failed install of XP Home upgrade

[chuckster]

XP Home upgrade on Dell Inspiron 7000 laptop over Windows
ME (had previously upgraded from Windows 98 to ME). Freed
up 1.8 GB on hard drive. Installation stalled about 60% of
the way through Installing Devices.

 

[Apparition]

I have never tried upgrading onto an already upgraded
installation but it rings alarm bells in my head! I would
get hold of a full version of XP and then format and
install that instead.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

I have never tried upgrading onto an already upgraded
installation but it rings alarm bells in my head!

Many people have done this successfully. Although many people
will tell you that formatting and installing cleanly is the best
way to go, I disagree. Unlike with previous versions of Windows,
and upgrade to XP replaces almost everything, and usually works
very well.

My recommendation is to at least try the upgrade, since it's much
easier than a clean installation. You can always change your mind
and reinstall cleanly if problems develop.

I would
get hold of a full version of XP and then format and
install that instead.

Using a full version when you qualify for the upgrade is a waste
of money. Despite what many people think, an upgrade version
*can* do a clean installation. The requirement to use an upgrade
version is to *own* a previous qualifying version's installation
CD (not an OEM restore CD), not to have it installed. When setup
doesn't find a previous qualifying version installed, it will
prompt you to insert its CD as proof of ownership. Just insert
the previous version's CD, and follow the prompts. Everything
proceeds quite normally and quite legitimately.


--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup

 

[Plato]

XP Home upgrade on Dell Inspiron 7000 laptop over Windows
ME (had previously upgraded from Windows 98 to ME). Freed
up 1.8 GB on hard drive. Installation stalled about 60% of
the way through Installing Devices.

Hmmmm, Try a fresh install. No guarantee that your win98 Dell tho will
like XP.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I have never tried upgrading onto an already upgraded
installation but it rings alarm bells in my head! I would
get hold of a full version of XP and then format and
install that instead.

It is perfectly possible to upgrade over a chained upgrade. Or you can
use an XP Upgrade CD for a clean install, provided you have a 'proper'
CD or one of the qualifying products (even Win 95). You show it to the
XP setup when it asks where Windows is. It may be an upgrade or full CD
of the previous system, but must be a proper one, with the folder of
..cab files; not an OEM 'Restore' one containing an image of the system
as installed by them (these will not be recognised).

If all there is is such a restore CD you can also do a clean install.
Run the XP upgrade from it; change upgrade to New Install, then when it
asks where, hit ESC, select and delete the current partition and make a
new one. By that time the eligibility check will have been made. This
though does not work from Win95