---
name: feedback_windows_pro_upgrade_billing
description: Every machine upgraded Home->Pro with the ACG Windows Pro MAK key must be invoiced $99 to that customer, with the machine name on the line item
metadata:
  type: feedback
---

**RULE (Howard, 2026-06-24): when the ACG Windows Pro MAK key is used to upgrade a machine from
Windows Home to Pro, invoice that customer $99 per machine — and name the machine on the line item.**

- The key is Mike Swanson's **Arizona Computer Guru MAK** (NOT a client key): vault
  `infrastructure/windows-pro-mak` (field `credentials.product_key`). Used fleet-wide for Home->Pro
  edition upgrades (changepk.exe flips the edition with the generic Pro key, then `slmgr /ipk <MAK>`
  + `/ato` activates with this MAK).
- **Billing:** one **$99** charge **per machine** activated, invoiced to the customer that owns the
  machine. The line-item description MUST name the machine (e.g. "Windows Pro upgrade - MDIRECTOR-PC").
  Bill AFTER the upgrade + activation succeed, not before. Use a flat $99 fee/product line (find or
  create a "Windows Pro Upgrade" product in Syncro; set price_retail=99 explicitly; taxable per the
  product). This is a license/upgrade fee, NOT prepaid-block labor — do not draw it from a labor block.
- **Track activations** — each consumes one MAK count; watch the remaining allocation (exceeding it
  means contacting Microsoft to raise the count).

**Note:** the ACG MAK is actually a **Windows Pro for Workstations** MAK — `slmgr /ipk <MAK>` retargets
the edition to `ProfessionalWorkstation` (a higher SKU than plain Pro, but fine for domain join). Flow that
works remotely as SYSTEM via RMM: `changepk.exe /productkey VK7JG-NPHTM-C97JM-9MPGT-3V66T` (generic Pro key
flips Core->Professional, no auto-reboot in SYSTEM context) -> **reboot once** to sync registry+licensing ->
`slmgr /ipk <MAK>` -> `/ato` (retry `/ato` if it hits a transient `0x8004FE92`). Some machines self-activate
Pro for FREE via a built-in digital entitlement after the edition flip — those consume NO MAK count and are
NOT billed.

**Cascades application status (2026-06-25, done remotely):**
- **MEMRECEPT-PC + LAPTOP-8P7HDSEI** — activated via the MAK. **INVOICED 2026-06-25** on Syncro ticket **#32466**
  (invoice #1650806091): 2 x $99 "Windows Pro Upgrade" lines (machine named on each) + 1.0h remote labor (drawn
  from Cascades' prepay block, $0) = $215.23 w/ AZ tax. Created a reusable taxable **"Windows Pro Upgrade"**
  Syncro product (id 23571919, $99) for this — use it for future Home->Pro upgrade billing.
- **MDIRECTOR-PC** — self-activated FREE via digital entitlement; NO MAK, NO charge.
- **NurseAssist** (offline; possible dupe of `Assistnurse-pc`) + **SALES4-PC** (Tamra departing, bypassed) — not done.
See [[feedback_verify_live_before_acting]] for the verify-before-billing discipline.