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What are the key benefits of Microsoft Windows 11 Professional?
Advanced security – Built-in protections help reduce modern cyber threats.
Business controls – Join domains and apply policy-based settings easily.
Remote Desktop – Host secure sessions for remote work and support.
Data encryption – Encrypt drives to keep business files protected.
Virtualization tools – Run VMs and sandboxed apps for safer testing.
Device management – Control updates, access, and configuration at scale.
This product allows a one-time activation for one device. Once used, it cannot be used again, not even for the same device.
A Microsoft account is required for activation. It is not possible to upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro. To upgrade, you need the “Windows 11 Pro Upgrade Key.”
Download: Windows 11 Professional
Pro Desktop – Full Windows 11 desktop with business features.
BitLocker Encryption – Full drive encryption for internal and external volumes.
Hyper-V Virtualization – Native hypervisor for running isolated virtual machines.
Remote Desktop – Host incoming RDP sessions, not only connect out.
Domain Join – Local Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID join supported.
Core Capacity – Supports up to 2 TB RAM and 2 CPU sockets.
Windows 11 Pro is the business-tier desktop operating system from Microsoft, built on the same core as Home but with added management, encryption, and virtualization features. It targets users who need to join a company network, encrypt entire drives, or run virtual machines without installing third-party software.
Group Policy – Local and domain Group Policy editing available.
Windows Sandbox – Disposable virtual desktop for testing untrusted files.
Update Control – Defer feature updates via Windows Update for Business.
WIP Successor – Modern endpoint data protection through Intune integration.
Assigned Access – Lock device to a single kiosk-mode application.
Pro Licensing – Eligible for Microsoft Entra ID and domain enrolment.
Windows 11 Pro runs as the primary desktop OS on a PC and adds business-oriented features on top of Windows 11 Home. Practical examples are encrypting an entire SSD with BitLocker before taking a laptop on a business trip, joining a workstation to a company Active Directory so user accounts and policies are centrally managed, or running a sandboxed Windows VM inside Hyper-V to test a suspicious installer without touching the host. The interface is identical to Home, including Snap layouts, widgets, and the redesigned Start menu, so the difference is mostly under the hood.
It is aimed at IT-administered workstations, developers, power users, and small-business PCs that need domain join or local virtualization. Compared to Home, the concrete advantage is that the same machine can be added to a corporate Active Directory or Entra ID tenant and pushed Group Policy or Intune settings — a workflow Home blocks at the join step. Developers benefit from Hyper-V because Docker Desktop's Windows containers, WSL 2 in nested scenarios, and Windows Sandbox all rely on the Hyper-V platform that Home does not expose.
Windows 11 Pro sits between Home and Enterprise. The key gap to Home is management and security (BitLocker, Hyper-V, RDP hosting, domain join). The key gap to Enterprise is advanced security and deployment tools such as Credential Guard, Application Control for Business (formerly Windows Defender Application Control), DirectAccess, and AppLocker, which are not fully included in Pro. For most non-corporate buyers, Pro is the highest edition that can be obtained outside of a corporate agreement.
| Feature | Windows 11 Home | Windows 11 Pro | Windows 11 Enterprise |
|---|---|---|---|
| BitLocker Drive Encryption | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Hyper-V | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Remote Desktop hosting | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Active Directory join | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Microsoft Entra ID join | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Windows Sandbox | ✕ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Credential Guard | ✕ | ✕ | ✓ |
| Maximum RAM | 128 GB | 2 TB | 6 TB |
Yes — Windows 11 Pro supports both traditional on-premises Active Directory domain join and Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) join, including hybrid scenarios. In daily IT work this is the feature that lets a freshly imaged Pro device pick up GPOs, mapped drives, printer connections, and Intune policies from the company tenant during the first sign-in. Home does not allow the join step at all, so a Home device cannot receive Group Policy or company sign-in even on the same network. The setup is reachable under Settings → Accounts → Access work or school, or via the Out-of-Box Experience when a work email is entered.
Yes — Pro includes full BitLocker Drive Encryption with management options that Home's basic device encryption does not expose. Pro allows encrypting the OS drive, fixed data drives, and removable drives (BitLocker To Go), choosing AES-128 or AES-256, suspending protection during firmware updates, and backing up recovery keys to Active Directory, Entra ID, or a printed file. Home only offers a simplified "device encryption" on systems that meet Modern Standby requirements, with no granular control and no BitLocker To Go for USB sticks. For a laptop that leaves the office, this is the difference between a lost device being a hardware loss and a data breach.
Yes to both. Pro can act as a Remote Desktop host, meaning another PC or mobile RDP client can connect into the Pro machine and use it remotely — Home only includes the client side and cannot accept incoming RDP connections. Pro also includes the Hyper-V role as an optional Windows feature, so virtual machines and Windows Sandbox run natively without VirtualBox or VMware. Concurrent RDP sign-ins are limited to one interactive session per device by design, which is the documented Windows desktop limit and not a workaround target.
The hard cutoff is hardware: Windows 11 requires TPM 2.0, UEFI with Secure Boot capability, and a CPU on Microsoft's supported list — older Windows 10 PCs may pass the RAM and storage checks but fail on the CPU or TPM. Run the PC Health Check app or check Settings → Privacy & security → Device security → Security processor before buying. Pro also requires either a Microsoft Account or a work/school account during initial setup in standard installation paths; a fully offline local account is no longer offered in the default OOBE. Note that Pro does not include Credential Guard, AppLocker, or DirectAccess, which are Enterprise-only.
In the default Out-of-Box Experience, Windows 11 Pro requires either a Microsoft Account or a work/school account to complete setup, and an internet connection during that step. Domain-joined devices can sign in with the domain account afterwards, but the initial OOBE flow expects an online account.
Yes — Settings → System → Activation offers an in-place Home-to-Pro upgrade that keeps installed apps, files, and user accounts. After the upgrade and reboot, Pro features such as BitLocker, Hyper-V, and the Local Group Policy Editor become available without reinstalling Windows.
No — Office is a separate product. A clean Windows 11 Pro install only ships with the free Office web shortcuts and the Outlook for Windows app; Word, Excel, and PowerPoint desktop applications must be purchased and installed separately.
No, not on supported installations. Microsoft requires TPM 2.0 and Secure Boot for Windows 11, and feature updates are designed around that baseline. Unsupported workarounds exist but block guaranteed driver and security updates, which makes them unsuitable for a production work machine.
| Processor | 1 GHz or faster. |
| Memory RAM | 4 GB. |
| Hard Disk | 64 GB or larger storage device. |
| Display | High definition 720p display that is greater than 9 inches diagonally, 8 bits per color channel. |
| Graphics | Compatible with DirectX 12 or later with WDDM 2.0 driver. |
| Note | UEFI firmware, Secure Boot capable. Trusted Platform Module TPM version 2.0. Windows 11 Pro for personal use requires internet connectivity and a Microsoft account during initial device setup. |
No upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro possible. To upgrade, you need the “Windows 11 Pro Upgrade”.
This product activates a device and is valid as long as the device is running, can NOT be used a second time (even on the same device).
A Microsoft account is required for activation.
keys.express and keys.discount is a web platforms for new and used product keys. The product keys for Windows and other software available in the shop of keys.express and keys.discount are cheap, safe, legal and with activation guarantee.
Here you can find some general information about used software, an overview of the most important legal information as well as answers to frequently asked questions from our customers ("FAQ“)
Used software is available for sale in the European Union as well as in Switzerland according to current jurisdiction provided that the necessary conditions are met. The necessary conditions are as follows:
keys.express and keys.discount ensure that the above mentioned requirements are met and that a legal use of the software is guaranteed. The requirements of the European legislation are also met in Switzerland.
You can find further information on:
There is a lot of legal information about the topic of used software. We are more than happy to answer any questions you may have. You can contact us at any time via welcome(at)keys.express. In the meantime, you can also find a short overview of the most important legal information regarding used software here:
For distance contracts concluded by telephone, on the Internet or when ordering from a catalogue, EU law provides for the possibility for consumers to withdraw from the contract for a certain period of time ("right of withdrawal"). A consumer in this sense is any natural person who concludes a legal transaction for purposes that are predominantly neither commercial nor self-employed. In Switzerland we usually speak of consumers.
Consumers have the right to cancel the contract within fourteen calendar days without giving reasons. The revocation period begins on the day the contract is concluded.
In order to exercise your right of withdrawal from keys.express or keys.discount, you must inform us by means of a clear statement (e.g. a letter, fax or e-mail sent by post) of your decision to withdraw from this contract. For this purpose, you can contact us using the following information:
Keys Distribution Ltd
Suite 2, 215 Main Street
Gibraltar Heights, Gibraltar
Phone +423 7989130
Email: welcome@keys.discount
keys.express and keys.discount also provides a template revocation form. In order to comply with the revocation period, it is sufficient to send the notification of the exercise of the right of revocation to Keys Distribution Ltd before the end of the revocation period.
If you revoke this contract, we must reimburse you for all payments which we have received from you for the corresponding order, including delivery costs (with the exception of additional costs which result from the fact that you have chosen a different type of delivery than the cheapest standard delivery offered by us), immediately and at the latest within fourteen calendar days from the day on which we receive notification of your revocation of this contract. For this repayment we will usually use the same means of payment that you used for the original transaction, unless expressly agreed otherwise with you. In no case will you be charged for this refund.