Solved Want to upgrade to 11 Pro but have questions.


Manigue

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Windows 11 Pro 22H2 Canary & Non-Insider
iBuyPower PC came with Win11 Home.
- Want to buy upgrade from Microsoft but want to know if I will receive a Pro License Key.
- Will I be able to use this Key if my NVMe drive fails and is replaced? (Same if MoBo is changed.)
- Will I be able to upgrade my second drive to Insiders Dev Pro? (Actually running Insiders Dev Home version)
- Will upgrade keep my actual windows settings or will I have to do a clean install?

Searched internet for answers but all I found was how to install bootleg copies.
 
Windows Build/Version
Windows 11 Home 21H2 OS build 22000.708

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 Canary & Non-Insider
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    IBuyPower Z690-P
    CPU
    Intel i7-12700F
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z690-P
    Memory
    TeamGroup DDR4-3600 64Gb(4x16Gb)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce RTX-3060 w/12Gb GDDR6
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtec ALC-892
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG32GP83B
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440 165Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD BLUE SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1Tb (Main Drive with Win 11 Pro)
    WD BLUE SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1Tb (Main Drive with Win 11 Pro Canary)
    A-DATA SU800 1Tb SSD (Backup for both M.2 Drives)
    PSU
    Corsair RM750X Gold 750 Watts
    Case
    17H x 7.9W x 17.5D 6 120/140mm Fan Slots
    Cooling
    3 x 360mm Front Fans, 3 x 360 mm Cooling Radiator
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70
    Mouse
    Basilisk v3 RZ01-0400
    Internet Speed
    Spectrum 500Gb w/Linksys EA7450 Router
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    On Board Network and Bluetooth
iBuyPower PC came with Win11 Home.
- Want to buy upgrade from Microsoft but want to know if I will receive a Pro License Key.
- Will I be able to use this Key if my NVMe drive fails and is replaced? (Same if MoBo is changed.)
- Will I be able to upgrade my second drive to Insiders Dev Pro? (Actually running Insiders Dev Home version)
- Will upgrade keep my actual windows settings or will I have to do a clean install?

Searched internet for answers but all I found was how to install bootleg copies.
Yes to all - if you get a retail (it will be a Win 10) key.

My question is.. why Pro?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows
- Want to buy upgrade from Microsoft but want to know if I will receive a Pro License Key.
Not 100% certain if you get a key or a digital licence if you pay for upgrade. @NavyLCDR may be able to answer.

- Will I be able to use this Key if my NVMe drive fails and is replaced? (Same if MoBo is changed.)
If you get a key, yes. If you only get a digital licence, you can replace drive but trickier if mobo fails.

- Will I be able to upgrade my second drive to Insiders Dev Pro? (Actually running Insiders Dev Home version)
yes - no problem

- Will upgrade keep my actual windows settings or will I have to do a clean install?
yes ( no you do not need to clean install).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
- Want to buy upgrade from Microsoft but want to know if I will receive a Pro License Key.
Not 100% certain if you get a key or a digital licence if you pay for upgrade. @NavyLCDR may be able to answer.

- Will I be able to use this Key if my NVMe drive fails and is replaced? (Same if MoBo is changed.)
If you get a key, yes. If you only get a digital licence, you can replace drive but trickier if mobo fails.

- Will I be able to upgrade my second drive to Insiders Dev Pro? (Actually running Insiders Dev Home version)
yes - no problem

- Will upgrade keep my actual windows settings or will I have to do a clean install?
yes ( no you do not need to clean install).
Can someone motivate the benefits of a Store digital licence upgrade vs a Retail upgrade? I don't see the cost benefit.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows
Yes to all - if you get a retail (it will be a Win 10) key.

My question is.. why Pro?
Juust to play with VM function. Other than that is something else to do in my retirement.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 Canary & Non-Insider
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    IBuyPower Z690-P
    CPU
    Intel i7-12700F
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z690-P
    Memory
    TeamGroup DDR4-3600 64Gb(4x16Gb)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce RTX-3060 w/12Gb GDDR6
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtec ALC-892
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG32GP83B
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440 165Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD BLUE SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1Tb (Main Drive with Win 11 Pro)
    WD BLUE SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1Tb (Main Drive with Win 11 Pro Canary)
    A-DATA SU800 1Tb SSD (Backup for both M.2 Drives)
    PSU
    Corsair RM750X Gold 750 Watts
    Case
    17H x 7.9W x 17.5D 6 120/140mm Fan Slots
    Cooling
    3 x 360mm Front Fans, 3 x 360 mm Cooling Radiator
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70
    Mouse
    Basilisk v3 RZ01-0400
    Internet Speed
    Spectrum 500Gb w/Linksys EA7450 Router
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    On Board Network and Bluetooth
@cereberus thanks for reply. Feel more confident in going forward with upgrade.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 Canary & Non-Insider
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    IBuyPower Z690-P
    CPU
    Intel i7-12700F
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z690-P
    Memory
    TeamGroup DDR4-3600 64Gb(4x16Gb)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce RTX-3060 w/12Gb GDDR6
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtec ALC-892
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG32GP83B
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440 165Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD BLUE SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1Tb (Main Drive with Win 11 Pro)
    WD BLUE SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1Tb (Main Drive with Win 11 Pro Canary)
    A-DATA SU800 1Tb SSD (Backup for both M.2 Drives)
    PSU
    Corsair RM750X Gold 750 Watts
    Case
    17H x 7.9W x 17.5D 6 120/140mm Fan Slots
    Cooling
    3 x 360mm Front Fans, 3 x 360 mm Cooling Radiator
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70
    Mouse
    Basilisk v3 RZ01-0400
    Internet Speed
    Spectrum 500Gb w/Linksys EA7450 Router
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    On Board Network and Bluetooth
Can someone motivate the benefits of a Store digital license upgrade vs a Retail upgrade? I don't see the cost benefit.
Price maybe?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 Canary & Non-Insider
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    IBuyPower Z690-P
    CPU
    Intel i7-12700F
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z690-P
    Memory
    TeamGroup DDR4-3600 64Gb(4x16Gb)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce RTX-3060 w/12Gb GDDR6
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtec ALC-892
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG32GP83B
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440 165Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD BLUE SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1Tb (Main Drive with Win 11 Pro)
    WD BLUE SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1Tb (Main Drive with Win 11 Pro Canary)
    A-DATA SU800 1Tb SSD (Backup for both M.2 Drives)
    PSU
    Corsair RM750X Gold 750 Watts
    Case
    17H x 7.9W x 17.5D 6 120/140mm Fan Slots
    Cooling
    3 x 360mm Front Fans, 3 x 360 mm Cooling Radiator
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70
    Mouse
    Basilisk v3 RZ01-0400
    Internet Speed
    Spectrum 500Gb w/Linksys EA7450 Router
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    On Board Network and Bluetooth

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 Canary & Non-Insider
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    IBuyPower Z690-P
    CPU
    Intel i7-12700F
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z690-P
    Memory
    TeamGroup DDR4-3600 64Gb(4x16Gb)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce RTX-3060 w/12Gb GDDR6
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtec ALC-892
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG32GP83B
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440 165Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD BLUE SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1Tb (Main Drive with Win 11 Pro)
    WD BLUE SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1Tb (Main Drive with Win 11 Pro Canary)
    A-DATA SU800 1Tb SSD (Backup for both M.2 Drives)
    PSU
    Corsair RM750X Gold 750 Watts
    Case
    17H x 7.9W x 17.5D 6 120/140mm Fan Slots
    Cooling
    3 x 360mm Front Fans, 3 x 360 mm Cooling Radiator
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70
    Mouse
    Basilisk v3 RZ01-0400
    Internet Speed
    Spectrum 500Gb w/Linksys EA7450 Router
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    On Board Network and Bluetooth
Well I upgraded to Pro. Feel like a Pro now until I break something on my other drive LOL.

Thanks to all that replied. Was'nt sure but you all cleared my doubts.

Marking thread as completed.

Like Hyper-V? There are better options.
I saw them online, Thanks. At the moment want to play with Hyper-V using the How To tutorial from this forum.

Last Note: My lord what a difference playing with Windows 11 compared to Windows 3.0 on a 5-1/4" floppy.
Hope to have as much fun as I did with the Radio Shack's CoCo and the Trash 4 (TRS Mod 4).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 22H2 Canary & Non-Insider
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    IBuyPower Z690-P
    CPU
    Intel i7-12700F
    Motherboard
    ASUS Z690-P
    Memory
    TeamGroup DDR4-3600 64Gb(4x16Gb)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Gigabyte NVIDIA GeForce RTX-3060 w/12Gb GDDR6
    Sound Card
    Onboard Realtec ALC-892
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG32GP83B
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440 165Hz
    Hard Drives
    WD BLUE SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1Tb (Main Drive with Win 11 Pro)
    WD BLUE SN570 M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD 1Tb (Main Drive with Win 11 Pro Canary)
    A-DATA SU800 1Tb SSD (Backup for both M.2 Drives)
    PSU
    Corsair RM750X Gold 750 Watts
    Case
    17H x 7.9W x 17.5D 6 120/140mm Fan Slots
    Cooling
    3 x 360mm Front Fans, 3 x 360 mm Cooling Radiator
    Keyboard
    Corsair K70
    Mouse
    Basilisk v3 RZ01-0400
    Internet Speed
    Spectrum 500Gb w/Linksys EA7450 Router
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Canary
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    On Board Network and Bluetooth
Well I upgraded to Pro. Feel like a Pro now until I break something on my other drive LOL.
Enjoy your upgrade to Pro! I simply cannot live without Pro. I make extensive use of features like Remote Desktop, Hyper-V, Group Policy Editor, and more.

If I get a machine with Home on it, it gets upgraded to Pro practically before the CPU gets a chance to get warm :-).
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-11700K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Prime Z590-A
    Memory
    128GB Crucial Ballistix 3200MHz DRAM
    Graphics Card(s)
    No GPU - CPU graphics only (for now)
    Sound Card
    Realtek (on motherboard)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    HP Envy 32
    Screen Resolution
    2560 x 1440
    Hard Drives
    1 x 1TB NVMe Gen 4 x 4 SSD
    1 x 2TB NVMe Gen 3 x 4 SSD
    2 x 512GB 2.5" SSDs
    2 x 8TB HD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850i
    Case
    Corsair iCue 5000X RGB
    Cooling
    Noctua NH-D15 chromax.black cooler + 10 case fans
    Keyboard
    CODE backlit mechanical keyboard
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1 Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    Additional options installed:
    WiFi 6E PCIe adapter
    ASUS ThunderboltEX 4 PCIe adapter
  • Operating System
    Win11 Pro 23H2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Lenovo ThinkBook 13x Gen 2
    CPU
    Intel i7-1255U
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics card(s)
    Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Realtek® ALC3306-CG codec
    Monitor(s) Displays
    13.3-inch IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    WQXGA (2560 x 1600)
    Hard Drives
    2 TB 4 x 4 NVMe SSD
    PSU
    USB-C / Thunderbolt 4 Power / Charging
    Mouse
    Buttonless Glass Precision Touchpad
    Keyboard
    Backlit, spill resistant keyboard
    Internet Speed
    1Gb Up / 1Gb Down
    Browser
    Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender
    Other Info
    WiFi 6e / Bluetooth 5.1 / Facial Recognition / Fingerprint Sensor / ToF (Time of Flight) Human Presence Sensor
Last Note: My lord what a difference playing with Windows 11 compared to Windows 3.0 on a 5-1/4" floppy.
Hope to have as much fun as I did with the Radio Shack's CoCo and the Trash 4 (TRS Mod 4).
As long as you are happy all good

No idea about your last note... way before my time... ?floppy... like a jelly USB stick? LOL - just joking
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows
Enjoy your upgrade to Pro! I simply cannot live without Pro. I make extensive use of features like Remote Desktop, Hyper-V, Group Policy Editor, and more.

If I get a machine with Home on it, it gets upgraded to Pro practically before the CPU gets a chance to get warm :).
If you're a PC enthusiast and/or tweaker Pro is definitely the way to go. I couldn't go with anything less than Pro (where available) :)
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 (Build 22631.3296)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom built
    CPU
    Intel i9-9900K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte Aorus Z390 Xtreme
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair RGB Dominator Platinum (3600Mhz)
    Graphics Card(s)
    Radeon VII
    Sound Card
    Onboard (ESS Sabre HiFi using Realtek drivers)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    NEC PA242w (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    5 Samsung SSD drives: 2X 970 NVME (512 & 1TB), 3X EVO SATA (2X 2TB, 1X 1TB)
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova I000 G2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Cooler Master H500M
    Cooling
    Corsair H115i RGB Platinum
    Keyboard
    Logitech Craft
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    500mb Download. 11mb Upload
    Browser
    Microsoft Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    System used for gaming, photography, music, school.
  • Operating System
    Win 10 Pro 22H2 (build 19045.2130)
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom Built
    CPU
    Intel i7-7700K
    Motherboard
    Gigabyte GA-Z270X-GAMING 8
    Memory
    32G (4x8) DDR4 Corsair Dominator Platinum (3333Mhz)
    Graphics card(s)
    AMD Radeon R9 Fury
    Sound Card
    Onboard (Creative Sound Blaster certified ZxRi)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Dell U2415 (24 inch)
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1200
    Hard Drives
    3 Samsung SSD drives: 1x 512gig 950 NVMe drive (OS drive), 1 x 512gig 850 Pro, 1x 256gig 840 Pro.
    PSU
    EVGA Super Nova 1000 P2 (1000 watt)
    Case
    Phantek Enthoo Luxe
    Cooling
    Corsair H100i
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master
    Keyboard
    Logitech MK 710
    Internet Speed
    100MB
    Browser
    Edge Chromium
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
    Other Info
    This is my backup system.
As long as you are happy all good

No idea about your last note... way before my time... ?floppy... like a jelly USB stick? LOL - just joking
Cut a notch on the opposite side of the floppy and you got a flippy.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • 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
  • 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!
Can someone motivate the benefits of a Store digital licence upgrade vs a Retail upgrade? I don't see the cost benefit.
You cannot buy a retail upgrade only the full retail licence, which is twice the price of an MS Store upgrade (if you buy an official pro licence).

You can of course go to a zillion sites that sell cheap pro licences if prepared to take a risk of being scammed.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
You cannot buy a retail upgrade only the full retail licence, which is twice the price of an MS Store upgrade (if you buy an official pro licence).

You can of course go to a zillion sites that sell cheap pro licences if prepared to take a risk of being scammed.
My point... pay 1x for 1 install or pay up to 2x (haven't seen that btw) for multiple installs - flaky activation wizard excluded.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows
My point... pay 1x for 1 install or pay up to 2x (haven't seen that btw) for multiple installs - flaky activation wizard excluded.
2x for full installation allowing multiple installation but only one at a time of course.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 10 Pro + others in VHDs
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    ASUS Vivobook 14
    CPU
    I7
    Motherboard
    Yep, Laptop has one.
    Memory
    16 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    Integrated Intel Iris XE
    Sound Card
    Realtek built in
    Monitor(s) Displays
    N/A
    Screen Resolution
    1920x1080
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Optane NVME SSD, 1 TB NVME SSD
    PSU
    Yep, got one
    Case
    Yep, got one
    Cooling
    Stella Artois
    Keyboard
    Built in
    Mouse
    Bluetooth , wired
    Internet Speed
    72 Mb/s :-(
    Browser
    Edge mostly
    Antivirus
    Defender
    Other Info
    TPM 2.0
2x for full installation allowing multiple installation but only one at a time of course.

Oh phooey, does MS care? Btw I said multiple installs for (uhmmm) 2x cost ... :p (the emoticons are 'cause you are such a fan of these... ;-) LOL)
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows

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