reinstall windows XP?

[Denise]

Windows XP home edition came with my Acer laptop. I received a CD from my
university to install on my laptop to be compatible with class profs, which
contained windows XP Professional with service pack 2. While installing the
CD I was getting all kinds of errors but it wouldn't let me stop the
installation. I call the school technical support and they told me to stop
the installation (which I couldn't) and reinstall the original version of
windows that came with my computer.

I cannot figure out how to do that! I don't want to erase my entire computer
either. I have 4 CDs that came with my laptop, System CD, and disks 1-3
Recovey CDs. But when I put them in the CD drive, nothing starts
automatically and I have no idea what else to do?

Is there an easy way to remedy this and get back to my original version of
windows? And what must I do to uninstall the Professional version that needs
to be removed, there was no uninstall option on that install disk.

Thanks

 

[philo]

Windows XP home edition came with my Acer laptop. I received a CD from my
university to install on my laptop to be compatible with class profs, which
contained windows XP Professional with service pack 2. While installing the
CD I was getting all kinds of errors but it wouldn't let me stop the
installation. I call the school technical support and they told me to stop
the installation (which I couldn't) and reinstall the original version of
windows that came with my computer.

I cannot figure out how to do that! I don't want to erase my entire computer
either. I have 4 CDs that came with my laptop, System CD, and disks 1-3
Recovey CDs. But when I put them in the CD drive, nothing starts
automatically and I have no idea what else to do?

Is there an easy way to remedy this and get back to my original version of
windows? And what must I do to uninstall the Professional version that needs
to be removed, there was no uninstall option on that install disk.

Thanks

No, that does not sound right...
unless perhaps you use your computer on a domain...it's not too likely you'd
need to use XP pro.
XP home with SP2 should do the job.

If you use the system restore disks you will loose your data.

So if your system is now working...leave it alone.

If your system does not boot up...
then you will need to pull the drive and slave it to another machine...
then backup your darta..

Once your data is backed up...then you can use the system restore disks

to use them, all you need to do is put the first one in...and be sure the
bios is set to boot first from cd

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Windows XP home edition came with my Acer laptop. I received a CD from my
university to install on my laptop to be compatible with class profs, which
contained windows XP Professional with service pack 2. While installing the
CD I was getting all kinds of errors but it wouldn't let me stop the
installation. I call the school technical support and they told me to stop
the installation (which I couldn't) and reinstall the original version of
windows that came with my computer.

I cannot figure out how to do that! I don't want to erase my entire computer
either. I have 4 CDs that came with my laptop, System CD, and disks 1-3
Recovey CDs. But when I put them in the CD drive, nothing starts
automatically and I have no idea what else to do?

Contact Acer for assistance in using their Recovery method.

Is there an easy way to remedy this and get back to my original version of
windows? And what must I do to uninstall the Professional version that needs
to be removed, there was no uninstall option on that install disk.

I'm afraid that 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. Again, contact Acer for assistance using their
Recovery CDs. (Although all you probably need to do is boot from either
the System CD or the first Recovery CD. Be sure you've backed up any
important data first.)


--

Bruce Chambers

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killed a great many philosophers.
~ Denis Diderot

 

[Malke]

Windows XP home edition came with my Acer laptop. I received a CD from my
university to install on my laptop to be compatible with class profs, which
contained windows XP Professional with service pack 2. While installing the
CD I was getting all kinds of errors but it wouldn't let me stop the
installation. I call the school technical support and they told me to stop
the installation (which I couldn't) and reinstall the original version of
windows that came with my computer.

I cannot figure out how to do that! I don't want to erase my entire computer
either. I have 4 CDs that came with my laptop, System CD, and disks 1-3
Recovey CDs. But when I put them in the CD drive, nothing starts
automatically and I have no idea what else to do?

Is there an easy way to remedy this and get back to my original version of
windows? And what must I do to uninstall the Professional version that needs
to be removed, there was no uninstall option on that install disk.

Thanks

You need to set your computer to boot from the CD drive, put in Disk 1
of the Recovery Disks and follow the instructions. Please note that this
will return your computer to factory condition. There is no other way to
get back to before you started the XP Pro install; your previous XP
installation is gone now, overwritten with parts of the XP Pro install.


Malke

 

[Denise]

The laptop seems to be working fine even though I installed that CD. But when
I go into view my systems settings it says "windows xp professional service
pack 2". If it was still my original version, wouldn't it say "home edition"?

I also keep getting these little messages saying that this version of
windows is not activated. It wants me to go online and activate something.
Would that mean it really isn't running?

This is all foreign to me, I am normally a Mac user.

HELP

 

[philo]

The laptop seems to be working fine even though I installed that CD. But when
I go into view my systems settings it says "windows xp professional service
pack 2". If it was still my original version, wouldn't it say "home edition"?

I also keep getting these little messages saying that this version of
windows is not activated. It wants me to go online and activate something.
Would that mean it really isn't running?

This is all foreign to me, I am normally a Mac user.

HELP

First off...if the computer is in-fact working...that's good.
I would not worry about it. If it says XP pro...then it must in-fact have
installed OK.

Now...if the cd you got from your school was fully legal...then all you need
to do is go online
to activate it ...
you should then be all set

 

[Denise]

So you really think its safe to ignore all the errors and files that were not
loaded during the installation?

 

[philo]

So you really think its safe to ignore all the errors and files that were not
loaded during the installation?

Well...I don't know what was loaded and what wasn't
but I'd say that if the machine is working fine...not to worry about it.

Sometimes files are not written...simply because they already exist on the
destination drive...
but what happened in your case...I don't know.

At any rate...back up any data you need right now...
justr burn anything important to cd or DVD...
then if a major problem turns up...at least all your data is safe

 

[GHalleck]

Windows XP home edition came with my Acer laptop. I received a CD from my
university to install on my laptop to be compatible with class profs, which
contained windows XP Professional with service pack 2. While installing the
CD I was getting all kinds of errors but it wouldn't let me stop the
installation. I call the school technical support and they told me to stop
the installation (which I couldn't) and reinstall the original version of
windows that came with my computer.

I cannot figure out how to do that! I don't want to erase my entire computer
either. I have 4 CDs that came with my laptop, System CD, and disks 1-3
Recovey CDs. But when I put them in the CD drive, nothing starts
automatically and I have no idea what else to do?

Is there an easy way to remedy this and get back to my original version of
windows? And what must I do to uninstall the Professional version that needs
to be removed, there was no uninstall option on that install disk.

Thanks

Good luck on getting the Acer restored to its original condition. Once
this has been done, contact the University's IT department to determine
the compatibility of the Acer in accessing the school's network in order
to be able to do on-line class work. Make it the school's responsibility
to get you set up properly, if it means switching from XP Home Edition
to XP Professional.