Maybe you still have a key for one of the heavily discounted upgrades to Windows 8 Pro that Microsoft offered in the first few months after that product's ill-fated launch in 2012. It's worth rummaging through your garage, storeroom, or email archives to see if you can locate one of those old keys. In recent versions of Windows 10, the upgrade from Home to Pro is quick and easy. In fact, you can use a product key from any of these older Windows versions to perform a clean install or to upgrade to Pro.
You could pay $99 for an upgrade, but before you reach for your wallet, consider a less expensive option.ĭo you have an old product key from Windows 7 Pro, Windows 7 Ultimate, or Windows 8/8.1 Pro lying around? Those keys can be reused to enable an upgrade from Windows 10 Home to Windows 10 Pro, potentially saving you the upgrade fee. This down-market edition (maybe we should just call it Windows for Cheapskates) doesn't have the features you need for getting real work done: Remote Desktop server access, BitLocker disk encryption, group policy support, and control over when updates get installed, just for starters. If you purchase a new PC with Windows 10 Home preinstalled, prepare to be annoyed. These laptops - from ASUS, Dell, Lenovo, and other vendors - are new and available for purchase today. Best cheap Windows 10 laptops under $350 in 2021
