Windows 11 Pro vs Pro N: What’s Different and Which to Install (2026)

Reviewed 5 October 2026 by Justine, Technical Support Advisor at Nerdused. Nerdused prices checked on the same date.

In Windows 11 Pro vs Pro N, the only difference is media software: Windows 11 Pro N is Windows 11 Pro without Windows Media Player, the built-in audio and video codecs and some preinstalled media apps such as Movies & TV and Voice Recorder. Business features are identical in both: BitLocker, Remote Desktop hosting, Hyper-V, Group Policy and domain join. Unless your organisation requires an N edition, install standard Windows 11 Pro. A Windows 11 Pro key activates Pro only; Pro N needs its own Pro N key.

Windows 11 Pro vs Pro N at a glance

	Windows 11 Pro	Windows 11 Pro N
BitLocker, Remote Desktop hosting, Hyper-V, Group Policy, domain join	Yes	Yes
Windows Media Player and preinstalled media apps	Included	Not included
Audio and video codecs (AAC, MPEG, H.264, H.265 and others)	Included	Not included
Webcam, Windows Hello, voice typing, wireless display	Work	Do not work until the Media Feature Pack is installed
How to restore media features	Not needed	Media Feature Pack, added in Settings > Apps > Optional features
Minimum hardware	4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, TPM 2.0, UEFI with Secure Boot	Same
Product key	Windows 11 Pro key	Windows 11 Pro N key (a separate edition)
Sold by Nerdused	Yes, $29.99 for 1 PC	No

What is Windows 11 Pro N?

Windows 11 Pro N is the N edition of Windows 11 Pro. Microsoft says N editions have the same functionality as other editions of Windows, except for media-related technologies, Windows Media Player and certain preinstalled media apps.

The N editions go back to a European Commission decision of 24 March 2004, which required Microsoft to offer PC manufacturers a version of Windows without Windows Media Player. Microsoft says each desktop edition has an N version, including Windows 11 Home N.

Windows 11 Pro vs Pro N: what is missing in Pro N

According to Microsoft's Media Feature Pack documentation, N editions leave out:

• Windows Media Player and its runtime, plus Windows Media Format and Windows Media DRM
• Media Foundation and the Windows Portable Devices infrastructure
• Audio codecs, including MPEG, WMA, AAC, FLAC, ALAC, AMR and Dolby Digital
• Video codecs, including VC-1, MPEG-4, H.264, H.265 and H.263
• Media apps: Movies & TV, Groove Music, Voice Recorder and Skype
• Media sharing and Play To

Other parts of Windows are built on those components, so removing them has knock-on effects. Microsoft lists these as not working, or only partly working, on an N edition until the media components are restored:

• Webcam and Windows Hello do not work.
• Microsoft Teams loses some functions, such as audio and video calling.
• Voice typing and wireless display do not work.
• Photos and OneDrive cannot play videos.
• Xbox features such as Game DVR do not work.

On a work laptop, that means no built-in webcam and no Teams audio or video calls until the Media Feature Pack is installed.

How to add the Media Feature Pack to Windows 11 Pro N

Microsoft supplies the missing components as the Media Feature Pack, an optional Windows feature you add from Settings.

1. Open Settings > Apps > Optional features.
2. Next to Add an optional feature, select View features.
3. Find Media Feature Pack in the list, select it and install it.
4. Restart the PC. Microsoft notes that Windows will not prompt you, but the installation is not complete until you restart.

The pack restores the media technologies, not every app. Microsoft says some items are installed separately from the Microsoft Store afterwards, including Movies & TV, Windows Voice Recorder, Xbox Game Bar and Skype, plus codec add-ons such as VP9 Video Extensions, Web Media Extensions and HEIF Image Extensions. Some features may also need their hardware drivers reinstalled.

Windows 11 Pro N vs Pro: which should you install?

Your situation	Choose
Home or office PC used for video calls, streaming, photos or games	Windows 11 Pro
Your organisation specifically requires an N edition	Windows 11 Pro N, with a Pro N key from your licensing channel
Pro N is already installed and activated	Keep it and add the Media Feature Pack
You installed Pro N by mistake and hold a standard Pro key	Reinstall as Windows 11 Pro (next section)

If Windows Setup shows a list of editions during a clean install, pick Windows 11 Pro, not Windows 11 Pro N. The names are one letter apart, and the mistake usually shows up later, when the camera does not work or the key is refused.

Does a Windows 11 Pro key activate Pro N?

No. Microsoft's activation guidance is to enter a product key that matches the version and edition of Windows installed on the device, and Pro N is a different edition from Pro. Microsoft's activation error 0xC004F210, for example, appears when the key entered is for a different edition than the one installed.

There is no key-entry shortcut either: Microsoft's edition-upgrade paths only let N editions move to other N editions. To get from Pro N to standard Pro, reinstall:

1. Back up your files.
2. Create Windows 11 installation media; our Windows 11 bootable USB guide covers it.
3. Install, choosing Windows 11 Pro when Setup asks for the edition.
4. Activate with your Pro key using the steps in the Windows 11 activation guide.

The licence is then for the PC it activates on, and reinstalling the same edition on that PC later is fine.

Windows 10 Pro vs Pro N

The same split exists in Windows 10. Windows 10 Pro N is Windows 10 Pro without the media technologies, and the Media Feature Pack is added under Settings > Apps > Apps & features > Optional features > Add a feature. Windows 10 support ended on 14 October 2025, so for a new install Windows 11 Pro is the better target; see how to upgrade to Windows 11.

If you are still choosing between the two standard editions, read Windows 11 Home vs Pro, or compare every Windows key we sell on the Windows licence keys page.

FAQs

What does the N mean in Windows 11 Pro N?

The N marks an edition without media technologies. Windows 11 Pro N matches Windows 11 Pro except for Windows Media Player, the media codecs and certain preinstalled media apps.

Is Windows 11 Pro N faster than Pro?

Microsoft does not describe any performance difference. The only stated difference is the missing media components, so there is no reason to pick Pro N for speed.

Is Windows 11 Pro N good for gaming?

Not without the Media Feature Pack. Xbox features such as Game DVR do not work, and Media Foundation and the standard codecs are missing. Install the pack first, or use standard Pro.

Do I have to pay for the Media Feature Pack?

No. Microsoft offers the Media Feature Pack as an optional Windows feature under Settings > Apps > Optional features on Windows 11 N.

How do I check whether I have Pro or Pro N?

Open Settings > System > About and look at Edition under Windows specifications, or press Windows + R, type winver and press Enter. Pro N is shown as "Windows 11 Pro N".

Does Nerdused sell Windows 11 Pro N keys?

No. Nerdused sells genuine Windows 11 Pro and Windows 11 Home keys at $29.99 for one PC, so install the standard edition to match. If a key will not activate, our 30-day refund promise applies.

Sources checked 5 October 2026: Microsoft Support, Media Feature Pack for Windows N and Get help with Windows activation errors; Microsoft Learn, Windows edition upgrade; European Commission press release IP/04/382.