upgrade to xp pro from xp home

[Guest]

I could be buying a notebook that is sold with xp home
addition. We have an NT 4 network in the office that is
using domains. It is my understanding that I will need xp
pro to comunicate with my office network. The retail boxes
of xp pro upgrade do not upgrade from xp home. Is there a
special upgrade on the MS site to upgrade from home to pro?

Thanks

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

1. Purchase the conventional "retail upgrade version" of Windows XP Pro.
2. Uninstall any third-party antivirus or firewall programs.
3. Disconnect all peripheral hardware devices, but not the monitor, keyboard or mouse.
4. While at your XP Home desktop screen, insert the XP Pro CD in the CD drive.
5. Select the default "Upgrade" option....do not select "New Installation".
6. Reinstall your antivirus program & turn-on the firewall.
7. Visit the Windows Update website and download the necessary updates.
8. Perform a Disk Cleanup and Defrag your hard drive afterward.
9. Visit the support website of the manufacturer of your computer and
download the necessary Windows XP drivers.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

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|I could be buying a notebook that is sold with xp home
| addition. We have an NT 4 network in the office that is
| using domains. It is my understanding that I will need xp
| pro to comunicate with my office network. The retail boxes
| of xp pro upgrade do not upgrade from xp home. Is there a
| special upgrade on the MS site to upgrade from home to pro?
|
| Thanks

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

The retail WinXP Pro Upgrade works on WinXP Home. (Apparently, the
Microsoft executive who approved the packaging design for the WinXP
Pro Upgrade box didn't consider the possibility that some peoples'
requirements could change after purchasing WinXP Home, or that some
people might not do the necessary research to make sure that they
bought the correct version of WinXP the first time.)

Upgrading to WinXP from Previous Versions of Windows
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/upgrading/matrix.asp

Of course, there are no iron-clad, 100% guarantees when it comes
to updating any kind of computer software, much less an operating
system. WinXP is designed to install and upgrade the existing
operating system while simultaneously preserving your data and
translating as many personalized settings as possible. The process is
designed to be, and normally is, quite painless. That said, things can
go wrong, in a small number of cases. If your data is at all
important to you, back it up before proceeding.

But wouldn't it be simpler, not to mention cheaper, to buy a
laptop that comes with WinXP Pro already installed?

Bruce Chambers

--
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