Upgrading Windows Edition Using Product Keys
This guide explains how to upgrade Windows editions (e.g., Home to Pro) using generic product keys and the built-in changepk.exe utility.
Overview
Windows allows in-place edition upgrades without reinstalling the operating system. This is useful for:
- Upgrading from Home to Pro for business features
- Switching to Education or Enterprise editions
- Migrating to Pro for Workstations for advanced hardware support
- Converting retail installations to KMS-activated systems
Prerequisites
- Administrator access to the Windows computer
- Internet connection for activation
- Valid license key for the target edition (for final activation)
- Command Prompt or PowerShell with administrator privileges
Upgrade Process
Step 1: Install Generic Product Key
Use a generic key to upgrade the Windows edition without activating:
Or from Command Prompt:
Step 2: Restart Computer
Windows will prompt you to restart. The upgrade process completes during restart.
Step 3: Activate Windows
After reboot, activate Windows with your valid license key:
# Activate with your purchased license key
slmgr.vbs /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
slmgr.vbs /ato
Or via Settings: 1. Open Settings → System → Activation 2. Click Change product key 3. Enter your valid license key 4. Click Next to activate
Generic Product Keys for Windows 11
Use these keys to upgrade editions. These keys do not activate Windows - they only enable the edition upgrade.
| Windows 11 Edition | Generic Key |
|---|---|
| Windows 11 Home | YTMG3-N6DKC-DKB77-7M9GH-8HVX7 |
| Windows 11 Home N | 4CPRK-NM3K3-X6XXQ-RXX86-WXCHW |
| Windows 11 Home Single Language | BT79Q-G7N6G-PGBYW-4YWX6-6F4BT |
| Windows 11 Home Country Specific | N2434-X9D7W-8PF6X-8DV9T-8TYMD |
| Windows 11 Pro | VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T |
| Windows 11 Pro N | 2B87N-8KFHP-DKV6R-Y2C8J-PKCKT |
| Windows 11 Pro for Workstations | DXG7C-N36C4-C4HTG-X4T3X-2YV77 |
| Windows 11 Pro for Workstations N | WYPNQ-8C467-V2W6J-TX4WX-WT2RQ |
| Windows 11 Pro Education | 8PTT6-RNW4C-6V7J2-C2D3X-MHBPB |
| Windows 11 Pro Education N | GJTYN-HDMQY-FRR76-HVGC7-QPF8P |
| Windows 11 Education | YNMGQ-8RYV3-4PGQ3-C8XTP-7CFBY |
| Windows 11 Education N | 84NGF-MHBT6-FXBX8-QWJK7-DRR8H |
| Windows 11 Enterprise | XGVPP-NMH47-7TTHJ-W3FW7-8HV2C |
| Windows 11 Enterprise N | WGGHN-J84D6-QYCPR-T7PJ7-X766F |
| Windows 11 Enterprise G N | FW7NV-4T673-HF4VX-9X4MM-B4H4T |
Generic Keys Do Not Activate
These generic keys only upgrade the edition. You must activate Windows with a valid license key after the upgrade.
KMS Client Product Keys (GVLK)
If your organization uses Key Management Service (KMS) for volume activation, use these Generic Volume License Keys (GVLK) instead of retail keys.
Windows 11 KMS Client Keys
| Windows 11 Edition | KMS Client Key (GVLK) |
|---|---|
| Windows 11 Home | TX9XD-98N7V-6WMQ6-BX7FG-H8Q99 |
| Windows 11 Home N | 3KHY7-WNT83-DGQKR-F7HPR-844BM |
| Windows 11 Home Single Language | 7HNRX-D7KGG-3K4RQ-4WPJ4-YTDFH |
| Windows 11 Home Country Specific | PVMJN-6DFY6-9CCP6-7BKTT-D3WVR |
| Windows 11 Pro | W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX |
| Windows 11 Pro N | MH37W-N47XK-V7XM9-C7227-GCQG9 |
| Windows 11 Pro for Workstations | NRG8B-VKK3Q-CXVCJ-9G2XF-6Q84J |
| Windows 11 Pro for Workstations N | 9FNHH-K3HBT-3W4TD-6383H-6XYWF |
| Windows 11 Pro Education | 6TP4R-GNPTD-KYYHQ-7B7DP-J447Y |
| Windows 11 Pro Education N | YVWGF-BXNMC-HTQYQ-CPQ99-66QFC |
| Windows 11 Education | NW6C2-QMPVW-D7KKK-3GKT6-VCFB2 |
| Windows 11 Education N | 2WH4N-8QGBV-H22JP-CT43Q-MDWWJ |
| Windows 11 Enterprise | NPPR9-FWDCX-D2C8J-H872K-2YT43 |
| Windows 11 Enterprise N | DPH2V-TTNVB-4X9Q3-TJR4H-KHJW4 |
| Windows 11 Enterprise G | YYVX9-NTFWV-6MDM3-9PT4T-4M68B |
| Windows 11 Enterprise G N | 44RPN-FTY23-9VTTB-MP9BX-T84FV |
| Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2019 | M7XTQ-FN8P6-TTKYV-9D4CC-J462D |
| Windows 11 Enterprise N LTSC 2019 | 92NFX-8DJQP-P6BBQ-THF9C-7CG2H |
When to Use KMS Keys
Use KMS client keys (GVLK) when:
- Your organization uses a KMS server for volume activation
- Computers need to activate against an internal KMS host
- You're deploying Windows in an enterprise environment with volume licensing
- Moving from retail to volume license activation
Installing KMS Client Key
# Install KMS client key (GVLK)
slmgr.vbs /ipk W269N-WFGWX-YVC9B-4J6C9-T83GX
# Set KMS server (replace with your KMS server address)
slmgr.vbs /skms kms.contoso.com
# Activate against KMS server
slmgr.vbs /ato
Complete PowerShell Example
#Requires -RunAsAdministrator
# Step 1: Upgrade to Windows 11 Pro
Write-Host "Upgrading to Windows 11 Pro..." -ForegroundColor Cyan
changepk.exe /ProductKey VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T
# Step 2: Wait for upgrade to complete and restart
Write-Host "Please restart the computer to complete the upgrade." -ForegroundColor Yellow
Write-Host "After restart, run the activation commands." -ForegroundColor Yellow
# After restart, activate with your license key
# Uncomment and replace with your actual key:
# slmgr.vbs /ipk YOUR-PROD-UCT-KEY-HERE
# slmgr.vbs /ato
Verification
Check Current Edition
# View current Windows edition
Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object WindowsProductName, WindowsVersion, OsHardwareAbstractionLayer
# Alternative method
systeminfo | findstr /B /C:"OS Name" /C:"OS Version"
Check Activation Status
# Check activation status
slmgr.vbs /dli
# Detailed activation information
slmgr.vbs /dlv
# Check license status
Get-CimInstance -ClassName SoftwareLicensingProduct |
Where-Object {$_.PartialProductKey} |
Select-Object Name, Description, LicenseStatus
Troubleshooting
Error: "The product key you entered didn't work"
Solutions:
- Verify you're using the correct generic key for target edition
- Check current edition: winver or Get-ComputerInfo
- Ensure you have administrator privileges
- Try running from elevated Command Prompt instead of PowerShell
Edition Upgrade Doesn't Start
Solutions: - Ensure Windows Update is not running - Disable antivirus temporarily - Check for pending Windows updates - Verify disk space (at least 10GB free) - Review Windows Event Viewer for errors
Activation Fails After Upgrade
Solutions: - Verify internet connectivity - Check that the license key is valid for the edition - Ensure the key hasn't been used on too many devices - Wait a few minutes and try activation again - Contact Microsoft support or your volume license administrator
KMS Activation Not Working
Solutions:
- Verify KMS server address is correct: slmgr.vbs /dlv
- Check network connectivity to KMS server
- Ensure KMS server is reachable: Test-NetConnection kms.contoso.com -Port 1688
- Verify the GVLK is installed: slmgr.vbs /dli
- Check KMS activation threshold is met (25 clients for Windows)
"changepk.exe" Not Recognized
Solutions:
- Run from elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell
- Use full path: C:\Windows\System32\changepk.exe
- Verify Windows version supports edition upgrades
- Check if Windows is corrupted: sfc /scannow
Important Notes
Licensing Requirements
- You must have a valid license for the target edition
- Generic keys do not provide activation
- Upgrading doesn't grant you a license to use that edition
- Ensure compliance with Microsoft licensing terms
Data Safety
- Edition upgrades preserve all files, apps, and settings
- Backup important data before upgrading
- Ensure adequate disk space is available
- Close all running applications before upgrade
Edition Downgrade
- Downgrading editions typically requires reinstalling Windows
- Edition upgrades are generally one-way
- Plan carefully before upgrading to Enterprise or Education editions
Related Documentation
This guide applies to Windows 11. Similar keys and process exist for Windows 10 and Windows Server editions.