Is it possible to install a newer version of XP?

[Guest]

My laptop, just got a couple of days ago is a dell, It has windows XP Home
and no service packs. It is currently having problems with the windows and
needs to be reinstalled, The person who initially had the laptop lost the
operating CD. I currenltly purchased the windows Home service pack 2, and I
am wondering if I can use that to reinstall windows and still use the same
licenses? A dell tech. told me it was absolutely correct to do so, but I
wanted to get a microsoft tech to give me the ok that it will work. The
service pack two cd I have came from Dell. Laptop is Insperion 2600, trying
to get it fucntional soon.

 

[Guest]

Yes, it will work.

 

[guestuser]

If you have a retail version of Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition with
Service Pack 2, you can install it on any system. If you have a copy of
Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2, it won't do you any good without an
operating system, in this case Windows XP, to update. So, which is it?

 

[Vanguard]

My laptop, just got a couple of days ago is a dell, It has windows XP Home
and no service packs. It is currently having problems with the windows and
needs to be reinstalled, The person who initially had the laptop lost the
operating CD. I currenltly purchased the windows Home service pack 2, and
I
am wondering if I can use that to reinstall windows and still use the same
licenses? A dell tech. told me it was absolutely correct to do so, but I
wanted to get a microsoft tech to give me the ok that it will work. The
service pack two cd I have came from Dell. Laptop is Insperion 2600,
trying
to get it fucntional soon.

You won't get a Microsoft tech telling what is what. This is a community of
your computer peers volunteering their time to answer questions or
participate in discussions. Microsoft doesn't work here (well, some
Microsoftees might visit but that is their personal choice).

Yes, you can upgrade from Home to Pro. However, if you ever need to
reinstall, you won't have the Home version anymore from which to upgrade.
You can do an in-place upgrade (Repair) of the same Pro version atop of
itself but eventually you'll be screwed when having to do a reinstall and
not having against which the upgrade will apply because there is no prior
version to upgrade.

Did you ever check if there is a hidden partition containing the restore or
recovery program or files to reinstall the operating system?

If the original owner of the laptop never provided you with the media to
install, recover, or restore the OS, and if it isn't in a hidden partition,
then you never got a legal copy. What you got was a polluted hard drive.
Did the laptop include the product key sticker? If so, you had better save
a drive/partition image of the currently installed Home version so you have
something to restore if you later have to, for example, have to replace the
hard drive and then have nothing to apply the Pro upgrade version against
(so you will have to restore the Home image and then upgrade). Of course,
after installing the Pro upgrade, you could also save a disk/partition image
after the upgrade and restore that instead (unless you want to start with a
*clean* or fresh install).

 

[Ron Sommer]

You won't get a Microsoft tech telling what is what. This is a community
of your computer peers volunteering their time to answer questions or
participate in discussions. Microsoft doesn't work here (well, some
Microsoftees might visit but that is their personal choice).

Yes, you can upgrade from Home to Pro. However, if you ever need to
reinstall, you won't have the Home version anymore from which to upgrade.
You can do an in-place upgrade (Repair) of the same Pro version atop of
itself but eventually you'll be screwed when having to do a reinstall and
not having against which the upgrade will apply because there is no prior
version to upgrade.

Did you ever check if there is a hidden partition containing the restore
or recovery program or files to reinstall the operating system?

If the original owner of the laptop never provided you with the media to
install, recover, or restore the OS, and if it isn't in a hidden
partition, then you never got a legal copy. What you got was a polluted
hard drive. Did the laptop include the product key sticker? If so, you
had better save a drive/partition image of the currently installed Home
version so you have something to restore if you later have to, for
example, have to replace the hard drive and then have nothing to apply the
Pro upgrade version against (so you will have to restore the Home image
and then upgrade). Of course, after installing the Pro upgrade, you could
also save a disk/partition image after the upgrade and restore that
instead (unless you want to start with a *clean* or fresh install).

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The OP never said that they were upgrading from Home to Pro.
They also never said that they bought an upgrade CD.

 

[Guest]

OK, this is what I have for those that need more info. I have Windows XP HOME
(with no service pack), I need to reinstall windows, but I only have a
windows XP HOME (with service pack 2), and I am trying to figure out if I can
use the same license number for my reinstallment since the window that I am
using for installation is an updated one from the origianal. The original cd
with the operating system is lost. Both CD's are dell's and the DELL tech it
should be ok to do this task, I am seeking the opinion of the microsoft
community to see if it will work.

 

[Mike Hall \(MS-MVP\)]

As long as the XP CD is an OEM version, which it will be if supplied by
Dell, your COA sticker number will work fine..

 

[Bob I]

IF the DELL came originally with Windows XP, use the "key" off the
bottom of the laptop. IF it DIDN'T originally come with Windows XP, you
don't have a license to install Windows XP.

 

[Timothy Daniels]

If the new Windows XP Home CD is a retail copy,
you don't need any previous licenses to install it.
If it's OEM, it's tied to the computer on which it was
originally installed. So what is it?

*TimDaniels*

 

[Ron Sommer]

The OP says that he got the OEM XP from Dell.

 

[Ron Sommer]

Did the new CD come with a Product key?
Do you have the old Product key?
The new CD should qualify you for a new registration.
If you can install with the old Product key, then the old registration
should work.
If you have to use the new Product key, then you have new software and will
have to reregister.