upgrade to XP from ME. no retail me disk only system restore kit

Hello,

I have a friends computer here at the house. She wants to upgrade to XP
home edition from her previously installed windows ME.

She has a Gateway computer that came with a System restore kit and NOT an
actual ME disk.

Can I upgrade to XP using the restore disks?

My only other thought is to use one of my windows 2000 disks (retail) as the
qualiying os when I start the install. Will using my 2000 disk to install
her upgrade to XP break any of the rules from microsoft?

I also have a beta2 version of Vista (legal) that I could use but not sure
if XP would allow me to upgrade using a beta.

Please also correct me if I am wrong. It is my understanding that I can
upgrade to XP on a blank hard drive as long as I insert a legal os disk when
the upgrade asks for it? That I do not have to install windows 2000 first
and then upgrade it to XP

Thanks in advance

The earlier version does not have to be installed when you upgrade, the cd
has to be avilable to point to during the process.
The earlier version cd forms part of the upgrade licence
I dont believe a restore disk would be any good
You can upgrade over the existing installation, but if you ever had to
reinstall you would have to use recovery disk first, then upgrade.
Vista would be no good as you cannot downgrade install

"mail4youtoo" <mail4youtoo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:E7767442-BD1C-4018-8D36-434B837B20D3@microsoft.com...
> Hello,
>
> I have a friends computer here at the house. She wants to upgrade to XP
> home edition from her previously installed windows ME.
>
> She has a Gateway computer that came with a System restore kit and NOT an
> actual ME disk.
>
> Can I upgrade to XP using the restore disks?
>
> My only other thought is to use one of my windows 2000 disks (retail) as
the
> qualiying os when I start the install. Will using my 2000 disk to install
> her upgrade to XP break any of the rules from microsoft?
>
> I also have a beta2 version of Vista (legal) that I could use but not sure
> if XP would allow me to upgrade using a beta.
>
> Please also correct me if I am wrong. It is my understanding that I can
> upgrade to XP on a blank hard drive as long as I insert a legal os disk
when
> the upgrade asks for it? That I do not have to install windows 2000 first
> and then upgrade it to XP
>
> Thanks in advance

mail4youtoo <mail4youtoo@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote:

>Hello,
>
>I have a friends computer here at the house. She wants to upgrade to XP
>home edition from her previously installed windows ME.
>
>She has a Gateway computer that came with a System restore kit and NOT an
>actual ME disk.
>
>Can I upgrade to XP using the restore disks?
>
>My only other thought is to use one of my windows 2000 disks (retail) as the
>qualiying os when I start the install. Will using my 2000 disk to install
>her upgrade to XP break any of the rules from microsoft?
>
>I also have a beta2 version of Vista (legal) that I could use but not sure
>if XP would allow me to upgrade using a beta.
>
>Please also correct me if I am wrong. It is my understanding that I can
>upgrade to XP on a blank hard drive as long as I insert a legal os disk when
>the upgrade asks for it? That I do not have to install windows 2000 first
>and then upgrade it to XP
>
>Thanks in advance

You have two choices with the existing situation:

1. Install the XP Home as an upgrade to the existing Windows Me. That
will preserve all of the installed applications, user data files, and
program configuration settings. I did this exact same upgrade many
times during the beta testing of Windows XP and they always went well
(or at least all of the problems were because of the contents of the
beta version and not because of the upgrade from Windows Me).

2. If you boot the computer into Windows Me and then insert the
upgrade install disk you will have an option to wipe out the existing
Windows and install a new copy of Windows XP. If you do it that way
the installer will remember that you had a qualifying product
installed and will not ask you for proof of upgrade eligibility.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."