Have you tried restarting your computer? Sometimes a simple reboot helps resolve loading issues.
Have you tried restarting your computer? Sometimes a simple reboot helps resolve loading issues.
Hi, I've got a new 11th gen I7 HP laptop with a 500 GB NVMe SSD and 32 GB RAM. I'm planning to do a clean install of Windows 10 Pro, and I have a couple of licenses. We've done this before using USB drives from the Microsoft website. During installation, I had to load storage drivers for the thumb drive, but I saw the SSD where Windows should go. After selecting the drive, I clicked next and started the install. Once finished, Windows Home loaded, but when I tried to upgrade to Pro it gave an error. I should have noted that down. Have anyone else ever had a Windows 10 Pro install disk or thumb drive? Where did you buy it from? I'm not sure how to get it to Pro this way. Thanks, Thomas.
You don't buy it, so you visit windows.com (or whatever Microsoft's website is), navigate to the media creation tool, and select Windows 10 64 bits. During installation, if you're presented with choices like Pro, Home, and another option, the process might encounter an issue when you don<|pad|>'s choice isn't available.
The only instances I've encountered where a Windows installer didn't request your desired version were when the machine was online and had an embedded product key in the BIOS. This allowed the installer to check the license and confirm the needed Windows 10 version. You may need to pay for a Pro upgrade unless HP provides assistance to remove the embedded key.
I've never linked a clean installation to the internet during setup. This laptop has the lightest build I've ever seen, with very few adjustable settings. I appreciate your contact with HP; you never know what you might find useful. I'll definitely add that to my list.
Usually all laptops or prebuilt units come with the Windows activation key built into the BIOS during manufacturing. The installer recognizes it and applies the correct version. To upgrade, modify the settings (settings->update and security->activation->change product key). When you enter a Pro key, the remaining components install automatically, restart the system, and you’re ready to use Pro.
Demonix00 and the rest of you, thank you a lot—your help got me back on track. I looked into the Windows key in the BIOS and found a method to install Windows Pro. I copied the instructions into a text file, saved it as "ei.cfg" on the USB drive, and when I restart the installation, the option to pick Windows 10 Pro appears. The setup completed successfully, showing Windows 10 Pro and updating smoothly. If anything goes wrong, I’ll share an update. Thanks again for the guidance, it really made a difference. Drink Heavy and Prosper Thomas