How to determine Windows edition offline, without Software hive?

[Larry Sabo]

Anyone know how to determine the Windows edition (Home or Pro) offline when the Software hive and it's back-up are corrupted or missing?

I know how to do it when it's not corrupted or missing but without that hive, I need to install Home/Pro edition in order for activation to fail because it's the wrong edition. Windows version is not an issue.

 

[Markverhyden]

Log files should get you what you need. I don't have a W10 handy to look at but I know Linux and macOS have that info in their log files.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Thanks @Markverhyden. I looked through everything in the Windows\Logs directory and only the CBS log mentions editions -- all of them in multiple ways. Not sure what to look for that identifies the currently-installed edition, or if there is another log I should examine..

 

[Sky-Knight]

The problem is... there is no difference.

The settings in the software hive are literally what tells the kernel on boot what features to enable. There is no other difference in Windows installations.

So if you're wondering what to use to reinstall, you just keep trying until something activates.

 

[britechguy]

And in the case of Windows 10, there is but one ISO for Home and Pro and, in fact, the exact same infrastructure is installed for Home and Pro. The difference being in what gets activated. That's why you can do a Home to Pro upgrade entirely offline, as nothing needs to be downloaded, but a bunch of "switches need to be flipped" to enable features that are Pro only and have lain fallow.

And since the license for the Windows 10 that came with any given piece of hardware from the OEM (or from the very first clean install on a previously empty system) is kept by Microsoft on its servers, if you have internet connectivity during the install the correct Home/Pro version is what should end up being activated (as I said, the actual install is literally the same).

 

[NviGate Systems]

Most major OEM's that have firmware keys, you should be able to read the firmware key, but I can't remember if the various tools tell you anything about if it's pro or not. Although if you install from direct downloaded media, it should prompt you for a key which then will get you the correct edition when you input your (saved) firmware key.

Although if you install Home and it ends up being pro, that a quick fix.

 

[Moltuae]

Anyone know how to determine the Windows edition (Home or Pro) offline when the Software hive and it's back-up are corrupted or missing?

I know how to do it when it's not corrupted or missing but without that hive, I need to install Home/Pro edition in order for activation to fail because it's the wrong edition. Windows version is not an issue.

Dir [Drive:]\windows\system32\*.msc

Pro has a number of extra system files, compared with Home, but the .msc files are probably easiest to compare. Pro has about 5 extra .msc files.
In particular I would look for the presence or absence of gpedit.msc.

 

[Markverhyden]

Dir [Drive:]\windows\system32\*.msc

Pro has a number of extra system files, compared with Home, but the .msc files are probably easiest to compare. Pro has about 5 extra .msc files.
In particular I would look for the presence or absence of gpedit.msc.

Great point. Home doesn't have remote desktop either.

 

[nlinecomputers]

If the PC is a major OEM you can look up the serial number and get a listing of what it shipped with.

 

[Larry Sabo]

Great point. Home doesn't have remote desktop either.

In this case it does (mstsc.exe) but it doesn't have gpedit.msc. It's Home Edition in the case I just finished.

 

[Larry Sabo]

In particular I would look for the presence or absence of gpedit.msc.

Although they could have added it to the Home edition, it's a safe bet that most of my end users would not have done so. This is probably the easiest solution when the Software hive is missing from config and Regback. If the original drive is inaccessible, I'll use the tip about checking what it shipped with via the serial number.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[Sky-Knight]

Oh... gpedit.msc yes that's right! It's not there in home, that is brilliant!