Replace Windows Home with Windows Pro on a new laptop ?

NexusFred · Dec 4, 2024

Hello, I just bought a laptop ASUS Zenbook UM3406H (AMD R7-8840HS / Ram 16G / SSD 512G).

This one came with Windows Home and a bunch of nasty software like Norton

I would like to restart from a clean state but I only have licence for Windows Pro.

Did Windows Pro can run without any issue on this laptop ?

Thanks

Dark Knight · Dec 4, 2024

NexusFred said:
Hello, I just bought a laptop ASUS Zenbook UM3406H (AMD R7-8840HS / Ram 16G / SSD 512G).

This one came with Windows Home and a bunch of nasty software like Norton

I would like to restart from a clean state but I only have licence for Windows Pro.

Did Windows Pro can run without any issue on this laptop ?

Thanks

1.) Norton is not nasty .... when configured correctly is one of the best antivirus out there.
2.) I do not see why the laptop cannot run Windows 11 Pro as long as the license you have is legit.

kelper · Dec 4, 2024

You can just upgrade from Home to Pro by entering the new licence keycode. It's under System, Activation, Change product key. Windows will download any components it needs.

NexusFred · Dec 4, 2024

kelper said:
You can just upgrade from Home to Pro by entering the new licence keycode. It's under System, Activation, Change product key. Windows will download any components it needs.

Yes but all the nasty softwares will remain

Megahertz · Dec 4, 2024

If you want to reinstall windows to have it without all the bloatware.
- Save all the current drivers

Backup and Restore Device Drivers in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to back up and restore all 3rd party device drivers on your Windows 10 and Windows 11 PC. If you clean install Windows, you will need to install drivers for each device in the system. Some of these device drivers may no longer be available from the manufacturer...

www.elevenforum.com

- I suggest you build the USB Win 11 24h2 installation drive using MCT

Installation:
As you have a UEFI BIOS, you should install as UEFI-GPT
Detach any other drives (SATA or Power cable) from the MB.

During POST, press F12(?) to launch the boot menu. You will see two options for the USB drive. USB UEFI (Name) and USB (Name). Select USB UEFI (Name) to install as UEFI-GPT.
Don't enable updates or connect to the internet during installation.
It will probably don't ask for a key. If it does, just hit Skip.
Go to install and delete ALL partitions on the main drive till you have one and only one unallocated space and then proceed.

If you want to use a local account What is "oobe\bypassnro"

It will install Win 11 home as it is the one that came with the computer. If you want to upgrade to pro, change the key with a valid pro key.

Upgrade Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro

This tutorial will show you how to upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro without losing anything. You can directly upgrade your device from Windows 11 Home to the Windows 11 Pro edition without losing anything. Upgrading to Windows 11 Pro will include features only in the Pro edition...

www.elevenforum.com

Berton · Dec 4, 2024

Just a note, I've done a few changing to Pro it didn't do a full reinstall, just activated things already in Windows, on the computer, then does some updating. The edition one gets relies on the license code as to which is activated.

neemobeer · Dec 4, 2024

The upgrade process is much easier and quicker than a clean install. You can always uninstall programs.

NexusFred · Dec 4, 2024

Thanks for all your advice. Uninstalling software is possible but remains less clean than starting from a brand new OS, especially when it comes to Northon and Office 365 which leaves a lot of DLLs and entries in the registry.

I think I'll make a ghost of the original SSD and install a brand new OS. It's longer, but cleaner.

neemobeer · Dec 4, 2024

Space is cheap. Seems like a lot of work to save a few MBs.

NexusFred · Dec 4, 2024

neemobeer said:
Space is cheap. Seems like a lot of work to save a few MBs.

I'm looking to save MBs, I'm looking for a clean Registry, clean DLLs...

Winuser · Dec 4, 2024

NexusFred said:
Yes but all the nasty softwares will remain

Another option you can take is to install Revo Uninstaller to remove any programs or apps you don't want

pparks1 · Dec 4, 2024

Yeah, like you said.
1). Take an image of what you have, so in the event of problems you can come back.
2). You can reinstall Windows and if you have a key for Pro instead of Home, you can use it on the laptop.

It's possible that if the key is embedded in the BIOS, windows may automatically install Home without asking you for a key. But then you can go through the steps to change the activation key and convert that to Pro.

tecknot · Dec 4, 2024

pparks1 said:
Yeah, like you said.
1). Take an image of what you have, so in the event of problems you can come back.

pparks1 said:
... But then you can go through the steps to change the activation key and convert that to Pro.

kelper said:
You can just upgrade from Home to Pro by entering the new licence keycode. It's under System, Activation, Change product key. Windows will download any components it needs.

Just change the Product/License keycode and you'll be fine. There's no need to reinstall Windows 11.

Kind regards,

tecknot

Berton · Dec 4, 2024

NexusFred said:
I'm looking to save MBs, I'm looking for a clean Registry, clean DLLs...

Be careful with .dll/Data Link Library files, they contain support for programs which may not work if deleted or edited.

pparks1 · Dec 4, 2024

tecknot said:
Just change the Product/License keycode and you'll be fine. There's no need to reinstall Windows 11.

Kind regards,

tecknot

While there is NOT a technical reason you have to reinstall Windows 11, in this case there is a desire from the original poster to do so in order to get rid of a bunch of pre-installed stuff they would rather not have around. I understand that desire, i've never left the OS on the box from the vendor when I bought a pre-built machine. I always format and reinstall clean to have it exactly as I want it.

NexusFred · Dec 4, 2024

Berton said:
Be careful with .dll/Data Link Library files, they contain support for programs which may not work if deleted or edited.

I will not manually delete some DLLs. I will make a format C: and install a brand new OS.

MisterEd · Dec 4, 2024

I upgraded my laptop from Windows 11 Home to Pro. I changed the key to a generic Windows 11 Pro key. It then started the process of doing the upgrade to Windows 11 Pro. After it rebooted I changed the Windows 11 key to the one I had bought.

Replace Windows Home with Windows Pro on a new laptop ?

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