Question Windows upgraded itself

[Andrew D]

Roughly 3 weeks ago I build a new computer for my self, my old one was kind of of slow and was a pre-built from HP. When I built a new pc I had a little trouble with activating windows but after a while I got it to activate using my old product key, when I got on my computer today however I saw the activate windows water mark. I had went to settings and checked my activation status and it said that I was using Windows 10 Enterprise and that there was no product key. The problem is I never installed Enterprise edition, on my old and new computer I use Home. Not sure if it matters or if it is just a coincident but I just finished setting up the security on my computer today, I don't think there is any correlation, however in case you were wondering it is Trend Micro. I really would prefer not to do a clean install because backing up my files ends up taking hours.

 

[USAFRet]

Roughly 3 weeks ago I build a new computer for my self, my old one was kind of of slow and was a pre-built from HP. When I built a new pc I had a little trouble with activating windows but after a while I got it to activate using my old product key, when I got on my computer today however I saw the activate windows water mark. I had went to settings and checked my activation status and it said that I was using Windows 10 Enterprise and that there was no product key. The problem is I never installed Enterprise edition, on my old and new computer I use Home. Not sure if it matters or if it is just a coincident but I just finished setting up the security on my computer today, I don't think there is any correlation, however in case you were wondering it is Trend Micro. I really would prefer not to do a clean install because backing up my files ends up taking hours.

It cannot upgrade from Home to Enterprise on its own.
No way, no how.

Backing up take hours?
Well, you need to be doing that anyway.

And there is no click click downgrade from Enterprise to Home.

But still...it cannot automagically upgrade itself from Home to Enterprise.


Where, specifically, is it telling you 'Enterprise'?
Screencap. please.

 

[Andrew D]

This is the only way I could import a screen shot of it, I don't know what it did but I do know that I never downlead enterprise edition.

Edit: NVM the link didn't work

Got it to work, I just had to go through facebook

 

[USAFRet]

When you built the new system, where did the OS come from?

 

[Andrew D]

When you built the new system, where did the OS come from?

I did a clean install from a usb media that I created, it was windows 10 home.

 

[USAFRet]

I did a clean install from a usb media that I created, it was windows 10 home.

Going further into:
"It can't do that".

Have you ever had an Enterprise license associated with your MS account?

 

[Colif]

to check account and what PC is actually linked to it
go here - https://account.microsoft.com/account?lang=en-au&refd=account.microsoft.com
click sign in, use login info and/or email address and password
click on devices at top of screen
logon again
it should show the PC linked to the account on this page, if it doesn't show details on this page - details as in what PC is - clicking on it should reveal more.

It should be this PC, I don't actually know how you see what licences are linked to an email address, the answers on MS just point at above which isn't exactly right answer.

I don't think its possible to upgrade from home to enterprise by itself, it isn't on the same upgrade path. Are you sure you didn't use another USB?

You can't really roll back, the only way back to Home is a clean install.

 

[Andrew D]

No, I've had 10 Home activated on this account and there is no way it could be linked to Enterprise because I've barley even heard of it before several days ago. I have contacted Microsoft support for it but they aren't being helpful and I've been transfered 4 times now.

 

[Colif]

I expect they tell you to reinstall Home once you stop playing phone tag. When WIn 10 first came out, it was their answer to almost every question.

It shouldn't be possible to make the right installer using Media Creation Tool, but we can't really argue with you, just fix problem

 

[USAFRet]

So lets verify the timeline here:

Built new system.
Installed Win 10 Home, from a known verified USB that you created.
Activated Win 10 Home.
Later, Windows Upgrade.
It is now seeing itself as an Enterprise install, with no valid license key.

Is this correct?

 

[Andrew D]

So lets verify the timeline here:

Built new system.
Installed Win 10 Home, from a known verified USB that you created.
Activated Win 10 Home.
Later, Windows Upgrade.
It is now seeing itself as an Enterprise install, with no valid license key.

Is this correct?

Yes that is correct. Also Microsoft gave me a support code and told me to wait on the line but then hung up so I don't think they are going to help. Also I happen to have an extra Windows 10 Pro key and installation media, can I downgrade to that, or would I still have to clean install.

 

[USAFRet]

Yes that is correct. Also Microsoft gave me a support code and told me to wait on the line but then hung up so I don't think they are going to help. Also I happen to have an extra Windows 10 Pro key and installation media, can I downgrade to that, or would I still have to clean install.

There is no "downgrade" from an Enterprise install.
Full wipe and reinstall. From a freshly created USB.

 

[Andrew D]

Ok, thanks for the help.

 

[Colif]

follow this guide: https://forums.tomshardware.com/faq/how-to-do-a-clean-installation-of-windows-10.3170366/

 

[geofelt]

I had a similar experience.
I saw the same indication that the windows was enterprise.
I think your original windows 10 installation was oem.
In theory, oem is not transferable to a new motherboard.
If there is a way to recover the license, I would like to hear about it.
In the mean time, all seems to run well with only the watermark as a reminder.
From what I can tell, it will do so indefinitely.
I can fix it by buying another key directly from ms.

 

[USAFRet]

I had a similar experience.
I saw the same indication that the windows was enterprise.
I think your original windows 10 installation was oem.
In theory, oem is not transferable to a new motherboard.
If there is a way to recover the license, I would like to hear about it.
In the mean time, all seems to run well with only the watermark as a reminder.
From what I can tell, it will do so indefinitely.
I can fix it by buying another key directly from ms.

With Win 10, "OEM" only counts if it was preinstalled from one of the major manufacturers.
Dell/HP or similar.

If it is a valid license that you purchased, or Upgraded it from some previous version (7/8/8.1) there is no "OEM v Retail". It is transferable to new hardware.

The licensing rules changed significantly with v1607.