Switching to Legal Copy of XP Pro

[Guest]

OK, due to a former question I posed in this forum, I've been convinced not
to do what I wanted to do, downgrade from XP Pro to Windows 98.

So, here's the new question I now have.

I've purchased a used P4 machine with an illegal copy of XP Pro on it. I do
have a legal copy of the 98 upgrade which is currently on my old machine that
I'm throwing in the trash as soon as I get the P4 up and running (legally).
Can I simply purchase an XP OEM upgrade, boot from that upgrade CD, format
the hard drive and show the OS install process the 98 upgrade CD when asked?
I've been told that this will work but I'm still unsure whether or not it
will REALLY work.

Also, is it wise to get the OEM upgrade. Is there such a thing as a non-OEM
upgrade?

 

[Bob I]

There is no such animal as an OEM-upgrade. OEM means installed by the
original manufacturer. The OEM is a clean install and needs no
"qualifing operating system"

 

[Ron Badour]

An upgrade CD is a retail version. An OEM CD is installed to a drive
without a system so there is no qualifying system check. Stick the XP CD
in, make sure the CDRom drive is the first boot device in the BIOS, format
the drive and install the system.

 

[Kelly]

But there is such an animal! )

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All the Best,
Kelly (MS-MVP/DTS&XP)

Taskbar Repair Tool Plus!
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Is it October already? Either way, Happy Birthday if today is your
birthday!

 

[Harry Ohrn]

Yes what you propose to do will work. See here for detailed instructions if
you need them
http://www.blackviper.com/Articles/OS/InstallXPHome/installxphome1.htm

Info on what an OEM is can be found here
http://compreviews.about.com/od/general/a/OEM.htm The site gives a general
definition. When it comes to Windows operating systems like Windows XP - OEM
is a licensing agreement between an equipment manufacturer and Microsoft
which allow the equipment manufacturer to distribute copies of the Microsoft
software. OEM versions of Windows XP do not have upgrade capabilities. You
will need to purchase a Retail Upgrade version.

 

[Gary S. Terhune]

There is no such thing as an OEM Upgrade. There's Retail Full, Retail
Upgrade, and OEM generic. A generic OEM version can't be used to Upgrade.
You simply clean install it with no need to prove anything. If you *do* have
a Retail Upgrade CD, then the scenario is exactly as you describe it, and
yes, I've done it many times.

 

[Paul Randall]

Enough MVPs have cast their vote with the 'there is no such thing as an OEM
Upgrade', that I would like to pose a question:
If I had purchased a W98 from Hewlett Packard around the time that WXP came
out, and they sent me the promised 'upgrade' to WXP, would it be an OEM
upgrade or a Full upgrade?

I will try to confirm your answer by looking at a friend's Vista upgrade to
his EMachine's XP Media Center.

-Paul Randall

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

OK, due to a former question I posed in this forum, I've been convinced not
to do what I wanted to do, downgrade from XP Pro to Windows 98.

So, here's the new question I now have.

I've purchased a used P4 machine with an illegal copy of XP Pro on it. I do
have a legal copy of the 98 upgrade which is currently on my old machine that
I'm throwing in the trash as soon as I get the P4 up and running (legally).

Do *not* throw the Windows 98 CD away! If you use a Windows XP Upgrade
CD, you will need it again if you ever have to reinstall Windows
cleanly.

Can I simply purchase an XP OEM upgrade, boot from that upgrade CD, format
the hard drive and show the OS install process the 98 upgrade CD when asked?

Delete the word "OEM" from that sentence, and yes, that's exactly what
to do. Upgrade CDs are retail ones, not upgrades.

I've been told that this will work but I'm still unsure whether or not it
will REALLY work.

Yes, it does.

Also, is it wise to get the OEM upgrade. Is there such a thing as a non-OEM
upgrade?

Yes, there is. That (a retail version) is the only kind of Upgrade
available.

There are three kinds of CDs you can buy:

1. Retail Full (the most expensive choice). It can do either a clean
installation or an upgrade without restriction.

2. Retail Upgrade. It can also do either a clean installation or an
upgrade, but requires proof of ownership of a previous qualifying
version. That proof is the installed Windows when doing an upgrade
installation, or an inserted CD (as you stated above) when doing a
clean installation.

3. OEM. The OEM version can do a clean installation only.

The OEM version and the Retail Upgrade are usually very close in
price--both considerably less than the Full Retail one. The Retail
Upgrade might cost slightly more than the OEM version, but it's worth
it, since it doesn't come with the very significant restriction that
the OEM version does--that once installed on a computer, it can never
legally be moved to another computer, even if the original one dies.

For that reason, I almost always recommend the Retail Upgrade version

 

[Bob I]

But not in the sense that he can buy.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Enough MVPs have cast their vote with the 'there is no such thing as an OEM
Upgrade', that I would like to pose a question:
If I had purchased a W98 from Hewlett Packard around the time that WXP came
out, and they sent me the promised 'upgrade' to WXP, would it be an OEM
upgrade or a Full upgrade?

I don't know what HP does, so I'm not sure of the answer, but I'll
take an educated guess. They would have sent you a regular OEM CD, one
which would have required you to clean install it.

 

[Bob I]

That could "technically" be call an "OEM-upgrade" but you can't "buy"
that CD as an upgrade.

 

[Guest]

Wow! I've never received such rapid and good responses in MDG. Seems the
dumber I manage to appear, the more help I get.

But really, I'm grateful. Really.

Thanks,

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Wow! I've never received such rapid and good responses in MDG. Seems the
dumber I manage to appear, the more help I get.

But really, I'm grateful. Really.

You're welcome. Glad to help.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

OK, due to a former question I posed in this forum, I've been convinced not
to do what I wanted to do, downgrade from XP Pro to Windows 98.

So, here's the new question I now have.

I've purchased a used P4 machine with an illegal copy of XP Pro on it. I do
have a legal copy of the 98 upgrade which is currently on my old machine that
I'm throwing in the trash as soon as I get the P4 up and running (legally).
Can I simply purchase an XP OEM upgrade, boot from that upgrade CD, format
the hard drive and show the OS install process the 98 upgrade CD when asked?
I've been told that this will work but I'm still unsure whether or not it
will REALLY work.

Also, is it wise to get the OEM upgrade.

There's no such thing, unless you've a special voucher from the
computer's manufacturer.

Is there such a thing as a non-OEM
upgrade?

Certainly. That's the most common kind, by far.

If you are trying to install a WinXP Service Pack and getting the
following:

The Product Key Used to Install Windows Is Invalid
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q326904

You need to purchase and a _legitimate_ retail or OEM *full* (not
upgrade) license of WinXP Pro to perform a repair (a.k.a. in-place
upgrade) installation, using the new CDs and Product Keys.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q315341


--

Bruce Chambers

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