How to Download Windows 10 Pro From Microsoft

Microsoft doesn’t offer a separate Windows 10 Pro file. Go to Microsoft’s Download Windows 10 page, select Download Now under Create Windows 10 installation media, run the tool, and choose Create installation media for another PC. The download it produces holds every consumer edition, and a Windows 10 Pro license is what makes Setup install and activate Pro.

Applies to: Windows 10 Pro, version 22H2 (64-bit and 32-bit). Checked against Microsoft Support on October 6, 2026.

What you actually download

Microsoft’s download page states that all Windows 10 editions are available when you select Windows 10, except for Enterprise edition. In other words, Home and Pro come from the same download. Which one ends up on the PC depends on the license: the product key you enter, or the digital license already tied to the device.

That has two practical consequences:

• The download is not a license. Microsoft doesn’t charge for the installation files, but Windows 10 Pro only activates with a Pro product key or a Pro digital license.
• A Home license doesn’t activate Pro. Microsoft’s activation guidance says that if your license doesn’t match the Windows edition you bought or are entitled to, Windows will not activate.

Also weigh the support status before you start. Windows 10 support ended on October 14, 2025, so Microsoft no longer provides free software updates, security fixes, or technical assistance for it. If the PC can run Windows 11, Microsoft recommends moving to it. If you’re staying on Windows 10, plan on enrolling in Windows 10 Extended Security Updates.

What you need before you start

• A PC with a reliable internet connection and enough free storage for the download.
• A blank USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of space if you want a bootable installer. Anything on the drive is deleted when the media is created, so copy your files off it first.
• An administrator account on the PC where you run the tool.
• A Windows 10 Pro license for the PC you’ll install on: either a 25-character product key or a Pro digital license the PC already has.
• A target PC that meets the Windows 10 requirements: a 1 GHz or faster processor, 1 GB of RAM for 32-bit or 2 GB for 64-bit, a 32 GB or larger hard disk, DirectX 9 or later graphics with a WDDM 1.0 driver, and an 800 x 600 display.
• A backup of your files if you’re going to install over an existing copy of Windows.

Not sure whether the PC is 64-bit or 32-bit, or which edition it runs now? Microsoft’s instructions say to open PC info in PC settings or System in Control Panel and look for System type and Windows edition.

Download Windows 10 Pro with the media creation tool

This is the method Microsoft documents for Windows PCs. It downloads the current Windows 10 files and either writes them to a USB drive or saves them as an ISO file (a single file that contains the whole installer).

1. On a Windows PC, open Microsoft’s Download Windows 10 page in your browser.
2. Under Create Windows 10 installation media, select Download Now. A file named MediaCreationTool.exe is saved to your PC (Microsoft notes that a version number may be added to the name).
3. Run the downloaded file. You need to be an administrator to run the tool.
4. On the license terms page, read the terms and select Accept.
5. On the What do you want to do? page, select Create installation media for another PC, and then select Next.
6. Choose the language, edition, and architecture (64-bit or 32-bit). The tool fills these in to match the PC you’re using; change them if the installer is for a different PC. Pick the Windows 10 edition entry. It includes Pro, so you won’t see Pro listed by itself.
7. Choose the media type. Select USB flash drive to build a bootable installer on a drive that’s plugged in, or select ISO file to save the installer as a file that you can keep, burn to a DVD, or use in a virtual machine.
8. Follow the remaining prompts and wait for the download to finish. The time depends on your internet speed.

When the tool finishes, you have a Windows 10 installer that can install Pro. If you want a closer walkthrough of the USB option, see our guide on creating a bootable Windows 10 USB drive.

Download the ISO file directly from Microsoft

Microsoft also has a Download Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO File) page. Depending on the device you browse from, Microsoft may offer the media creation tool instead of the menus below. If that happens, use the method above and choose ISO file.

1. Open the Download Windows 10 Disc Image (ISO File) page.
2. Under Select edition, choose Windows 10 (multi-edition ISO), and then select Confirm. “Multi-edition” is the point: this one image covers Pro as well as Home.
3. Under Select the product language, choose your language and confirm it.
4. Select the 64-bit or 32-bit download link. Microsoft notes that the links are valid for 24 hours from the time they’re created.

The same page has a Verify your download section. It lists a SHA256 value for each language, which you can compare with the result of the PowerShell Get-FileHash cmdlet to confirm the file downloaded intact.

Already running Windows 10 Home? Upgrade without downloading

If the PC already runs an activated copy of Windows 10 Home, you don’t need installation media to get Pro. Windows can switch editions in place, and Microsoft documents two ways to do it.

Enter a Windows 10 Pro product key

1. Right-click the Start menu and select Run.
2. In the Run window, enter ms-settings:activation. The Activation page of Settings opens and shows your current edition and activation state.
3. Select Change product key.
4. Enter your 25-character Windows 10 Pro product key and follow the on-screen instructions. Microsoft notes that a Home to Pro upgrade by product key requires a restart, so save your work first.

Buy the upgrade through Microsoft Store

1. Right-click the Start menu and select Run.
2. In the Run window, enter ms-windows-store://windowsupgrade/.
3. Follow the on-screen instructions in Microsoft Store to buy and install the upgrade.

Microsoft’s reference for both routes is its Windows edition upgrade documentation.

Install Windows 10 Pro from the download

How you use the download depends on whether the PC already starts Windows.

On a PC that starts Windows

Save your work and back up the PC first. If you saved an ISO file, right-click it and select Mount, open the mounted drive, and run setup.exe. If you made a USB drive, open it in File Explorer and run setup.exe from there. Setup offers Change what to keep, where you choose between Keep personal files and apps, Keep personal files only, and Keep nothing, and then you select Install.

On a new, empty, or non-working PC

1. Attach the USB flash drive to the PC where you want to install Windows 10.
2. Restart the PC. If it doesn’t start from the USB drive, Microsoft says you’ll typically need to press a key such as F2, F12, Delete, or Esc immediately after you turn on the PC to open the boot menu or change the boot order.
3. On the Install Windows page, select your language, time, and keyboard preferences, and then select Next.
4. Select Install Windows.
5. When Setup asks for a product key, enter your Windows 10 Pro key. If the PC already has a Pro digital license, select I don’t have a product key, and choose the Windows 10 Pro edition if Setup asks which edition to install. Windows activates online by itself after the installation is complete.

A clean installation erases what’s on the drive you install to. For every screen of that process, including the partition choices, follow our guide to clean installing Windows 10 from a USB drive. After the installation, Microsoft recommends checking that all the necessary device drivers are installed.

Confirm that you have Windows 10 Pro and that it’s activated

Right-click the Start menu, select Run, and enter ms-settings:activation. The Activation page shows the Windows edition and the activation state at the top. You’re done when the edition reads Windows 10 Pro and Windows reports that it’s activated.

If the edition is right but Windows isn’t activated, select Change product key on the same page and enter your Pro key. Microsoft’s Activate Windows article covers the rest of the activation process.

Troubleshooting

• There’s no “Windows 10 Pro” choice in the tool or on the ISO page. That’s expected. Pro is inside the Windows 10 download, and the license decides which edition is installed.
• Setup never asked for a key or an edition, and Windows came out as Home. Some PCs have a product key stored in their firmware, and Microsoft notes that a key may not need to be entered on those devices. You don’t have to reinstall. Use the Change product key steps above with your Pro key.
• Windows 10 Pro won’t activate. Check that the key or digital license is for Pro. A license that doesn’t match the installed edition won’t activate it.
• You can’t find your product key. Microsoft says it only keeps a record of product keys bought from the Microsoft online store. Otherwise, look at the product packaging, the Certificate of Authenticity, or the confirmation email from the purchase.
• The media creation tool won’t start. Sign in with an administrator account and run it again. The tool requires administrator rights.
• The PC ignores the USB drive. Open the boot menu, or change the boot order in the PC’s BIOS or UEFI settings, using the key your PC maker specifies.
• The ISO download link stopped working. The links expire 24 hours after they’re created. Go back to the ISO page and generate a new one.
• It’s a work or school PC. Enterprise edition isn’t part of this download. Microsoft points organizations to the Microsoft 365 admin center and to Visual Studio Subscriptions for other editions, so ask your IT administrator before you reinstall anything on a managed device.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a separate Windows 10 Pro ISO?

No. Microsoft offers one consumer download, labeled Windows 10 in the media creation tool and Windows 10 (multi-edition ISO) on the ISO page. It contains every edition except Enterprise.

Do I have to pay to download Windows 10 Pro?

Microsoft doesn’t charge for the installation files. You pay for the license. Without a valid Windows 10 Pro product key or digital license, the installed copy won’t activate as Pro.

Can I activate Windows 10 Pro with my Windows 10 Home key?

No. The license has to match the edition. To move from Home to Pro, enter a Pro product key or buy the upgrade through Microsoft Store, as described above.

Do I need a product key to reinstall Windows 10 Pro on the same PC?

Usually not. Microsoft says that if you previously had Windows 10 activated on the PC and you’re reinstalling it, you don’t need to enter a product key. Select I don’t have a product key during Setup, and Windows activates later with the digital license.

Is Windows 10 Pro still supported?

Not in the normal sense. Support ended on October 14, 2025. Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates program delivers critical and important security updates to enrolled Windows 10 devices through October 12, 2027, and Microsoft’s end of support page lists the enrollment options.

Should I pick 64-bit or 32-bit?

Match the PC you’re installing on. Look for System type in PC info or in System in Control Panel on that PC. The 64-bit version needs at least 2 GB of RAM.

How big does the USB drive need to be?

Microsoft asks for a blank USB flash drive with at least 8 GB of space. Everything on it is deleted when the installer is written.

Once Windows 10 Pro is installed and shows as activated, decide how the PC will keep getting security fixes: enroll it in Extended Security Updates, or check whether it qualifies for the upgrade to Windows 11.