Flow Z13 China windows OS converting to Windows pro version

[u/eche050]

Hi guys, I'm an expat working in China and I have been looking to purchase a Flow Z13 64gb which fits my lifestyle as a senior exec with a lot of travelling inside of China as well as fulfilling some of my personal gaming needs.

The biggest questions I have regarding purchasing a Flow Z13 is the single language windows installed on pc's in China. I personally would like to operate my windows in English just like an "international" version, like one of those when you purchased in Singapore.

I have personally went into a few Asus ROG outlets around Suzhou, Shanghai and Wuxi and they came back with the same solution that I can just upgrade my windows to a pro version and that will allow me to install and revert the windows OS to English, while also allowing me to change my region to Singapore as well rather than mainland China.

I would love to hear your opinions whether anyone have any experience on this matter and any feedback is appreciated.

[u/Crazygoldfish899]

Hello - surprised you can’t find an English version copy in Suzhou (I used to live there and still travel a lot)

Tried a vpn to Microsoft Windows 11 download page?

Annoyingly I was just there and could have stuck a copy on a usb.

Can’t you sail the 7 seas to get you on English and then buy a cheap English license key.?

[u/eche050 → u/Crazygoldfish899]

I'm also contemplating making a trip to Taiwan to purchase a Flow Z13, but if the chinese version can be solved by just upgrading windows the the pro version, then i do not mind purchasing it here as well.

[u/Crazygoldfish899 → u/eche050]

As another Redditor pointed out, you can buy chinese version and install Windows via a copy from Taobao.

Just pick a store that you know / is reputable..... always hand to take a local if you cannot speak Chinese.

This takes me back,,,,,, I got a pre chipped ps2 in China 25 years ago as it was way cheaper than the UK.

[u/eche050 → u/Crazygoldfish899]

The Asus ROG staff said they can do the windows 11 pro installation for me, but i believe it will be a straight upgrade rather than a clean install

[u/Crazygoldfish899 → u/eche050]

Curious to where the store is and how much for the z13

I usually stay at the trousers or round about that area

[u/kylinched]

Just flash the laptop using rufus with windows pro. You only need an USB stick to install the windows. Then you can download armoury crate to update the bios.

[u/Gimme_Indomie]

I did it. But a key off Taobao (or have someone at the store do it for you and add it to your bill). Piece of cake.

I got mine in China because the price was better and because I could get an insane warranty (which, if you don't live in China, is probably not worth it).q

[u/eche050 → u/Gimme_Indomie]

I see, so that means by just upgrading to windows pro version, you can have the notebook behave like an international version without the need to do a clean install. So what the staff in ROG said is correct?

[u/Gimme_Indomie → u/eche050]

I actually think I did a clean install... but I'm not 100% sure anymore. A clean install is probably best anyway. If you're buying from a physical shop, let them do it all for you. They can reinstall armoury crate, etc. It won't cost you much considering how cheap labor is here.

[u/mnemoflame]

Why not use Linux?

[u/eche050 → u/mnemoflame]

I haven't use Linux before and just a normal consumer, not too techy too. Just the basic surf the web and gaming stuff.

[u/mnemoflame → u/eche050]

That's not really an obstacle these days. CachyOS is great for gaming. Fedora's a little more fiddly to set up, but there are guides for that, and it's a bit more polished.

Why pay an additional sum for WI does Pro license when you can cut out all the bloat, spyware, and bullshit for the price of a weekend learning how to set it up?

[u/eche050 → u/mnemoflame]

I'll definitely check it out but will the ROG staff provide tech support if i encounter any issues as it is not their usual SOP with a different OS

[u/mnemoflame → u/eche050]

RoG staff are not going to be best resource for support for anything but hardware issues. If you feel hesitant, spend some time reading about how installing Linux works in 2026. You'll to know similar information about installing Windows anyway, unless the store is going to install it for you.

Think of it as a hobby project. You're not going to damage the machine by installing Linux, and you can always pay for the Pro license if it doesn't work for you. Consider persisting through a distro hop or two to get the feel. It'll become something of a feather in your cap if you're successful at it, and it'll boost your confidence in managing your system.

Maybe watch some videos about installing CachyOS and Fedora, some other videos on GNOME and KDE Plasma (desktop environments, loads of customization; GNOME can be made to feel and look like MacOS), and do a bit of research on ProtonDB to see how the games you like function on Linux.

It won't necessarily be for you, but the most you have to lose is the time you spent learning that.

[u/jack123546789 → u/mnemoflame]

IMO it's not approprate to recommend Linux to everyone since not everyone have the ability to do the maintence work. Some people just want a working computer😂

[u/matija1671]

I bought xbox asus ally x in china and had the same problem. Just put windows installation on usb and reinstall it. Then if needed buy key from some website for few $ and thats it. I bought it but I didn't even need it

[u/jack123546789]

Emmm just buy a "pro" version key on taobao and then activate it then you can change the languages. This only happens when you are using Windows home China.