Question Can I use a Windows upgrade product key purchased from a non-Microsft site in the upgrade section of Windows ?

[towmtdj]

I need to upgrade my Windows 11 Home (OEM) edition to Windows 11 Professional edition. I have seen that prices on Microsoft site are a bit too high so I want to purchase a license from a different vendor . My question is, can I use the same upgrade procedure I would use if I had bought the license directly from Microsoft, that is, going to:
System | Activation |Upgrade Windows Edition | Change Code Product Key ?

Thank you

 

[USAFRet]

I need to upgrade my Windows 11 Home (OEM) edition to Windows 11 Professional edition. I have seen that prices on Microsoft site are a bit too high so I want to purchase a license from a different vendor . My question is, can I use the same upgrade procedure I would use if I had bought the license directly from Microsoft, that is, going to System | Activation |Upgrade Windows Edition | Change Code Product Key ?

Thank you

Maybe, maybe not.

Some of the places that sell licenses at "less than retail" are quite shady.

Why the change from Home to Pro?

 

[punkncat]

It is not recommended to purchase keys from "grey" sites.

 

[towmtdj]

Maybe, maybe not.

Some of the places that sell licenses at "less than retail" are quite shady.

Why the change from Home to Pro?

well, actually i have been struggling for a few days to install Oracle DB Express, only to discover, after a more careful reading of oracle docs, that Windows Home edition is not supported by Express installation. Sincerely , I am not convinced that upgrading to Professional edition will solve the problem , but i have no other options. I have no way to verify the trustfulness of other vendors, but reading here and there i came to the conclusion that there are a bunch of sites that can be reliable. So your advice is not to trust them ?

 

[towmtdj]

It is not recommended to purchase keys from "grey" sites.

What do you mean by Grey ?

 

[cruisetung]

What do you mean by Grey ?

It means you don't know if it's legitimate

 

[cruisetung]

For your question. Other options

https://forums.oracle.com/ords/apexds/post/18c-express-edition-on-windows-10-home-machine-4453

There are offers from Groupon sellers. It's also grey. Take your own risk.
https://www.groupon.com/search?query=windows+11+pro

 

[Misgar]

If you buy a suspiciously cheap copy of Windows from a shady site, it's most probably been re-sold from a Volume License or Education License pack and is breaking Microsoft's terms and conditions. These bulk license packs often have a single Activation Key, which covers use on hundreds or thousands of "seats" (computers) in a large company or college.

If you buy such a key, you're not (strictly speaking) getting a legitimate license. An Activation Key from a bulk pack simply unlocks Windows during installation. It does not automatically constitute a legitimate license to use Windows, unless you're an employee of a large company or a student at a school or college.

The Activation key from a shady dealer will probably allow you to upgrade Windows Home to Professional and it's unlilkely Microsoft will de-activate your copy of Windows, if it detects you're one of thousands of people using the same Activation key but on different IP addresses in different parts of the world. If your key is deactivated, you could replace it with another dodgy key.

I upgraded Windows 10 Home to Pro using a key purchased from a magazine I subscribe to (PCPro). The price was mid-way between the dodgy $12 keys and the full price of an upgrade to Professional on Amazon. I'm satisified I've got a unique, valid, genuine key + license and not something from a dodgy company who might (and I stress might) be selling volume keys in order to launder money. Even if they're not money laundering, they're still flouting Microsoft's conditions of sale and use.

Ignore the nonsense on these shady sites claiming they're selling "genuine" copies of Windows. In all probability, what you're buying is an Activation key from a Volume/Education license pack, which may well have come from the Phillipines or some other part of the world. If you don't live in the country where the license was intended for sale and you're not an employee or student, you probably don't have a legitmate license as far as Microsoft is concerned. Your purchase would have been valid if you'd observed the original T's and C's, before the pack was broken up and resold.

It's up to your conscience what you buy. Legitimate or shady.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/is-your-windows-license-legal-should-you-even-care/

 

[stuff and nonesense]

What do you mean by Grey ?

Grey market is 3rd party resellers who are not buying the goods they sell through the established supply chain.
I used to purchase Hitachi ram chips and WSI EPROMs is silly numbers, enough to go to the wholesalers and avoid the further retail markup. They could be bought from non-franchised vendors but not in the required numbers or with a known history.
Traceability was paramount. I was not allowed to use those vendors even for a handful of chips (if something went wrong) as the provenance of the devices was gone. 3 monthly calls were made to Hitachi and WSI asking which franchised dealer had what or how long their stock was on allocation, orders placed and parts delivered.

Buying ‘grey’ gives you no warranty or comeback if something goes wrong.

 

[USAFRet]

well, actually i have been struggling for a few days to install Oracle DB Express, only to discover, after a more careful reading of oracle docs, that Windows Home edition is not supported by Express installation. Sincerely , I am not convinced that upgrading to Professional edition will solve the problem , but i have no other options. I have no way to verify the trustfulness of other vendors, but reading here and there i came to the conclusion that there are a bunch of sites that can be reliable. So your advice is not to trust them ?

Stand up a VirtualMachine with 11 Pro (you can leave it Unactivated), and see if this DB works in that.

 

[Misgar]

i have been struggling for a few days to install Oracle DB Express, only to discover, after a more careful reading of oracle docs, that Windows Home edition is not supported by Express installation.

I have not used Oracle DB Express myself, but their web site confirms some versions run under Windows 10 Pro and also in a Virtual Machine under Microsoft Hyper-V.

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Officially, Windows 10 Home does not support Hyper-V, but there are various guides describing how to get Hyper-V up and running in Windows 10 Home.
https://www.supportyourtech.com/articles/how-to-get-hyper-v-on-windows-10-home-a-step-by-step-guide/

To install Windows 10 Pro under Hyper-V you could, on a temporary basis, use a Generic Key to unlock Windows. These generic keys are used by admins when setting up systems, before activating the installation with a key from a Volume License, Educational Licence, Retail License, OEM License, etc.

If you can get Oracle DB Express to run in a Windows 10 Professional Virtual Machine under Microsoft Hyper-V Manager, inside Windows 10 Home (best of luck) you'll know if Oracle works. N.B. You'll have to enable "Virtualization" in your BIOS to get Hyper-V to work.

If Oracle works in Pro, you can delete the VM and buy a "proper" key (Upgrade License) for your main Windows 10 Home OS. You may have difficulty tracking down a legitimate Upgrade License + Key (to convert from Home to Pro) as opposed to a full Retail License + Key, but persevere. An Upgrade License should be cheaper than a Full License (from a legitimate vendor).

Please note as the link below states, Generic keys do NOT activate Windows. They simply "unlock" Windows and allow you to install the OS on a physical disk (SSD) or in a Virtual Machine (Hyper-V). Use of a Generic Key means your copy of Windows remains unlicensed and you will not be able to perform certain operations, e.g. customise the Taskbar on the Desktop.
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/95922-generic-product-keys-install-windows-10-editions.html

As stated earlier, a Key merely unlocks Windows for installation. A (legitimate) License (for your region and use type) allows you to use Windows within Microsoft's Terms and Conditions. A $12 key probably comes out of a split bulk license from another country and could, potentially, be revoked by Microsoft.

It's my belief that $12 Windows keys are similar to buying a car key for a few bucka from a shady looking guy in a bar. He assures you the key is genuine and indeed it looks OK. You go out into the street, press the button on the key fob and the car doors unlock. You climb in and start the engine. But, even if the key really is genuine OEM, do you really believe it's the same as a valid pink slip (Window License)? Probably not at that price.

Finally, free support for Windows 10 Home and Pro ends in October 2025. Consider upgrading to 11 (use Nero if necessary).
https://www.solveyourtech.com/how-t...-unsupported-hardware-a-step-by-step-guide-2/

 

[towmtdj]

If you buy a suspiciously cheap copy of Windows from a shady site, it's most probably been re-sold from a Volume License or Education License pack and is breaking Microsoft's terms and conditions. These bulk license packs often have a single Activation Key, which covers use on hundreds or thousands of "seats" (computers) in a large company or college.

If you buy such a key, you're not (strictly speaking) getting a legitimate license. An Activation Key from a bulk pack simply unlocks Windows during installation. It does not automatically constitute a legitimate license to use Windows, unless you're an employee of a large company or a student at a school or college.

The Activation key from a shady dealer will probably allow you to upgrade Windows Home to Professional and it's unlilkely Microsoft will de-activate your copy of Windows, if it detects you're one of thousands of people using the same Activation key but on different IP addresses in different parts of the world. If your key is deactivated, you could replace it with another dodgy key.

I upgraded Windows 10 Home to Pro using a key purchased from a magazine I subscribe to (PCPro). The price was mid-way between the dodgy $12 keys and the full price of an upgrade to Professional on Amazon. I'm satisified I've got a unique, valid, genuine key + license and not something from a dodgy company who might (and I stress might) be selling volume keys in order to launder money. Even if they're not money laundering, they're still flouting Microsoft's conditions of sale and use.

Ignore the nonsense on these shady sites claiming they're selling "genuine" copies of Windows. In all probability, what you're buying is an Activation key from a Volume/Education license pack, which may well have come from the Phillipines or some other part of the world. If you don't live in the country where the license was intended for sale and you're not an employee or student, you probably don't have a legitmate license as far as Microsoft is concerned. Your purchase would have been valid if you'd observed the original T's and C's, before the pack was broken up and resold.

It's up to your conscience what you buy. Legitimate or shady.

https://www.zdnet.com/article/is-your-windows-license-legal-should-you-even-care/

The site I was talking about is MrKey, and I can see that it's featured in an official page of this same site : the offer I was intrigued by is around 59$ which is cheaper than Microsoft's, but not so much , so it doesn't look that suspicious. I guess the offer is legitimate , though I don't know if the upgrade procedure is the same I would follow if I had bought directly on Microsoft's site. The problem is I have no choice , since I had the confirmation that Oracle DB Express does not run on Windows Home (I am not that sure that installing Windows 11 Pro would solve the problem though ...). I read somewhere , but i don't remember where, that Pro edition gives you access to some Microsoft's online tutorial that you don't have normally available, is it true ?

 

[USAFRet]

The site I was talking about is MrKey, and I can see that it's featured in an official page of this same site : the offer I was intrigued by is around 59$ which is cheaper than Microsoft's, but not so much , so it doesn't look that suspicious. I guess the offer is legitimate , though I don't know if the upgrade procedure is the same I would follow if I had bought directly on Microsoft's site. The problem is I have no choice , since I had the confirmation that Oracle DB Express does not run on Windows Home (I am not that sure that installing Windows 11 Pro would solve the problem though ...). I read somewhere , but i don't remember where, that Pro edition gives you access to some Microsoft's online tutorial that you don't have normally available, is it true ?

That "MrKey" buys ad space on a site is no guarantee of legitimacy.

 

[Misgar]

If you live in the USA, I'd suggest this ad on Amazon for $99 is legit and despite being for Windows 11, it would probably upgrade your Windows 10 Home License to Windows 10 Professional, but it would better to get a Windows 10 Upgrade.
https://www.amazon.com/Windows-Upgrade-Home-Digital-Download/dp/B09WCTTXQ6

You should be able to find a better deal from a legitimate source. The main problem is knowing who to trust.

If you live in the UK, you can buy the same Windows 11 Upgrade license for £49.99, instead of the normal £119.99. Such deals should exist in the USA too, without the need to visit a potentially suspect web site.
https://store.pcpro.co.uk/

the offer I was intrigued by is around 59$ which is cheaper than Microsoft's, but not so much , so it doesn't look that suspicious. I guess the offer is legitimate

A quick scan revealed this nugget of information. It seems at least one license sold by Mr. Key was an OEM License, not a Retail License.

OEM licenses are "tied" to individual machines and not transferrable. OEM licenses are installed by large companies such as Dell, Lenovo, HP on their desktop PCs and laptops. These large computer manufacturers pay Microsoft a few tens of dollars for an OEM license and pass the savings on to you.

A Retail License, on the other hand, is transferrable to a new machine (provided you de-activate the license on the old machine first). For a home user, a Retail License is the "best" option, but also the most expensive. If you buy a Retail Upgrade license, you are allowed to transfer that license to a new computer, if you buy in new hardware, e.g. new mobo, cpu, etc.

From the above, I believe the Mr Key $59 license might be OEM (and probably a full license, not an upgrade license) but that's only speculation on my part. You'll probably get a "legitimate" license for an OEM supplier, but unless you make a living building computers for resale, it may be flouting Microsoft's T's and C's if you keep the license for use on your own PC.

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/mrkeyshop.com
Product page for Windows 10 Pro stated that license could be used again by deactivating it and activating it again on a new computer (e.g. a Retail license), but they're actually selling OEM licenses.

OEM licenses, once activated, are linked to the hardware on that computer and can not be used on another computer later.

Response from support was that this license CAN be used again on another computer. OEM licenses can not be used again on another computer once activated--it's a technical impossibility.

If you want an OEM license, great. If you want a Retail license, look elsewhere.


I still find Windows licensing confusing and even Microsoft's employees sometimes get the details wrong.

You have the following options:-

1). Buy a Retail Upgrade License at full price from Amazon or Microsoft. Well done, you're legit.

2). Buy what is probably an OEM License at a discount from Mr Key and ignore the fact you're not an OEM installer.

3). Go to a shady dealer and pay £12 for a License most likely split from a bulk pack. Wait to see if Microsoft deactivates the license.

4). Employ nefarious means to install and activate Windows for free. Naughty, naughty.

Regardless of the above, you might consider switching from Windows 10 Home to Windows 11 Home, then apply an Update pack to switch to Professional. The October 2025 deadline is looming.

(I am not that sure that installing Windows 11 Pro would solve the problem though ...)

Install Windows 10 Professional as a VM in Hyper-V on your existing Windows 10 Home system to find out. It involves some research on your part, but shouldn't take more than a couple of hours, once you've figured things out. Enable Virtualization in BIOS. Enable Hyper-V in Control Panel. Install Windows 10 Pro as a VM. Install Oracle in the VM. Done.
https://www.solveyourtech.com/how-to-create-a-virtual-machine-in-windows-10-step-by-step-guide/

I read somewhere , but i don't remember where, that Pro edition gives you access to some Microsoft's online tutorial that you don't have normally available, is it true ?

I'm still running Windows 10 Pro, but I've not come across any special Microsoft tutorials. When I was using Microsoft Technet as a system admin, I did find a lot of useful info. There are plenty of books and online tutorials if you go looking for them.