DHill said:
Acquired a used PC with a bootleg XP Pro installation. I have a legal XP
Home I'd like to replace it with. Can I approach this as an "upgrade"
install or must I first remove XP Pro completely? If so, I'd appreciate
recommendations on how to retain the setup/configuration for the various
hardware, devices and services already active.
Thx!
The only way to change from WinXP Pro to WinXP Home is to format
the drive and start over. There is no supported downgrade path or
technique.
Simply boot from the WinXP installation CD. You'll be offered the
opportunity to delete, create, and format partitions as part of the
installation process. (You may need to re-arrange the order of boot
devices in the PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.)
HOW TO Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;316941
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm
Anyway, with second-hand computers, especially if acquired from
strangers but perhaps even if acquired from a family member, one's
wisest course of action would probably be to format the hard drives and
start fresh. One wouldn't want to get in trouble because the original
owner may have filled the hard drive with kiddie porn, or have problems
because the original owner downloaded/installed viruses or other malware.
--
Bruce Chambers
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