upgrading from WinXP SP2 Home to WinXP Pro

[Adam Kubiak]

I want to upgrade from Win XP SP2 home edition to Win XP
Pro edition. Can I just install the Pro edition over the
Home version, and if so will I have to re-install all my
application programs again or will they still be there?
Thanks for any help.

 

[Will Denny]

Hi

If you have XP Home SP2 installed, you will need to udgrade to XP Pro SP2,
which means doing so with a slipstreamed SP2 CD. If you try and install an
earlier version of XP Pro you will get an error message. If you decide to
continue, you will lose SP2. With a slipstreamed CD your files, programs
and settings should remain intact. Although you may like to backup any
valuable data file beforeahnd.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

I want to upgrade from Win XP SP2 home edition to Win XP
Pro edition. Can I just install the Pro edition over the
Home version,

Normally yes, but there's a complication because you have SP2
installed. If you just try this, you'll be told that you are
trying to upgrade to an older version.

So what you have to is either

1. Remove SP2, then upgrade, and finally reinstall SP2, or

2. Create a slipstreamed version of XP Professional, including
SP2, and use that to do the upgrade.

and if so will I have to re-install all my
application programs again or will they still be there?

They will still be there. By definition, an "upgrade" (as opposed
to a clean installation) means that all data, programs, etc. are
kept intact.

However there are no guarantees that it always works perfectly.
However unlikely, it's always possible that something might go
wrong. For that reason it's prudent to be sure you have a backup
of anything you can't afford to lose before beginning.



But are you sure you want to do this? Are you aware that XP Home
and Professional are identical except that Professional includes
a few features (mostly related to security and networking)
missing from Home? Most home users don't need and would never use
these extra features and will see no benefits by upgrading.

 

[Rock]

I want to upgrade from Win XP SP2 home edition to Win XP
Pro edition. Can I just install the Pro edition over the
Home version, and if so will I have to re-install all my
application programs again or will they still be there?
Thanks for any help.

How to create a slipstreamed Windows Installation CD with SP2
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm

 

[Alex Nichol]

I want to upgrade from Win XP SP2 home edition to Win XP
Pro edition. Can I just install the Pro edition over the
Home version, and if so will I have to re-install all my
application programs again or will they still be there?

Run the Upgrade Pro CD from the Home system. Enter Install, make sure
you have Upgrade selected before proceeding at the next page. All
installations and almost all settings will be retained. But as always
when you do major work on the system, back up your data first, just in
case of say a power failure at a critical moment