Help with an Upgrade problem!

[Stephanie]

Let me begin by saying this is my grandmother's first
computer, so she doesn't really know much about it, and
this situation is pretty difficult to understand. I'll
try my best to explain it. I've called Microsoft several
times, but I guess they didn't understand what I was
trying to explain. This time I'll try to be clearer and
hope someone can help.

My aunt had gotten a new computer, and was going to give
my grandmother her old one.
Before she did, she had someone format the harddrive and
they put Windows 98 on the computer, but it was messed
up,
so she had an upgrade put on it. Problem is, it was an
upgrade used at her office, and the product key couldn't
be used again.
So my grandmother went out and bought her own upgrade
when she found out it wasn't activated and she'd have to
buy her own.(Which would've been the best thing to do to
begin with, but they didn't know that)
The upgrade my aunt had on the computer, however, is the
Windows XP Professional, while my grandmother only got
the Home Edition. She can't afford the Professional
version, and since the account can't be activated, we
really don't know what to do.
I'm not realy sure how to format a hard drive, and I'm
saving that for a last resort, hoping there'd be another
way to solve this problem. If there's anything you can
suggest it would be
really helpful. I apperciate your time. Thank you.
-Stephanie

 

[Guest]

In that case you have no other choice than format the hard drive, reinstall windows 98 again and proceed with the XP home edition upgrade since you only have a XP home edition upgrade and not the full version.

 

[Shawn]

-----Original Message-----
Let me begin by saying this is my grandmother's first
computer, so she doesn't really know much about it, and
this situation is pretty difficult to understand. I'll
try my best to explain it. I've called Microsoft several
times, but I guess they didn't understand what I was
trying to explain. This time I'll try to be clearer and
hope someone can help.

My aunt had gotten a new computer, and was going to give
my grandmother her old one.
Before she did, she had someone format the harddrive and
they put Windows 98 on the computer, but it was messed
up,
so she had an upgrade put on it. Problem is, it was an
upgrade used at her office, and the product key couldn't
be used again.
So my grandmother went out and bought her own upgrade
when she found out it wasn't activated and she'd have to
buy her own.(Which would've been the best thing to do to
begin with, but they didn't know that)
The upgrade my aunt had on the computer, however, is the
Windows XP Professional, while my grandmother only got
the Home Edition. She can't afford the Professional
version, and since the account can't be activated, we
really don't know what to do.
I'm not realy sure how to format a hard drive, and I'm
saving that for a last resort, hoping there'd be another
way to solve this problem. If there's anything you can
suggest it would be
really helpful. I apperciate your time. Thank you.
-Stephanie
.

If it was an upgrade you may be able to go to add/remove
programs and remove XP, then upgrade to XP home.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

In

In that case you have no other choice than format the hard drive,
reinstall windows 98 again and proceed with the XP home edition
upgrade since you only have a XP home edition upgrade and not the
full version.

It is *not* necessary to install Windows 98 toi use an upgrade
version of Windows XP. 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.

You can install XP Upgrade without a previous version installed,
as long as you have a previous version's installation CD. 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.

 

[-xiray-]

If it was an upgrade you may be able to go to add/remove
programs and remove XP, then upgrade to XP home.

The operative word in that suggestion is "may" and the answer is that
in this particular case is you may not (the OP said the drive had
been formated and then a already activated version of XP had been
attempted, so there's no OS to be found on the drive if the faulty XP
installation is uninstalled with add/remove) .

Follow Ken's suggestion posted above. Insert the WinXP Home CD and
have the original Win98 CD so that you can insert it when prompted.