upgrade from windows 11 home to windows 11 professional

Hello, I'm Quinn and here to help!

The previous answer is correct. Just to add, the upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Pro is an edition unlock, so you won’t lose files or need to reinstall Windows. It usually takes only a few minutes and a restart. Make sure Windows is activated first, otherwise the upgrade option may not appear correctly.

Yes, it is possible to upgrade a ThinkPad X9 with preinstalled Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro, and this is a paid upgrade.

There are two main options:

1. Upgrade via Microsoft Store (recommended)
   1. On the ThinkPad, open the Microsoft Store app.
   2. Search for Windows 11 Pro.
   3. Select the option to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro.
   4. Choose Install or Buy and follow the prompts to purchase and install the upgrade.
   5. The device will restart to complete the edition upgrade.
   Alternatively, on the device:
   1. Go to Settings > System > Activation.
   2. Under Upgrade your edition of Windows, select Open Store.
   3. Complete the purchase and follow the prompts to upgrade and restart.
   The device must be running an activated copy of Windows 11 Home.
2. Upgrade using a Windows 11 Pro product key (if already purchased)
   1. Go to Settings > System > Activation.
   2. Next to Change product key, select Change.
   3. Enter the 25-character Windows 11 Pro product key.
   4. Select Next and follow the prompts to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro.

These methods are supported for devices running Windows 11 Home and allow unlocking Pro features such as BitLocker, Remote Desktop, and domain/Microsoft Entra ID join.

References:

• Upgrade Windows Home to Windows Pro
• Upgrade Windows devices to Windows 10 or 11 Pro
• Which edition of Windows comes with your Surface device?
• Windows edition upgrade