Just installed XP Pro, all programs still tehre, but do not work?

[danstheman7]

I just upgraded from XP Home to XP Pro, and all of my programs and files are
still on the hard drive, but the programs either do not function (don't
work), or they wont open. What should I do?
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Known everywhere as:
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[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

I just upgraded from XP Home to XP Pro, and all of my programs and files
are
still on the hard drive, but the programs either do not function (don't
work), or they wont open. What should I do?

Quoting some error messages (verbatim) would be helpful.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I just upgraded from XP Home to XP Pro, and all of my programs and files are
still on the hard drive, but the programs either do not function (don't
work), or they wont open. What should I do?

Did you do an upgrade or a clean installation separate from the XP
Home installation? Exactly what steps did you follow to accomplish
this?

Assuming that it was a clean installation, almost all the programs
will not work.

 

[Mark Adams]

Did you do an upgrade or a clean installation separate from the XP
Home installation? Exactly what steps did you follow to accomplish
this?

Assuming that it was a clean installation, almost all the programs
will not work.

If he did a clean install, wouldn't NONE of the programs work because NONE
of the programs would be installed? I'd think he needs to reinstall the
drivers and his programs.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

If he did a clean install, wouldn't NONE of the programs work because NONE
of the programs would be installed?

No, not necessarily. Most programs need to be installed, and
installation puts entries for them into the registry, and references
to where they are elsewhere within \windows. But there is an
occasional program (usually a small, simple one) that is entirely
self-contained and doesn't need installation.

I'd think he needs to reinstall the
drivers and his programs.

The great majority, but not necessarily all. That why I said "*almost
all* the programs will not work."

 

[dadiOH]

No, not necessarily. Most programs need to be installed, and
installation puts entries for them into the registry, and references
to where they are elsewhere within \windows. But there is an
occasional program (usually a small, simple one) that is entirely
self-contained and doesn't need installation.

Actually - in the situation under discussion and IME - many fairly complex
programs will work; it really depends upon *what* info was stashed in the
registry during the installation.

In my case, I have many programs installed on my C: drive which has Win98 on
it. I have XP on my L: drive and at least half of the Win98 installed
programs will work from XP. Might be more, haven't tried all. I have found
that...

1. Some programs don't even burp when run from XP

2. Some won't run at all

3. Some complain of one or more missing files. If those files are coppied
to the XP drive and stashed in the correct place, all is well.

4. Many need any configuration data for the program entered again. That
includes purchased keys or serial numbers and the necessity to re-enter them
is logical since they were stashed in the Win98 registry originally and that
isn't available when running the program via XP. Once entered, the program
writes it to the XP registry and all is well.

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[Mark Adams]

No, not necessarily. Most programs need to be installed, and
installation puts entries for them into the registry, and references
to where they are elsewhere within \windows. But there is an
occasional program (usually a small, simple one) that is entirely
self-contained and doesn't need installation.




The great majority, but not necessarily all. That why I said "*almost
all* the programs will not work."

A clean install would entail deleting partitions, creating new partitions,
formatting the partitions. Would any data, let alone programs survive this? I
thought that's what "clean install" means. The OP said that his programs are
still there but don't work. To me that implies an upgrade, which is what he
said he did; that didn't go well. That's why I suggested he reinstall drivers
and the programs. Am I missing something here? Thanks.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

A clean install would entail deleting partitions, creating new partitions,
formatting the partitions. Would any data, let alone programs survive this?

No.


I
thought that's what "clean install" means.

Yes.


The OP said that his programs are
still there but don't work. To me that implies an upgrade,

Yes.


which is what he
said he did; that didn't go well. That's why I suggested he reinstall drivers
and the programs. Am I missing something here? Thanks.

No, you're not missing anything. But many people's language is
inaccurate, and what they say is not necessarily what they mean.
That's why I thought it was worth checking to be sure.