installing xp

[Guest]

I installed xp home ed. on my laptop from the cd bundelled with the desktop i
purchased(xp previously installed). now i find that i need another license to
do this. the problem is now i have a copy of xp on my laptop (formerly had
ME), do i purchase the xp upgrade, and would i have to uninstall xp (lose my
files/data) reinstall ME and upgrade from there, or purchase the full version
and hope im given an option for just "updating current config." since i am
eligible for the upgrade (laptop had me) will the upgrade work with the xp
already installed on it? i dont want to have to buy the full version and i
dont want to lose all my files. any ideas?

 

[DaViD]

Uninstall XP and purchase an upgrade from ME to XP Home or Pro.
I see no reason why you should lose your data asthey are not part of your
OS.

 

[Guest]

thanks for the reply daVID, so i wont lose my applications/files/folders/data
by uninstalling xp and reinstalling me?? should i back up my files/data? or
will it all be saved. sorry, im new at this.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I installed xp home ed. on my laptop from the cd bundelled with the desktop i
purchased(xp previously installed). now i find that i need another license to
do this. the problem is now i have a copy of xp on my laptop (formerly had
ME), do i purchase the xp upgrade, and would i have to uninstall xp (lose my
files/data) reinstall ME and upgrade from there,

The XP Upgrade would do it. If you have a 'proper' ME CD, not a
maker's restore one - which is likely to be what you *do* have - it
*might* work if you run it from the present installation, and when and
if asked offer the ME CD as evidence. But a OEM bundled copy from the
desktop machine's CD may resist this, in which case you have to clean
the XP off and start over.

Again, if you have a Proper ME CD, boot the XP CD direct. Enter Setup,
and after the license agreement take New Install. When it asks you to
confirm where, hit ESC; select and delete the current partition and make
a new RAW one to be formatted at the next stage

The important point is the delete. Without that it will just go ahead
and make a new install over the top of the old one

If you only have an ME Restore CD you will have to restore that and run
the update from it