Academic Win XP Pro Upgrade Won't Install.

[OsakaBill]

I am trying to install Win XP Pro Upgrade on an old HP Pavillion.

I can't.

First, the installer reports that it cannot determine what kind of
computer I am using. I forces me to make a selection between an i486
based machine or other.

Second, the installer reports that it cannot find an appropriate version
of Windows on the computer. It states that I must insert the machine's
original Windows CDs into the CD-ROM drive before I can continue.

The only reason I went out and bought the Win XP Pro Upgrade in the
first place is that the HP's original CD-ROMs have gone missing. Win98
is currently hosed on the machine (it won't even boot into Safe Mode
without crashing when trying to load the Desktop). I need to reinstall
Windows and figured I'd upgrade.

What is this and how can get around it?

 

[Nicholas]

Download and use the latest version of the XP Upgrade Advisor:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/advisor.asp

--
Nicholas

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


| I am trying to install Win XP Pro Upgrade on an old HP Pavillion.
|
| I can't.
|
| First, the installer reports that it cannot determine what kind of
| computer I am using. I forces me to make a selection between an i486
| based machine or other.
|
| Second, the installer reports that it cannot find an appropriate version
| of Windows on the computer. It states that I must insert the machine's
| original Windows CDs into the CD-ROM drive before I can continue.
|
| The only reason I went out and bought the Win XP Pro Upgrade in the
| first place is that the HP's original CD-ROMs have gone missing. Win98
| is currently hosed on the machine (it won't even boot into Safe Mode
| without crashing when trying to load the Desktop). I need to reinstall
| Windows and figured I'd upgrade.
|
| What is this and how can get around it?

 

[OsakaBill]

Bruce,

Thanks for all of the information. I never imagined that this was going
to become so complicated.

What makes this more difficult, is that the HP Pavillion I am trying to
upgrade right now cannot boot into Win98 at all. Therefore I cannot do
anything from inside the machine, let alone download and run the XP
Upgrade advisor.

As I said, I bought the XP upgrade because Mom lost her original CDs
so we cannot even restore Win98 if we wished too. Seemed like WinXP
was our only choice.

I will check out the compatibility pages you kindly provided and see
what happens.

Thanks again.

 

[Jim Macklin]

The requirements for Home or Pro are the same (basically).

If you can access the CD-ROM settings in the BIOS, set the
computer to boot from the CD-ROM. Then put your XP CD in
the drive and boot the computer. Select install... when the
computer asks for a previous OS, put your W98, W-ME or any
Windows CD in the CD-ROM and point the install program to
that CD as proof. Then the XP upgrade will install. It
will give you the option to do a clean install with a format
of the drive (you can also partition at this time.

That should fix your hard drive.


| I checked the MS Windows Compatibility page and according
to that
| page, the HP Pavilion 4450 I am working with can run
Windows XP. It
| does not say if this is the Home or Pro edition.