Microsoft Windows 11 Pro Retail Key

What is included in Microsoft 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.

What are the main benefits of Microsoft Windows 11 Professional?

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 Home vs Windows 11 Pro: What's the difference
Side-by-side overview of BitLocker, Hyper-V, RDP hosting, and domain join differences between the two editions.

What does Windows 11 Pro do?

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.

Who is Windows 11 Pro best suited for?

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 Home and Windows 11 Pro: Who needs what and why?
Practical guidance on choosing between Home and Pro based on real workflows, hardware, and business requirements.

How does Windows 11 Pro compare to Home and Enterprise?

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.

Does Windows 11 Pro support local Active Directory and Microsoft Entra ID join?

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.

Does Windows 11 Pro include full BitLocker Drive Encryption?

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.

Can Windows 11 Pro host Remote Desktop sessions and run Hyper-V?

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.

What should users check before choosing Windows 11 Pro?

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.

End of support for Windows 10 — and how it affects upgrade decisions
Background on the Windows 10 lifecycle, free extended security options, and when moving to Windows 11 Pro makes sense.

Windows 12: Speculations and facts about the upcoming operating system
What is currently known about the next Windows generation and how a Windows 11 Pro purchase fits into that roadmap.

Frequently asked questions about Microsoft Windows 11 Professional

Is a Microsoft Account required to set up Windows 11 Pro?

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.

Can a Windows 11 Home device be upgraded to Pro later?

Yes, an existing Windows 11 Home installation can be upgraded directly to Pro without reinstalling Windows.
Important: This upgrade does not require the standard full version of Windows 11 Pro, but rather the Windows 11 Professional Upgrade product, which is specifically designed for this purpose. A regular Pro license is intended for the initial activation of a standalone Pro installation and not for the in-place upgrade of a device already running Home.

Here’s how the upgrade works: Open “Settings” → “System” → “Activation” and select the option to change the product key or upgrade the Windows edition. Enter the key from the Windows 11 Professional Upgrade product. After a restart, Windows 11 Pro will be available, while installed apps, files, and user accounts will be fully preserved. Pro features that will then be available include BitLocker, Hyper-V, and the Local Group Policy Editor.

Can I upgrade Windows 11 with a Windows 11 Professional key? No!

A standard Windows 11 Professional key is not the correct product for upgrading an existing Windows 11 Home installation to Pro. This key is intended for activating a full, standalone Pro installation—such as a fresh install or system rebuild. To upgrade a running Home device to Pro while retaining all data and programs, use the Windows 11 Professional Upgrade product.

The process is straightforward: Go to “Settings” → “System” → “Activation,” change the product key, enter the upgrade key, and restart the device. After the restart, Windows 11 Pro will be activated—without a fresh installation and without losing any apps, files, or user accounts.

Does Windows 11 Pro include Microsoft Office?

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.

Does Windows 11 Pro work without TPM 2.0?

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.

Legal Information About Our Products

keys.express and keys.discount are online platforms for product keys. The product keys available in our shops for Windows and other software are inexpensive, secure, legal and come with an activation guarantee.

Below you will find the most important legal information about our products.

Unused and Non-Activated Product Keys

We offer exclusively unused and non-activated product keys. The keys have never been redeemed for activation and are fully available to the purchaser for the first-time activation of the respective product. A key that has already been redeemed could no longer be used for a new activation and is therefore not offered by us.

Trading in these product keys is permissible in the European Union and in Switzerland under current case law, provided that the necessary conditions are met. These conditions are as follows:

• The software must originally have been placed on the market with the consent of the rightholder within the territory of the EU, another contracting state of the EEA, or Switzerland by way of sale.
• The license for the software must have been granted in return for the payment of a fee intended to enable the rightholder to obtain remuneration corresponding to the economic value of the copy of the software.
• The rightholder must have granted the first acquirer the right to use the software permanently (for an unlimited period).
• Any improvements and updates that the subsequently downloaded computer program has compared to the originally downloaded one must be covered by a maintenance agreement concluded between the rightholder and the first acquirer.
• The original licensee must have made their own copies unusable.

This trade is legally permissible because the underlying license was already placed on the market with the consent of the rightholder within the EU/EEA or Switzerland in return for appropriate remuneration. As a result, the so-called principle of exhaustion has taken effect, which permits the resale of individual product keys — in particular those originating from volume license agreements. Microsoft or the respective software provider has already received appropriate remuneration for this.

keys.express and keys.discount ensure that the aforementioned conditions are met and that the lawful use of the software is guaranteed. The requirements arising from European legislation are also observed in Switzerland.

Important note: The acquisition of a product key through the transmission of a combination of numbers and letters in digital form does not, in itself, constitute a license for the lawful use of the program. The license only arises from the respective installation and the associated acceptance of the manufacturer's terms of use.

Further information can be found here:

• Legal assessment by Swiss lawyers

Overview of the Most Important Legal Information

• We offer unused, non-activated product keys for the activation of the respective computer programs. The key alone is not yet a license.
• The license only arises from the respective installation and the resulting acceptance of the terms of use. These terms of use govern the right to use the software between you and the respective manufacturer.
• The principle of exhaustion has, as a rule, taken effect — i.e. the license is "used up" — as soon as it was lawfully placed on the market for the first time. The products concerned are software placed on the market for unlimited-time use in the form of an activatable product key with the option to download the program. Microsoft or the respective software provider has received appropriate remuneration for this.
• You gain access to particularly attractively priced product keys from volume license agreements, which are to be treated legally in the same way as parts of volume licenses upon first acquisition.
• The software itself is always the same original software that is also obtained through official download channels or manufacturer sources. You are therefore not paying for a different or inferior version, but for a valid activation key or a corresponding license.
• All brand names and brand logos are registered trademarks, whose use here serves solely for product description — the ownership rights lie with the respective trademark holder.