Can I use an XP Home disc to install XP Pro

[NickTheBatMan]

I can't find my XP Pro disc though I can find my XP Home disc - 2
different machines...

Can I use the Home disc to re-install Pro ?

What's the difference between the two ?

TIA

 

[Gerry]

Nick

No!

You pay a lot more for XP Pro

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp

http://windows.about.com/od/updatingupgrading/a/xp_home_prof.htm

--



Hope this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

[NickTheBatMan]

Nick

No!

You pay a lot more for XP Pro

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp

http://windows.about.com/od/updatingupgrading/a/xp_home_prof.htm

--

Hope  this helps.

Gerry
~~~~
FCA
Stourport, England
Enquire, plan and execute
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh I know Pro costs a lot more than Home Gerry, it was just I wondered
if the same data was on the different disks and the only difference
was the key...

Never mind I shall just have to keep digging through all my stuff to
find the Pro disc.

Nick

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I can't find my XP Pro disc though I can find my XP Home disc - 2
different machines...

Can I use the Home disc to re-install Pro ?

What's the difference between the two ?

You cannot use the Windows XP Home CD with the Windows XP Professional
Product Key. Although they are the same family - the Professional CD is
different - as is the installed product.

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp

In any case - your answer is no - you need to find your Professional CD
and/or borrow one that matches the type of license/product key you have
(Retail, Upgrade, OEM, MSDN, Volume, etc.)

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I can't find my XP Pro disc though I can find my XP Home disc - 2
different machines...

Can I use the Home disc to re-install Pro ?

No.


What's the difference between the two ?

Professional has extra features that are not in Home.

 

[NickTheBatMan]

You cannot use the Windows XP Home CD with the Windows XP Professional
Product Key.  Although they are the same family - the Professional CD is
different - as is the installed product.

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp

In any case - your answer is no - you need to find your Professional CD
and/or borrow one that matches the type of license/product key you have
(Retail, Upgrade, OEM, MSDN, Volume, etc.)

Thanks again for that, I discover that I have either lost the disc or
didn't have one in the first place - which I think was the case as the
more I dig through the documentation of this Acer the more I realise
that I should have read the paperwork first and it was telling me to
use the already installed software to create a backup image of what
was already installed on the HD before I went any further... which of
course being in a rush I never even thought about doing I just got on
with installing everything I wanted on it !
Now I'm some 2+ years down the line I want to do my usual format and
complete reinstall... and I'm stuck

Now the next question - which I am sure I already know the answer to -
where can I download an ISO of the OEM install disc so that I can burn
it to a CD and get on with the job ?

No thanks, don't aim me at a Torrent site, I went there many years ago
and ended up in terrible troubles !

TIA

 

[John John (MVP)]

Thanks again for that, I discover that I have either lost the disc or
didn't have one in the first place - which I think was the case as the
more I dig through the documentation of this Acer the more I realise
that I should have read the paperwork first and it was telling me to
use the already installed software to create a backup image of what
was already installed on the HD before I went any further... which of
course being in a rush I never even thought about doing I just got on
with installing everything I wanted on it !
Now I'm some 2+ years down the line I want to do my usual format and
complete reinstall... and I'm stuck

Now the next question - which I am sure I already know the answer to -
where can I download an ISO of the OEM install disc so that I can burn
it to a CD and get on with the job ?

No thanks, don't aim me at a Torrent site, I went there many years ago
and ended up in terrible troubles !

Have you contacted Acer? They should be able to supply a replacement CD
for a nominal fee.

John

 

[NickTheBatMan]

Have you contacted Acer?  They should be able to supply a replacement CD
for a nominal fee.

John

The simplest of answers, many thanks for that John I'll give it a go
and report back - mind you it'll be next week of course today being
New Years Day - just goes to show what sort of night I had last
night !

A Happy New Year to all

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I can't find my XP Pro disc though I can find my XP Home disc - 2
different machines...

Can I use the Home disc to re-install Pro ?

What's the difference between the two ?

You cannot use the Windows XP Home CD with the Windows XP
Professional Product Key. Although they are the same family - the
Professional CD is different - as is the installed product.

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp

In any case - your answer is no - you need to find your
Professional CD and/or borrow one that matches the type of
license/product key you have (Retail, Upgrade, OEM, MSDN, Volume,
etc.)

Thanks again for that, I discover that I have either lost the disc
or didn't have one in the first place - which I think was the case
as the more I dig through the documentation of this Acer the
more I realise that I should have read the paperwork first and it
was telling me to use the already installed software to create a
backup image of what was already installed on the HD before I
went any further... which of course being in a rush I never even
thought about doing I just got on with installing everything I
wanted on it !

Now I'm some 2+ years down the line I want to do my usual
format and complete reinstall... and I'm stuck

Now the next question - which I am sure I already know the answer
to - where can I download an ISO of the OEM install disc so that I
can burn it to a CD and get on with the job ?

No thanks, don't aim me at a Torrent site, I went there many years
ago and ended up in terrible troubles !

Legitimate and safe place to download an OEM licensed version of Windows XP
without a subscription/for free?
None that I know of.

Goes back to borrowing one from friends/neighbors/family/co-workers...

The generic installation CD is not 'unique' other than by version (Home,
Professional, etc) and license type (OEM, retail, etc.) The former is truly
'out of your hands'. The latter - well - with some creativity and a little
effort (and a CD burner on a working computer) you can change the type of
licensed keys a given CD can accept - so a retail Windows XP Professional CD
could be made so it accepts (installs with) an OEM product key. Also - you
could temporarily use a CD/Product key of a different type (not version) and
after the install - before activation - use a product key changer tool from
Microsoft to change the key to *your* OEM product key. You could also
contact the original manufacturer (Acer?) and see if they can send you an
installation CD (probably charge you something.)

The way to change the type of Product Key a CD can accept would be to edit
the SETUPP.INI file on the CD - meaning you would have to copy the CD
contents, edit the file, extract the boot sector of the original CD and burn
a new CD with all of that. While you were at it - you could integrate SP3
into it as well - making a nice CD for yourself for the future. nLite might
help with that.

The latter option - using another type of CD and the associated product key
until after the installation is complete and then changing the product key
originally entered to your own:

The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a reinstall!
http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409

 

[NickTheBatMan]

Legitimate and safe place to download an OEM licensed version of Windows XP
without a subscription/for free?
None that I know of.

Goes back to borrowing one from friends/neighbors/family/co-workers...

The generic installation CD is not 'unique' other than by version (Home,
Professional, etc) and license type (OEM, retail, etc.)  The former is truly
'out of your hands'.  The latter - well - with some creativity and a little
effort (and a CD burner on a working computer) you can change the type of
licensed keys a given CD can accept - so a retail Windows XP ProfessionalCD
could be made so it accepts (installs with) an OEM product key.  Also -you
could temporarily use a CD/Product key of a different type (not version) and
after the install - before activation - use a product key changer tool from
Microsoft to change the key to *your* OEM product key.  You could also
contact the original manufacturer (Acer?) and see if they can send you an
installation CD (probably charge you something.)

The way to change the type of Product Key a CD can accept would be to edit
the SETUPP.INI file on the CD - meaning you would have to copy the CD
contents, edit the file, extract the boot sector of the original CD and burn
a new CD with all of that.  While you were at it - you could integrate SP3
into it as well - making a nice CD for yourself for the future.  nLite might
help with that.

The latter option - using another type of CD and the associated product key
until after the installation is complete and then changing the product key
originally entered to your own:

The Genuine Advantage Product Key Update Tool is only valid for
users attempting to change their current non-genuine Product Key
to a genuine COA sticker or genuine Product Key - all without a reinstall!http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=50346&clcid=0x409

Very many thanks for all that info Shenan, I shall have a go...