Student Windows 10/11 Home to Windows 10/11 Education Upgrade

Important Notes Regarding the Upgrading from Windows Home to Windows Education

  • Back up your personal data to an alternate location (example external drive). OU IT is not responsible for any data lost during the upgrade process.
  • Store your personal Windows Education Product Key in a secure location and always accessible location (not your OUHSC account). When upgrading from Windows Home to Windows Education you will be presented with a personal Windows Education Product Key. OU IT is not able to access your personally assigned key.
  • Additional Windows License Information:
    • Users are allowed one (1) free Windows license download while an OU user.
    • When selecting your Windows Education download, please ensure you are selecting a version of Education your computer will support. In order to ensure likely compatibility, this would mean if you have Windows 10 Home, select to download Windows 10 Education. And if you have 11 Home, download 11 Education.
    • The free license upgrade doesn’t include OS upgrades.  If you use your free license to upgrade a Windows 10 installation, and at a later date choose to update to Windows 11, you will need to purchase a Windows 11 Pro license on your own.  Consider updating to Windows 11 before using your one free license upgrade.

OU policy requires device encryption on laptop computers that may store sensitive or confidential information (e.g., SSN and financial information, patient information). For laptops used by OU Health Sciences Center, the presumption is that the device may be used for this purpose so it must therefore be encrypted. For this reason, students should backup and encrypt their laptops. The instructions below outline how to update your computer to Windows 10/11 Education, encrypt your device and then get it set up for encryption management.

These responsibilities apply to Approved Personal Devices:

  • You are responsible for any and all University data saved to this device. Using a personal device DOES NOT remove you from responsibility to protect University data.
  • In the event you believe your device might be compromised, you must immediately notify OU IT of the potential security risk.
  • If you lose or misplace your device, you must immediately notify OU IT of the potential security risk.
  • When you graduate, you must delete University data and notify OU IT that your device will no longer be used.

Windows Education Update

Follow this guide to upgrade your computer from Windows 10/11 Home to Windows 10/11 Education in preparation for encrypting your device.

  • Your computer must have at least the following hardware specifications:
    • Processor: Intel i5 or better
    • Memory: 8GB RAM or better
    • Storage: 256GB Solid State Drive (128GB minimum)
    • Screen size: 13" or higher
    • Connectivity: WiFi and Bluetooth
    • Expansion: USB 3 or higher
  • The below instructions are for those computers running Windows 10/11 Home. If your computer is running Windows 10 Enterprise or 10 Professional, do not upgrade to Education. You may proceed to our BitLocker encryption article.

 

Upgrade Windows 10/11 Home to Education

  1. To begin, clear the cache and cookies of the browser you are using.   

  2. Use InPrivate or Incognito browser.   

  3. Go to https://signup.azure.com/studentverification?offerType=3.   (If you experience an error logging into Azure, please look at the Azure Login Error Steps)

  4. Enter your school email address and password then hit ‘Next’. 

  5. Upon signing in, you may be asked to agree to the terms and conditions and the Academic/Student verification. If not, you should be routed to the Education | Overview page. 

  6. To see software available, please click ‘Software tab’, search for the software needed (either Windows 10 Education or Windows 11 Education), click on ‘View Key’ to get the Product key, and ‘Download’ to download the software.  

    • Note that the difference between Windows 10 Education / 11 Education and Windows 10 Education N / 11 Education N is that the N version will remove the Media Player as part of the operating system.

  7. Click the Windows key in the lower left corner of your computer’s desktop, type Notepad and then press the Enter key.
    Windows Start Search menu with Notepad highlighted
     

  8. Paste the Product Key, click File, Save As.. and enter the file name as “Windows10ProductKey”.
    Notepad file with Windows 10 Product Key pasted

  9. In Windows, click the Windows start button in the lower left corner; click “Settings” (gear icon on the left). Windows 10 Start menu with Settings highlighted

  10. Click “System” (upper left corner). Windows Settings page with System highlighted
     

  11. Scroll down on the left; click “About”. Scroll down on the right to “Windows specifications”. If you’re running Windows 10 Home, click the option for “Change product key or upgrade your edition of Windows”. Windows System About page with Change product key highlighted 
     

  12. In the Activation window, click “Change product key”. Windows 10 Update Product Key page

  13. If you still have the product key copied, paste it in the field provided and click “Next” (If you don’t have the product key copied, navigate to where your saved it earlier, copy it, and paste it in the field provided and click “Next”). Windows Enter a product key pop up window

  14. Windows will now upgrade to Education edition; click “Start”. Windows 10 Upgrade your edition of Windows pop up window

  15. After preparing the upgrade, Windows will restart and add new features. Preparing for upgrade pop up window

  16. Once Windows has restarted again, sign back in.

  17. Click the Windows start button in the lower left corner; click “Settings” (gear icon on the left). Windows 10 Start menu with Settings highlighted

  18. Click “System” (upper left corner) Windows Settings page with System highlighted

  19. Scroll down on the left side; click “About.” scroll down on the right to “Windows specifications” and verify you’re now on Windows 10 Education.
    Windows 10 About page with Edition highlighted

  20. Click “Settings” in the upper left corner. Windows 10 About page with Settings option highlighted

  21. Click “Updates & Security”. Windows Settings main page
     

  22. Click “Advanced options”.

  23. Under “Update options,” turn ON updates for other Microsoft products. Under “Update notifications,” turn ON notifications for restarts (in some versions of Windows 10, notifications and options have merged to “Update Options”).
    Windows Update options with Give me updated for other Microsoft product highlighted

  24. Click “Settings” in the upper left corner.
    Windows 10 Advanced options page with Settings option highlighted

  25. You should be on the “Windows Update” window. Click “Check for updates”.
    Windows Update page with Check for Updates button highlighted

  26. Updates will install and Windows will probably need to restart.
    Windows Update with list of example updates

  27. Once Windows restarts, sign back in.

  28. Click the Windows start button in the lower left corner; click “Settings” (gear icon on the left).
    Windows 10 Start menu with Settings highlighted

  29. Click “Updates & Security”.
    Windows Settings page with Update and Security highlighted

  30. Click “Check for updates”.
    Windows Update page with Check for Updates button highlighted

  31. Repeat steps 32-35 until the message states, “You’re up to date”.

 

How to Address Azure Login Error

If you are using a Windows computer and can't access your free windows upgrade from Azure because of getting an error like this one: "We couldn't sign you in. Please try again." despite signing in with their correct HSC email address/password, then make sure you have your Date and time synchronized on your Windows PC.

Go to your start menu and type "Date and Time" to adjust these settings as shown below.

 

Then log into portal.azure.com again with your HSC email address and password to get access to your Windows Education upgrade.

 

Next Steps - Encrypt Your Device

Now that your computer has updated to Windows 10 Education, you can encrypt your device with BitLocker. For instructions on enabling BitLocker on Windows 10 Professional or 10 Education, please see our guide for turning on BitLocker encryption.

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