When I try activating Win10 Pro, installed via OEI / OEM DVD, I get error 0xc004f050

Question

I bought a Genuine Windows10 Pro OEI DVD; after I install from DVD, Windows10 reports that it's actually Windows 10 Home and not Windows 10 Pro.

No problem, I'll use the activation key I got off the packaging...

So I go to "Start Button > Settings > Update & Security > Activation" and enter my activation key. However, I keep getting Activation Error 0xc004f050 after I enter my valid Win10 Pro activation key.

My Question:

I feel like I got ripped off... I bought Win10 Pro but all I have is Win 10 Home. How can I make this new Win10 Pro installation register as Windows 10 Pro?

Solution

I dug this up after about half an hour of googling (quoting relevant bits below):

"Start button > left side, Settings > Update & Security > left side, click Activation > right side, click Change product key........

now enter the generic Win 10 Pro product key VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T > It will start switching your Home version to Pro version BUT it will NOT activate.

First, use the default Windows 10 Pro activation key...

VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

Then you'll have a temporary Windows 10 Pro license. Now use your activation key off the package to get your permanent license.

Comments

[Appleoddity]

Not necessary. A valid license will upgrade home to pro and activate. Your key is most likely fake. You’ll know if you got the license for significantly less than what it costs anywhere legitimate. But, glad you got it to work.

[Nowak Grzegorz]

@Appleoddity, you shouldn't speculate about the authenticity of my Win10 Pro key... I paid $139 for it at frys.com... if it was fake, it would not have upgraded me to a permanent Windows10 Pro installation. I was the victim of some kind of M$ installation fail... if you google for this, the internet is full of people reporting this problem with valid keys

[Ramhound]

I plan on offering and awarding a bounty on this answer because it is the correct and only answer to your question. The reason being is simple your installation was picking up the Windows license stored in the ACPI table. You could have solved this another way but using the generic Windows 10 Professional key is the simplest way. Another way would have been to perform an upgrade from within Windows using the Professional key. Attempting to activate Windows 10 Home with a Windows 10 Professional license would not upgrade it (separate mechanism for an upgrade from Home to Professional)