MS has a web page detailing this) , we won't support that - in my Activation troubleshooting - Windows 10 Help Forums thread at TF I specifically noted:
1. Specify from whom the Windows 10 media and what type of key was purchased.

These keys have proven to be troublesome.
 

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You can waste both time and money even if you did it the full price route as someone mentioned earlier so it should really be said, YMMV either way. You just want to keep them to a minimum.
By going the full price route you get a valid key.. using Amazon, MS etc.
 

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Windows 11 Home() - 25H2 -26220.8973AMD Ryzen 5 5600GG.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16Nvidia geforce gtx titan x
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Windows 11 Home() - 25H2 -26220.8973
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Manufacturer/Model
Banana Junior 5600-G Series
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AMD Ryzen 5 5600G
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Asus ROG Strix B550-F
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G.SKILL Ripjaws V Series 64GB 4x16
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Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4.1Ghz
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64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modules
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Intel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB DDR5
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Realtek ALC3266-CG
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15.6" 4K Touch UltraHD 3840x2160 made by Sharp
Screen Resolution
3840x2160 4K UltraHD
Hard Drives
Samsung MZ-V9P4T0B/AM 990 PRO 4TB PCIe®4.0 NVMe™ M.2 SSD was Toshiba KXG60ZNV1T02 NVMe 1TB SSD
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It is alleged that MS did this as many users were customising in W10 home, then upgraded using generic key and more or less getting pro free.
That may be true, but MS only made it more difficult, not impossible. You could never get an activated Pro that way, not now or before MS made the change. So their 'free' Pro was in violation of the EULA and not legal to use.
 

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    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
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    Windows 11 Home
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    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
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    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
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    Radeon Graphics
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    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
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    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to lid hinges starting to break up this laptop has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.

    Info for 2021-2026:
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
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    Laptop
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    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
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    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
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    1366x768
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    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
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    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR was a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (1st gen) type 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device. This has now been sold and replaced by System Eight.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.

    My SYSTEM EIGHT is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (5th gen) type 20LN, Celeron N4120, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, a supported device for Windows 11. Currently running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Dev, Beta, and Canary builds as native boot vhdx.
....since you can't downgrade a Windows Pro install.
actually you can, but it's a lot of work.

 

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  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to lid hinges starting to break up this laptop has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.

    Info for 2021-2026:
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR was a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (1st gen) type 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device. This has now been sold and replaced by System Eight.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.

    My SYSTEM EIGHT is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (5th gen) type 20LN, Celeron N4120, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, a supported device for Windows 11. Currently running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Dev, Beta, and Canary builds as native boot vhdx.
As an MSFT share holder I would be concerned about non-official distribution - MS has not enforced the EULA close to adequately on consumer products - even a VL key can get a retail digital licence.

Don't get me wrong... I'm all for freedom of choice, but if it involves circumventing official means of activation (MS has a web page detailing this) , we won't support that - in my Activation troubleshooting - Windows 10 Help Forums thread at TF I specifically noted:
1. Specify from whom the Windows 10 media and what type of key was purchased.

These keys have proven to be troublesome.

You have valid points but how does a VL key get a retail digital license? As for what you said for with #1, what about all the people who upgraded to Windows 10 for free as none of them had Windows 10 on media and they did not purchased keys either. Since even for people who bought a brand name machine with Windows 10 already on it, they won't have the media either and they don't have keys with something official like they did with things prior to Windows 10.
 

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WindowsXP/7/8/8.1/10/11,Linux,Android,FreeBSD...Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4....64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modulesIntel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti wi...
OS
WindowsXP/7/8/8.1/10/11,Linux,Android,FreeBSD Unix
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
Dell XPS 15 9570
CPU
Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4.1Ghz
Motherboard
Dell XPS 15 9570
Memory
64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modules
Graphics Card(s)
Intel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB DDR5
Sound Card
Realtek ALC3266-CG
Monitor(s) Displays
15.6" 4K Touch UltraHD 3840x2160 made by Sharp
Screen Resolution
3840x2160 4K UltraHD
Hard Drives
Samsung MZ-V9P4T0B/AM 990 PRO 4TB PCIe®4.0 NVMe™ M.2 SSD was Toshiba KXG60ZNV1T02 NVMe 1TB SSD
PSU
Dell XPS 15 9570
Case
Dell XPS 15 9570
Cooling
Stock
Keyboard
Stock
Mouse
SwitftPoint ProPoint
Internet Speed
Comcast/XFinity 1.44Gbps/42.5Mbps
Browser
Microsoft EDGE (Chromium based) & Google Chrome
Antivirus
Windows Defender that came with Windows
actually you can, but it's a lot of work.

It does work, but creates a Frankenbuild of mis-matched components... not ideal but I can't recall a better way I came across back then - will have to wrack my little brain cell ...
 

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actually you can, but it's a lot of work.

If I am reading it correctly, isn't it just two registry keys and just a in-place repair install? Is that really a lot of work in reality since I've done plenty on in-place repair installs even with Windows 11.
 

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WindowsXP/7/8/8.1/10/11,Linux,Android,FreeBSD...Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4....64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modulesIntel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti wi...
OS
WindowsXP/7/8/8.1/10/11,Linux,Android,FreeBSD Unix
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
Dell XPS 15 9570
CPU
Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4.1Ghz
Motherboard
Dell XPS 15 9570
Memory
64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modules
Graphics Card(s)
Intel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB DDR5
Sound Card
Realtek ALC3266-CG
Monitor(s) Displays
15.6" 4K Touch UltraHD 3840x2160 made by Sharp
Screen Resolution
3840x2160 4K UltraHD
Hard Drives
Samsung MZ-V9P4T0B/AM 990 PRO 4TB PCIe®4.0 NVMe™ M.2 SSD was Toshiba KXG60ZNV1T02 NVMe 1TB SSD
PSU
Dell XPS 15 9570
Case
Dell XPS 15 9570
Cooling
Stock
Keyboard
Stock
Mouse
SwitftPoint ProPoint
Internet Speed
Comcast/XFinity 1.44Gbps/42.5Mbps
Browser
Microsoft EDGE (Chromium based) & Google Chrome
Antivirus
Windows Defender that came with Windows
You have valid points but how does a VL key get a retail digital license? As for what you said for with #1, what about all the people who upgraded to Windows 10 for free as none of them had Windows 10 on media and they did not purchased keys either. Since even for people who bought a brand name machine with Windows 10 already on it, they won't have the media either and they don't have keys with something official like they did with things prior to Windows 10.
Well, ask MSFT why an Enterprise KMS install that gets upgraded gets a digital licence ( contrary to the EULA) even my corporate MAK Pro got one... go figure...

The media and key are linked - I could have worded it better suppose.
 

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OS
Windows
Here's the thing with these Windows 10 product keys. The product keys do not have to keep working over and over again. They only have to work once. I have never seen an instance where Microsoft has revoked a digital license once it has been granted. Volume licenses that don't result in a permanent digital license are different.
 

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  • At a glance

    Windows 11AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT32GBEVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
    OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Homebuilt
    CPU
    AMD Ryzen 7 3800XT
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Crosshair VII Hero (WiFi)
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 EducationIntel i7-8550U32GBNvidia Geforce MX150
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Education
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Inspiron 7773
    CPU
    Intel i7-8550U
    Memory
    32GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Nvidia Geforce MX150
    Sound Card
    Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17"
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    Toshiba 512GB NVMe SSD
    SK Hynix 512GB SATA SSD
    Internet Speed
    Fast!
If they disable, then you will just end up with Home again and one can always buy from Microsoft at that point in time.
If a key get disabled after you upgrade to Pro i.e. key worked just once, then PC will have a digital Pro licence. You will NOT go back to Home.

If key is disabled before you install Pro, then key is totally useless.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ16 GB solderedIntegrated Intel Iris XE
OS
Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
ASUS Zenbook 14
CPU
I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
Motherboard
Yep, Laptop has one.
Memory
16 GB soldered
Graphics Card(s)
Integrated Intel Iris XE
Sound Card
Realtek built in
Monitor(s) Displays
laptop OLED screen
Screen Resolution
2880x1800 touchscreen
Hard Drives
1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
PSU
Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
Case
Yep, got one
Cooling
Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
Keyboard
Built in UK keybd
Mouse
Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
Internet Speed
900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Defender
Other Info
TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

Macrium Reflect Home V8
Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)
Well, ask MSFT why an Enterprise KMS install that gets upgraded gets a digital licence ( contrary to the EULA) even my corporate MAK Pro got one... go figure...

The media and key are linked - I could have worded it better suppose.
That means their database is messed up as the EULA is more of a legal agreement but how they maintain the database is another issue. Ofcourse that's probably the same reason someone in the thread mentioned earlier that they upgraded to Pro and ended up with Enterprise. I mean owning and operating a ISP since the 1990s and even at NASA, there had been instances of activations that got deactivated many years down the road which was why I said YMMV as like the saying goes, there are no certainties in life or guarantees except taxes and death. Keys are generally what people get with new systems as I guess it's also how one defines media since I would think of media as something physical probably because I've went through 5.25" and 3.5" floppies and CD's and DVD's so anything less just seems to not be the same type of media.
 

My Computer My Computer

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WindowsXP/7/8/8.1/10/11,Linux,Android,FreeBSD...Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4....64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modulesIntel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti wi...
OS
WindowsXP/7/8/8.1/10/11,Linux,Android,FreeBSD Unix
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
Dell XPS 15 9570
CPU
Intel® Core™ i7-8750H 8th Gen 2.2Ghz up to 4.1Ghz
Motherboard
Dell XPS 15 9570
Memory
64GB using 2x32GB CL16 Mushkin redLine modules
Graphics Card(s)
Intel UHD 630 & NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti with 4GB DDR5
Sound Card
Realtek ALC3266-CG
Monitor(s) Displays
15.6" 4K Touch UltraHD 3840x2160 made by Sharp
Screen Resolution
3840x2160 4K UltraHD
Hard Drives
Samsung MZ-V9P4T0B/AM 990 PRO 4TB PCIe®4.0 NVMe™ M.2 SSD was Toshiba KXG60ZNV1T02 NVMe 1TB SSD
PSU
Dell XPS 15 9570
Case
Dell XPS 15 9570
Cooling
Stock
Keyboard
Stock
Mouse
SwitftPoint ProPoint
Internet Speed
Comcast/XFinity 1.44Gbps/42.5Mbps
Browser
Microsoft EDGE (Chromium based) & Google Chrome
Antivirus
Windows Defender that came with Windows
The product keys do not have to keep working over and over again. They only have to work once. I have never seen an instance where Microsoft has revoked a digital license once it has been granted.
If you used a MAK volume key to activate an install of Windows 10 then you'd get a digital licence for that PC. However, if that MAK key remains as the installed key then if MS detected abuse of that MAK key and revoked it your Windows would say 'unactivated'. Changing the installed key to the generic key should reactivate it from the existing digital licence, as that wouldn't have been revoked, only that particular key.
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 HomeAMD Athlon Silver 3050U8GBRadeon Graphics
    OS
    Windows 11 Home
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Acer Aspire 3 A315-23-R9VY
    CPU
    AMD Athlon Silver 3050U
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon Graphics
    Monitor(s) Displays
    laptop screen
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768 native resolution, up to 2560x1440 with Radeon Virtual Super Resolution
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung EVO 870 SSD (from April 2026: 250GB EVO 850)
    Internet Speed
    150 Mbps
    Browser
    Edge, Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    UPDATE - 11 April 2026: due to lid hinges starting to break up this laptop has been retired from active duty. The OS with all software and files has been migrated to my System Seven in 'Other systems' to carry on as my general purpose 'main machine'.

    I've now clean installed 25H2 and used Garlin's scripts to update Secure Boot to CA 2023 and revoke the PCA 2011 certificates. It's new role is to test secure boot issues.

    Info for 2021-2026:
    fully 'Windows 11 ready' laptop. Windows 10 C: partition migrated from my old unsupported 'main machine' then upgraded to 11. A test migration ran Insider builds for 2 months. When 11 was released on 5th October 2021 it was re-imaged back to 10 and was offered the upgrade in Windows Update on 20th October. Windows Update offered the 22H2 Feature Update on 20th September 2022. It got the 23H2 Feature Update on 4th November 2023 through Windows Update, 24H2 on 3rd October 2024 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 24H2, and 25H2 on 30th September 2025 through Windows Update by setting the Target Release Version for 25H2.
  • At a glance

    Windows 11 ProIntel® Core™ i5-520M8GB(integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Latitude E4310
    CPU
    Intel® Core™ i5-520M
    Motherboard
    0T6M8G
    Memory
    8GB
    Graphics card(s)
    (integrated graphics) Intel HD Graphics
    Screen Resolution
    1366x768
    Hard Drives
    500GB Crucial MX500 SSD
    Browser
    Firefox, Edge
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    unsupported machine: Legacy bios, MBR, TPM 1.2, upgraded from W10 to W11 using W10/W11 hybrid install media workaround.

    In-place upgrade to 22H2 using ISO and a workaround.
    Feature Update to 23H2 by manually installing the Enablement Package.
    In-place upgrade to 24H2 using hybrid 23H2/24H2 install media.
    Upgraded to 25H2 by Enablement Package.

    Also running Insider Dev, and Canary builds and Windows 10 as native boot .vhdx.
  • My SYSTEM THREE is a Dell Latitude 5410, i7-10610U, 32GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro.

    My SYSTEM FOUR was a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (1st gen) type 20DA, Celeron N2930, 8GB RAM, 256GB ssd. Unsupported device. This has now been sold and replaced by System Eight.

    My SYSTEM FIVE is a Dell Latitude 3190 2-in-1, Pentium Silver N5030, 8GB RAM, 1TB NVMe ssd, supported device running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Beta, Dev, and Canary builds (and a few others) as a native boot .vhdx.

    My SYSTEM SIX is a Dell Latitude 5550, Core Ultra 7 165H, 64GB RAM, 1TB NVMe SSD, supported device, Windows 11 Pro 24H2, Hyper-V host machine. Updated to 25H2 on 30th September 2025.

    My SYSTEM SEVEN is a Lenovo Thinkpad T580, Intel Core i7-8650U, 16GB RAM, 512GB NVMe SSD + 2nd 512GB NVMe SSD, a supported device for Windows 11. This is my current general purpose 'main machine'. The installed Windows 11 Home from my System One has been migrated to this machine.

    My SYSTEM EIGHT is a 2-in-1 convertible Lenovo Yoga 11e (5th gen) type 20LN, Celeron N4120, 8GB RAM, 512GB NVMe ssd, a supported device for Windows 11. Currently running Windows 11 Pro, plus Insider Dev, Beta, and Canary builds as native boot vhdx.
You have valid points but how does a VL key get a retail digital license?

There are two types of Windows volume licensing (VL) keys, Multiple Activation Keys (MAK) and Key Management Services keys (KMS). The PRO edition currently installed on this laptop I am using at the moment is activated with a MAK key. A legal MAK key, by the way, from my own MSDN / Visual Studio subscription.

Windows licensing shows it as Retail license, as it has always been with MAK keys in Windows.

Kari
 

My Computers My Computers

  • At a glance

    Windows 11 PRO x64 DevIntel Core i7-8550U6 GBMicrosoft Hyper-V Video
    OS
    Windows 11 PRO x64 Dev
    Manufacturer/Model
    Hyper-V Virtual Machine (host in System 2 specs)
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-8550U
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Microsoft Hyper-V Video
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Laptop display (17.1") & Samsung U28E590 (27.7")
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    Windows 11 PRO x64 Dev ChannelIntel Core i7-8550U16 GBIntel(R) UHD Graphics 620 & NVIDIA GeForce 930MX
    Operating System
    Windows 11 PRO x64 Dev Channel
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP HP ProBook 470 G5
    CPU
    Intel Core i7-8550U
    Motherboard
    HP 837F KBC Version 02.3D.00
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel(R) UHD Graphics 620 & NVIDIA GeForce 930MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Laptop display (17.1") & Samsung U28E590 (27.7")
    Hard Drives
    128 GB SSD & 1 TB HDD
    Keyboard
    Wireless Logitech MK710 keyboard
    Mouse
    Wireless Logitech MSX mouse
    Internet Speed
    100 Mbps down, 20 Mbps up
    Browser
    Edge Chromium Dev Channel
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    2 * 3 TB USB HDD
    6 TB WD Mirror NAS
Here's the thing with these Windows 10 product keys. The product keys do not have to keep working over and over again. They only have to work once. I have never seen an instance where Microsoft has revoked a digital license once it has been granted. Volume licenses that don't result in a permanent digital license are different.
You beat me to it. It seems to be impossible to remove a digital licence. Even if you successfully transfer one to a new device using the activation troubleshooter, the old device retains its digital licence.

Of course, doing this deliberately is piracy, as is using a cheap code (in most cases).

One can only conclude MS do not really care about the odd licence being pirated as it will probably cost them more to enforce the EULA than the revenue lost.

This was self evident when Windows 10 first came out and users gound they could run it indefinitely if unactivated albeit some personalisation restrictions.

In the end, it all comes down to personal integrity. I choose not to pirate licences.
 

My Computer My Computer

At a glance

Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ16 GB solderedIntegrated Intel Iris XE
OS
Windows 11 Pro + Win11 Canary VM.
Computer type
Laptop
Manufacturer/Model
ASUS Zenbook 14
CPU
I9 13th gen i9-13900H 2.60 GHZ
Motherboard
Yep, Laptop has one.
Memory
16 GB soldered
Graphics Card(s)
Integrated Intel Iris XE
Sound Card
Realtek built in
Monitor(s) Displays
laptop OLED screen
Screen Resolution
2880x1800 touchscreen
Hard Drives
1 TB NVME SSD (only weakness is only one slot)
PSU
Internal + 65W thunderbolt USB4 charger
Case
Yep, got one
Cooling
Stella Artois (UK pint cans - 568 ml) - extra cost.
Keyboard
Built in UK keybd
Mouse
Bluetooth , wireless dongled, wired
Internet Speed
900 mbs (ethernet), wifi 6 typical 350-450 mb/s both up and down
Browser
Edge
Antivirus
Defender
Other Info
TPM 2.0, 2xUSB4 thunderbolt, 1xUsb3 (usb a), 1xUsb-c, hdmi out, 3.5 mm audio out/in combo, ASUS backlit trackpad (inc. switchable number pad)

Macrium Reflect Home V8
Office 365 Family (6 users each 1TB onedrive space)
Hyper-V (a vm runs almost as fast as my older laptop)

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