Isit possible to do the above without doing a complete install and losing all
the info on the computer.
Reason. My Mum has a PC and we found that the copy of XP pro on there is
not genuine and being the law abiding citizen has now bought an original home
edition but does not want to lose all the programmes on her PC.
Any help is greatly appreciated.

chrisr01 wrote:
> Isit possible to do the above without doing a complete install and
> losing all the info on the computer.
> Reason. My Mum has a PC and we found that the copy of XP pro on
> there is not genuine and being the law abiding citizen has now
> bought an original home edition but does not want to lose all the
> programmes on her PC.
> Any help is greatly appreciated.

Everything on the bootable partition will be lost that is not backed up.

Windows XP Home is a downgrade from Windows XP Professional. TRhere is no
method to downlgrade other than format/install.

She won't "lose all the programs" if she has the installation media for
those as well. May actually find out some of those need updating as well.

--
Shenan Stanley
MS-MVP
--
How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html

No since there is no downgrade path from Windows XP Pro to Windows XP Home.
But, you can use FAST to save your Files and Settings:
http://aumha.org/win5/a/fast.htm

Then perform a Clean Installation of Windows XP Home:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/cleanxp.htm

Are you sure it is not genuine?

Also see:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/invalpk.htm

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org


"chrisr01" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:984A4D6F-B5C7-4524-A2C9-(E-Mail Removed)...
> Isit possible to do the above without doing a complete install and losing
> all
> the info on the computer.
> Reason. My Mum has a PC and we found that the copy of XP pro on there is
> not genuine and being the law abiding citizen has now bought an original
> home
> edition but does not want to lose all the programmes on her PC.
> Any help is greatly appreciated.

"Shenan Stanley" wrote:

> chrisr01 wrote:
> > Isit possible to do the above without doing a complete install and
> > losing all the info on the computer.
> > Reason. My Mum has a PC and we found that the copy of XP pro on
> > there is not genuine and being the law abiding citizen has now
> > bought an original home edition but does not want to lose all the
> > programmes on her PC.
> > Any help is greatly appreciated.
>
> Everything on the bootable partition will be lost that is not backed up.
>
> Windows XP Home is a downgrade from Windows XP Professional. TRhere is no
> method to downlgrade other than format/install.
>
> She won't "lose all the programs" if she has the installation media for
> those as well. May actually find out some of those need updating as well.
>
> --
> Shenan Stanley
> MS-MVP
> --
> How To Ask Questions The Smart Way
> http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html
>
>
> Many thanks

chrisr01 wrote:
> Isit possible to do the above without doing a complete install and losing all
> the info on the computer.


No, it's not.

The only way to change from WinXP Pro to WinXP Home is to
format the drive and start over. There is no supported downgrade path
or technique.

Simply boot from the WinXP Home installation CD. You'll be
offered the opportunity to delete, create, and format partitions as
part of the installation process. (You may need to re-arrange the
order of boot devices in the PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.)

HOW TO Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default...B;en-us;316941

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm


> Reason. My Mum has a PC and we found that the copy of XP pro on there is
> not genuine and being the law abiding citizen has now bought an original home
> edition but does not want to lose all the programmes on her PC.
> Any help is greatly appreciated.


If the installed OS wasn't legitimate, what makes you think that any of
the installed applications would be?


--

Bruce Chambers

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safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

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for me, give me liberty, or give me death! -Patrick Henry