docs: update Guides/windows_upgrade

Guides/windows_upgrade.md

@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+---
+title: Upgrade Windows Home to Windows Pro
+description: 
+published: true
+date: 2025-12-13T12:41:15.051Z
+tags: public, windows
+editor: markdown
+dateCreated: 2024-03-31T16:12:58.301Z
+---
+
+When trying to update a Windows 10 or 11 install to Pro, by going to *Start > Settings > System > Activation > Change product key*, and entering a valid Windows Pro edition product key, you may get the below error:
+
+*The product key you entered didn't work. Check the product key and try again, or enter a different one. (0x80070057)*
+
+![image](data:image/jpeg;base64,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 truncated
+
+To get around this, you will need to use a Windows Generic Key first to upgrade it to Pro
+
+1.  The key for Windows 11 Pro is: VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T  
+    \- Other versions can be found here: [Windows 11 Generic Keys for All Editions (winaero.com)](https://winaero.com/windows-11-generic-keys-for-all-editions/)
+2.  Before entering this key, disconnect the device from the network
+3.  Then go to the Activation settings and Select Change Product Key
+4.  Enter the generic key from above and press OK. This will then prompt for an upgrade to Pro. Press OK
+5.  This will then reboot and once it has powered on again, it will be Windows 11 Pro
+6.  Now you need to reconnect it to the network and navigate to the activation settings, and select Change Product key.
+7.  Now enter the product key purchased by the customer. The device will now be activated correctly.