Eliminate or downgrade the Windows 10 Enterprise to install Windows 10 Pro.

[CValega]

Dear all,

I bought an old VAIO laptop where the seller had installed a Windows 7 Ultimate despite it has Windows 7 Pro OA key. Perhaps this was the software he had and his way to wipe it, but I don't know why.
My broken one also has the Windows 7 Pro OA key. I also have two Windows 8 Pro CD sets with keys on paper labels.
I wanted to install windows a 10 Pro on this laptop half a year ago but it failed, see below, so I gave up but now I do need it.

If I remember correctly I started with I think windows 8 installation on top of the Windows 7 that was on it.
Then next I downloaded the windows media creation tool and installed widows 10 but somehow in way and don't understand I managed to get the Windows 10 Enterprise installed and not the Windows 10 Pro. I didn't realize it until I had tried many times and none of my keys were working. Then suddenly I saw and concluded it was because it had installed the Enterprise version. Perhaps it became like this because I started this process from the Ultimate? Now I have tried with the windows 8 Pro CDs and windows 10 pro but no way is working to install them to downgrade. As I have genuine pro Licence keys for both windows 8 pro and windows 7 Pro I wanted to end up with a Windows 10 Pro. It all failed and I don't know how to start from scratch again using one of my windows 8 pro CD to end up like I want with windows 10 pro. How do I proceed? Should I try to delete the Cartition to eliminate all traces of old Enterprise Ultimate versions and if so how do I do that? Or is there another better way?

Thanks in advance
Carl

 

[Bighorn]

Unfortunately Microsoft discontinued free upgrading Win7 and Win8/8.1 to Win10 or Win11 couple months ago. You might have to check the Internet for a cheap price, have seen as low as $25 for Win10 Pro. And it may not longer possible to even Activate the older versions. I have a Win7 Desktop and Notebook that no longer get updates but AVG antivirus still works on them, I only keep them for reference in answering clients' questions. As for Win11, most computers built before 2019 may not meet the System Requirements for the CPU and having the TPM/Trusted Platform Module although some folks have had success in bypassing the requirements by 'tweaking' the install routine.

 

[Bighorn]

Unfortunately, as I understand the licensing when I was in the Partners program with Microsoft the Enterprise version was for companies that purchased a number of the programs [Volume Licensing].

Adding to that is Microsoft ceasing the upgrades from Win7 and Win8/8.1 to Win10 and Win11.

As for the software I just today downloaded Win10 .iso for 32-bit and 64-bit computers and created the bootable USB Thumb drive using the MCT/Media Creation Tool. My updated Thumb drive shows 12/3/2023 for the dates, previous drive was from 5/3/2023. The clean install couple days ago with following updates gave me Version 22H2 Build 19045.3803. Because the computer had a previous install of Win10 I did not need a Product Key, once install was finished Activation had been done and has a Digital License, having to change to a new Hard Drive did not change that.

Added: I installed as a Local Account with Admin rights. On one screen is the place to enter a Product Key but at the bottom is "I don't have the key", clicking that lets the install proceed then the Activation can be done after install, check the System page on right-click of the Start button.

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