As title states... I have Windows 8.1 OEM for my laptop (HP Spectre x360). I do have a legitimate 8.1 PRO key available to use. When I go to input the key in to upgrade the machine to 8.1 PRO it won't allow it. When I go to upgrade to Windows 10 I cannot get the PRO version without upgrade my 8.1 first. How do I go about doing it??? EDIT: See it will not allow an OEM copy to be converted into a full copy (which is a load of crap). I already upgraded to 10 and just reverted back to 8.1 to try and upgrade to 8.1 pro so I can become 10 pro and this is what happens...
Do you have Windows 8.1 Pro or Windows 8.1 Home installed on your laptop? The version of Windows 10 your receive is dependent on the version of Windows 7 / 8.1 you are upgrading from Windows 7 Pro > Windows 10 Pro Windows 7 Home Premium > Windows 10 Home Windows 8.1 Pro > Windows 10 Pro Windows 8.1 > Windows 10 Home Is that what you mean? *edit* Ohh.. I see what you are saying you are trying to upgrade your Windows 8.1 laptop to Pro version before upgrading to Windows 10 so you get Windows 10 Pro.
Go to Control Panel and look for Add Features to Windows 8.1, if that is there? That should let you change the version...... I think?
Is this in Windows 8.1? Shouldn't that let you change the version? "if it's in Windows 8.1 that is?".. I can't remember off the top of my head I'm sorry. Spoiler
yes it's windows 8.1 OEM that came pre-bundled with laptop (HP Spectre x360). I purchased an 8.1 PRO key that it won't let me use.
Try calling Microsoft Support over the phone to get your key to activate on your laptop, it will take a little while but they will sort you out and get it working.
From my email... Windows 8.1 Professional 32/64-bit (English) - DreamSpark Product Key: ****************************** I tried to manually inject the key using slmgr and command prompts and this was the error I got... Error: 0xC004F069 On a computer running Microsoft Windows non-core edition, run 'slui.exe 0x2a 0xC004F069' to display the error text Computer is an OEM installation of Windows 8.1 (HP Spectre x360). Am I going to have to format the whole hard drive and do a clean install with my key? I'm really hoping not to...
That would be bad because you would then lose the laptops recovery partition. I'm going to send you a private message.
You will need to create an installation media and do a fresh install, since the MSAA license isn't meant to be used as an upgrade for OEM and retail versions. Dreamspark provides the approiate ISO for that kind of license. You can do a fresh install without wiping your HP's recovery partition, but ... The recovery partition is useless anyway, you can always download an OEM ISO that works with the laptop, as for drivers and OEM software crap... that is downloadable too. So I would delete all partitions under a fresh install.
Grab an 8.1 Pro ISO http://windows.microsoft.com/en-gb/windows-8/create-reset-refresh-media Clean install and activate 8.1 Pro > Upgrade to 10 Pro
I tried to install Windows 8.1 as an upgrade on top of my 8.1 installation. Gave me no opportunity to put a product key in. Booted me back into my current installation after running the installer for 30 minutes. I went to upgrade key and no dice. I've since ghosted the entire OS drive so I'm just going to try a full format (of the OS partition) and do a clean offline installation and see if that works. They really don't make things simple do they...
finally got it had to install the key via a PID.txt file in the sources folder so it would override the damn OEM key embedded in the motherboard. Clean install of Windows 8.1 PRO and then upgraded to 10 PRO. Pain in the butt...