Windows 11 Installation Edition Selection Guide

When installing Windows 11, some computers automatically select Windows 11 Home without showing the edition selection screen. This usually happens because the device contains an embedded product key in the BIOS/UEFI firmware. During installation, Windows Setup detects this key and automatically installs the matching edition.

If you want to install a different edition, such as Windows 11 Pro Edition, or another version, you can manually override the automatic selection process. This document explains the most effective methods to force Windows Setup to display the edition selection screen or directly install a preferred edition.

Method 1 — Using ei.cfg to Enable Edition Selection

This method forces Windows Setup to display the list of available Windows editions during installation.

Step 1: Open the Windows Installation USB

Insert your Windows 11 bootable USB drive and open it in File Explorer.

Navigate to:

\sources

Step 2: Create the ei.cfg File

Inside the sources folder:

  1. Right-click → New → Text Document
  2. Rename the file to ei.cfg

Make sure the extension is .cfg and not .txt.

Step 3: Add the Configuration

Open the file and paste the following content:

[EditionID]
Professional

[Channel]
Retail

[VL]
0

Step 4: Save and Reboot

Save the file and boot again from the USB installer.

Windows Setup should now display the edition selection screen instead of automatically choosing Windows 11 Home.

Method 2 — Force Windows 11 Pro Installation Using PID.txt

This method automatically installs Windows 11 Pro using a generic installation key.

Step 1: Open the sources Folder

Navigate to:

\sources

Step 2: Create PID.txt

Create a new file named:

PID.txt

Step 3: Paste the Generic Pro Key

Add the following content:

[PID]
Value=VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T

This generic key does not activate Windows permanently. It only instructs Setup to install the Pro edition.

Method 3 — Bypass Automatic Setup Restrictions

Sometimes Windows Setup still forces the Home edition because of firmware detection. You can bypass this behavior during installation.

Steps

  1. Disconnect from the internet (Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
  2. When the setup reaches the network screen, press:
Shift + F10
  1. Command Prompt will open. Type:
oobe\bypassnro
  1. Press Enter.
  2. The system will reboot.
  3. Continue setup without connecting to the internet.

This may allow additional installation options and local account setup.

Why Windows Automatically Selects Home Edition

Most modern laptops include an OEM product key embedded in the motherboard firmware. During installation, Windows Setup reads this key automatically and installs the matching edition without asking the user.

This behavior is normal and intended to simplify factory recovery, but it can prevent users from selecting another edition unless manual configuration files are added.

Conclusion

If Windows 11 automatically installs the Home edition, you can override the behavior using either:

  • ei.cfg to manually choose the edition
  • PID.txt to directly force Windows 11 Pro installation
  • oobe\bypassnro to bypass certain setup restrictions

Among these methods, using It ei.cfg is generally the safest and most flexible solution because it restores the edition selection screen during installation.