Activating Windows 11 Pro in the Windows VM: When the Pro Key Is Rejected - TUXEDO Computers

TUXEDO ships its devices with Linux, usually TUXEDO OS or Ubuntu. We install Windows only at the customer’s express request, either alongside Linux or in a virtual machine (VM). Our article How do I install Windows on a TUXEDO? describes how the installation on the device works. This article deals with a problem that can occur afterwards: Anyone who ordered Windows together with a Pro license key may be unable to enter it.

These instructions apply to the Windows VM as well as to a parallel installation. Reinstalling Windows does not solve the problem either, but a short detour through the Windows settings does.

Why does this happen?

TUXEDO supports Windows 11 Home and Pro. According to our findings so far, the Windows VM runs as Windows 11 Home. A Pro key, however, only fits a Pro installation. If you enter it in a Home installation anyway, Windows rejects it. One error message that can occur in this context is the code 0xc004f050.

Microsoft officially provides for a reinstallation or a purchase in the Microsoft Store to switch from Home to Pro. If you already own a Pro key, neither is necessary, as long as you first switch Windows to Pro with a generic installation key.

Requirements

• A running Windows 11 Home installation, such as the Windows VM set up at the customer’s request on TUXEDO OS or Ubuntu.
• Your valid Windows 11 Pro key, that is, not a key for another edition such as Pro N and not a volume license key.
• The ability to disconnect the VM’s network connection briefly.

Step by step to Windows 11 Pro

Step 1: Disconnect the network connection

Disconnect Windows from the internet: Turn off Wi-Fi or unplug the network cable. For a Windows VM, disconnect the network connection in the VM software. In VirtualBox, open the Devices menu in the VM window and then Network. A click on Connect Network Adapter disconnects the VM from the network, another click reconnects it.

You can tell from the Windows taskbar that the connection is gone: The network icon no longer shows a connection.

Step 2: Change the product key

Open Settings, switch to System and then to Activation. On a fresh installation, the Activation state reads „Not active“, along with the message that no product key was found (error code 0xC004F213). Next to Change product key, click Change.

Step 3: Enter the installation key

Enter this generic installation key published by Microsoft:

VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

Click Next. Windows now shows the notice „Upgrade your edition of Windows“. Confirm it with Start. At the time of testing, the upgrade takes about five minutes. Windows switches to Windows 11 Pro without activating itself and restarts on its own in the process. Do not shut down the VM in the meantime. Sign in again afterwards.

Step 4: Check the edition

In Settings, open System and then About. The edition now reads Windows 11 Pro. Under System and Activation, the status is still „Not active“, but the error code has disappeared.

Step 5: Reconnect the network and enter your Pro key

Restore the network connection, in VirtualBox with Devices, Network and Connect Network Adapter. Then go to System and Activation again, click Change next to Change product key and enter your own Windows 11 Pro key. Activation should now succeed. Afterwards, the settings under Activation state that Windows is active.

Limitations

The switch only changes the edition. The Pro key must be valid and match your license, otherwise Windows stays unactivated. If you are unsure whether your key is permitted for use in a VM, check the license terms on Microsoft’s side. If you run into problems that cannot be solved this way, TUXEDO support will help.