Can't upgrade from W2K to XP Pro on IBM ThinkPad

  • Thread starter Thread starter Dave Bruess
  • Start date Start date
D

Dave Bruess

I am trying to upgrade a Thinkpad x21 laptop from Windows
2000 to Windows XP professional. The laptop does not have
a CD ROM or floppy drive. I plugged in my USB2 CDRW and
ran the compatibility test from the CD but got the message
that "Windows XP setup does not support upgrading from
Windows 2000 Professional to Windows XP Professional.
Setup cannot continue."

The HDD is still FAT32 from the factory (That maybe needed
for the restore options). The unit has 17GB on the HDD and
256megs of memory and by all indications on the IBM site
it handles XP fine.

I know I can go back to the original Windows 2000 Pro from
the image but I would like to get up to XP to be
consistent with the desktop units in the office.

Would a Windows XP upgrade work better for this than the
full version? ANy help would be appreciated.

Dave Bruess
(e-mail address removed)
 
It appears you have acquired an "OEM version" of Windows XP.
An OEM version cannot upgrade over an existing Windows installation.
You'll need to perform a "clean install".

Only a "retail version" of XP Pro can perform upgrades.

The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the tools necessary
to partition and format your drive. Follow this procedure and allow
Windows XP to partition and format your drive:

NOTE: It would be best to physically disconnect all your peripheral hardware
devices, except for you mouse and keyboard, before installing XP.

1. Open your BIOS and set your CD Drive as the first bootable device.

===> Accessing Motherboard BIOS
===> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

2. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your computer.
3. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow the instructions.
4. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete the existing
Windows partitions, then create a new partition, then format the primary
partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to install Windows XP.

5. Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]

6. After Windows XP is installed, visit the Windows Update website
and download the available "Critical Updates".

7. After installing the critical updates, be sure and visit the support website
of the manufacturer of the computer to download and install any
available Windows XP compatible drivers, such as video adapter
and audio drivers.

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

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

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


| I am trying to upgrade a Thinkpad x21 laptop from Windows
| 2000 to Windows XP professional. The laptop does not have
| a CD ROM or floppy drive. I plugged in my USB2 CDRW and
| ran the compatibility test from the CD but got the message
| that "Windows XP setup does not support upgrading from
| Windows 2000 Professional to Windows XP Professional.
| Setup cannot continue."
|
| The HDD is still FAT32 from the factory (That maybe needed
| for the restore options). The unit has 17GB on the HDD and
| 256megs of memory and by all indications on the IBM site
| it handles XP fine.
|
| I know I can go back to the original Windows 2000 Pro from
| the image but I would like to get up to XP to be
| consistent with the desktop units in the office.
|
| Would a Windows XP upgrade work better for this than the
| full version? ANy help would be appreciated.
|
| Dave Bruess
| (e-mail address removed)
 
Carey,

Thanks for the quick reply. I did grab an OEM version so I
went to a full version. I do not have access to an onboard
CD so I am using my USB2 CDRW which is not IBM. In talking
with IBM support they confirmed that I can't boot from
that drive (no legacy support for USB in the BIOS). I am
concerned if the upgrade to XP requires a reboot and it
doesn't have all the drivers in place for the USB I will
be stuck.

I saw that the full version wants to go out and check for
updates before it does anything so I am hopeful that if I
move ahead it will install as an upgrade over the W2K and
be good to go. Am I missing anything you can think of?
Thanks again.

Dave
-----Original Message-----
It appears you have acquired an "OEM version" of Windows XP.
An OEM version cannot upgrade over an existing Windows installation.
You'll need to perform a "clean install".

Only a "retail version" of XP Pro can perform upgrades.

The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the tools necessary
to partition and format your drive. Follow this procedure and allow
Windows XP to partition and format your drive:

NOTE: It would be best to physically disconnect all your peripheral hardware
devices, except for you mouse and keyboard, before installing XP.

1. Open your BIOS and set your CD Drive as the first bootable device.

===> Accessing Motherboard BIOS
===> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

2. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your computer.
3. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow the instructions.
4. The setup menu will appear and you should elect to delete the existing
Windows partitions, then create a new partition, then format the primary
partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to install Windows XP.

5. Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]

6. After Windows XP is installed, visit the Windows Update website
and download the available "Critical Updates".

7. After installing the critical updates, be sure and visit the support website
of the manufacturer of the computer to download and install any
available Windows XP compatible drivers, such as video adapter
and audio drivers.

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

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

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


| I am trying to upgrade a Thinkpad x21 laptop from Windows
| 2000 to Windows XP professional. The laptop does not have
| a CD ROM or floppy drive. I plugged in my USB2 CDRW and
| ran the compatibility test from the CD but got the message
| that "Windows XP setup does not support upgrading from
| Windows 2000 Professional to Windows XP Professional.
| Setup cannot continue."
|
| The HDD is still FAT32 from the factory (That maybe needed
| for the restore options). The unit has 17GB on the HDD and
| 256megs of memory and by all indications on the IBM site
| it handles XP fine.
|
| I know I can go back to the original Windows 2000 Pro from
| the image but I would like to get up to XP to be
| consistent with the desktop units in the office.
|
| Would a Windows XP upgrade work better for this than the
| full version? ANy help would be appreciated.
|
| Dave Bruess
| (e-mail address removed)
.
Click to expand...
 
You can try copying the I386 folder from the cd to the
hard drive first and then run winnt.exe from the copied
folder. Hopefully this will cure your cd rom
communication problem.
-----Original Message-----
Carey,

Thanks for the quick reply. I did grab an OEM version so I
went to a full version. I do not have access to an onboard
CD so I am using my USB2 CDRW which is not IBM. In talking
with IBM support they confirmed that I can't boot from
that drive (no legacy support for USB in the BIOS). I am
concerned if the upgrade to XP requires a reboot and it
doesn't have all the drivers in place for the USB I will
be stuck.

I saw that the full version wants to go out and check for
updates before it does anything so I am hopeful that if I
move ahead it will install as an upgrade over the W2K and
be good to go. Am I missing anything you can think of?
Thanks again.

Dave
-----Original Message-----
It appears you have acquired an "OEM version" of
Click to expand...
Windows
XP.
An OEM version cannot upgrade over an existing Windows installation.
You'll need to perform a "clean install".

Only a "retail version" of XP Pro can perform upgrades.

The Windows XP CD is bootable and contains all the
Click to expand...
tools
necessary
to partition and format your drive. Follow this procedure and allow
Windows XP to partition and format your drive:

NOTE: It would be best to physically disconnect all
Click to expand...
your
peripheral hardware
devices, except for you mouse and
Click to expand...
keyboard,
before installing XP.
1. Open your BIOS and set your CD Drive as the first bootable device.

===> Accessing Motherboard BIOS
===> http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/bios_manufacturer.htm

2. Insert your Windows XP CD in the CD Drive and reboot your computer.
3. You'll see a message to boot to the CD....follow the instructions.
4. The setup menu will appear and you should elect
Click to expand...
to
delete the existing
Windows partitions, then create a new partition, then format the primary
partition (preferably NTFS) and proceed to
Click to expand...
install
Windows XP.
5. Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of Michael Stevens, MS-MVP]

6. After Windows XP is installed, visit the Windows Update website
and download the available "Critical Updates".

7. After installing the critical updates, be sure
Click to expand...
and
visit the support website
of the manufacturer of the computer to download and install any
available Windows XP compatible drivers, such as video adapter
and audio drivers.

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

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

--------------------------------------------------------
Click to expand...
--
-----------------


| I am trying to upgrade a Thinkpad x21 laptop from Windows
| 2000 to Windows XP professional. The laptop does not have
| a CD ROM or floppy drive. I plugged in my USB2 CDRW and
| ran the compatibility test from the CD but got the message
| that "Windows XP setup does not support upgrading from
| Windows 2000 Professional to Windows XP Professional.
| Setup cannot continue."
|
| The HDD is still FAT32 from the factory (That maybe needed
| for the restore options). The unit has 17GB on the
Click to expand...
HDD
and
| 256megs of memory and by all indications on the IBM site
| it handles XP fine.
|
| I know I can go back to the original Windows 2000 Pro from
| the image but I would like to get up to XP to be
| consistent with the desktop units in the office.
|
| Would a Windows XP upgrade work better for this than the
| full version? ANy help would be appreciated.
|
| Dave Bruess
| (e-mail address removed)
.
Click to expand...
.
Click to expand...
 
Back
Top