Can XP Professional full version be installed over XP Home full version?

[Brian]

Hi,

I would like to upgrade my computer from Windows XP Home
to Windows XP Professional. I do not particularly want
to buy an upgrade version, as the XP Home I have came pre-
installed on the computer I bought with only a Rescue
Disk set. So, basically, if I do have any major problems
I can just reformat my hard drive and clean install XP
Professional again directly.

Of course, if it is the case that XP Pro full version
requires a clean install I can do that also, but it would
obviously save a lot of time and hassle if Pro will just
install over Home without losing any other data on the
disk.

Apologies if this is an often-asked or obvious question;
I just haven't managed to find a definitive answer to
this question yet!

Thanks in advance for any help.

Brian

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Yes, you can upgrade XP Home to XP Pro by purchasing either
a "Retail Upgrade Version" or "Retail Full Version" of XP Pro.

1. Purchase a conventional "Retail Version" of Windows XP Professional.
2. Uninstall your antivirus program.
3. Perform a backup of your important documents and files to a CD.
4. Disconnect all hardware peripheral devices, except the monitor, keyboard and mouse.
5. While running Windows XP Home, insert the Windows XP Pro CD in the drive and select
the default "Upgrade" setup option. [Do not select "New Installation"]
6. Visit the Windows Update site to download all the critical updates.

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

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

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


| Hi,
|
| I would like to upgrade my computer from Windows XP Home
| to Windows XP Professional. I do not particularly want
| to buy an upgrade version, as the XP Home I have came pre-
| installed on the computer I bought with only a Rescue
| Disk set. So, basically, if I do have any major problems
| I can just reformat my hard drive and clean install XP
| Professional again directly.
|
| Of course, if it is the case that XP Pro full version
| requires a clean install I can do that also, but it would
| obviously save a lot of time and hassle if Pro will just
| install over Home without losing any other data on the
| disk.
|
| Apologies if this is an often-asked or obvious question;
| I just haven't managed to find a definitive answer to
| this question yet!
|
| Thanks in advance for any help.
|
| Brian

 

[Stefano]

Yes, you can upgrade XP Home to XP Pro by purchasing either
a "Retail Upgrade Version" or "Retail Full Version" of XP Pro.

1. Purchase a conventional "Retail Version" of Windows XP
Professional.
2. Uninstall your antivirus program.
3. Perform a backup of your important documents and files to a CD.
4. Disconnect all hardware peripheral devices, except the monitor,
keyboard and mouse.
5. While running Windows XP Home, insert the Windows XP Pro CD in the
drive and select the default "Upgrade" setup option. [Do not
select "New Installation"]
6. Visit the Windows Update site to download all the critical updates.

Furthermore, I will suggest you to keep on hand an updated set of chipset
and video drivers. In my experience after some upgrades these drivers was
missing, even if they were installed and working on the previously running
XP home.
A simply reinstall of the driver solved any issue.

S.

 

[Ron Martell]

Hi,

I would like to upgrade my computer from Windows XP Home
to Windows XP Professional. I do not particularly want
to buy an upgrade version, as the XP Home I have came pre-
installed on the computer I bought with only a Rescue
Disk set. So, basically, if I do have any major problems
I can just reformat my hard drive and clean install XP
Professional again directly.

Of course, if it is the case that XP Pro full version
requires a clean install I can do that also, but it would
obviously save a lot of time and hassle if Pro will just
install over Home without losing any other data on the
disk.

Apologies if this is an often-asked or obvious question;
I just haven't managed to find a definitive answer to
this question yet!

Carey Frish has given you the correct information regarding the Retail
versions of Microsoft Windows XP Pro, which come in a blue Microsoft
retail box.

However sometimes people refer to the OEM version of Windows XP as a
"full" version, and there are some very distinct differences between
the OEM and the Retail Full versions of Windows XP.

Basically the OEM version is intended for installation on a new
computer. Therefore it will not, by design, install as upgrade over
any other versions of Windows because new computers do not have other
versions of Windows on them when they are being built.

So if what you are contemplating acquiring is an OEM version of
Windows XP Pro then it will not upgrade your existing XP Home. You
will have to wipe out the hard drive and install the XP Pro clean.
Before doing so you can use the Files and Settings Transfer Wizard in
XP Home to save your user data files and program configuration
settings to another hard drive partition, a removable backup device,
or a network drive.

Then after you have wiped out the XP Home, installed XP Pro, and
reinstalled your application programs you can run FASTW again in XP
Pro to import the saved data and configuration. Using FASTW does make
this procedure much faster and less painful then doing a manual backup
and restore of data files. Former MVP Gary Woodruff has an article on
using FASTW which you can read at http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/fast.htm

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."