License Error When upgrading from Media Center to XP Pro

[Guest]

I am trying to upgrade a machine from Microsoft Windows Media Center to
Microsoft XP Professional. As I run through the setup wizard it askes for the
license key for the XP professional. After the key is entered I get "The
license key you have entered is invalid" and I can't go on from there. I have
tried a brand new XP Pro disk and license, and I have also tried an upgrade
package, and still I get this error. Why is the wizard refusing this key, and
what can I do to correct this issue.

 

[JS]

You can't go from Media Center to Pro, not a valid upgrade path.

Upgrading from Previous Versions of Windows:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/matrix.mspx

JS

 

[Guest]

Thank you JS!

You can't go from Media Center to Pro, not a valid upgrade path.

Upgrading from Previous Versions of Windows:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/matrix.mspx

JS

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I am trying to upgrade a machine from Microsoft Windows Media Center to
Microsoft XP Professional. As I run through the setup wizard it askes for the
license key for the XP professional. After the key is entered I get "The
license key you have entered is invalid" and I can't go on from there. I have
tried a brand new XP Pro disk and license, and I have also tried an upgrade
package, and still I get this error. Why is the wizard refusing this key, and
what can I do to correct this issue.

Transitioning from WinXP MCE to WinXP Pro is a _downgrade_, and is
not supported.

WinXP Media Center Edition is a _superset_ (iow, it does
_everything_ WinXP Pro can do (except join a domain), plus contains
additional multi-media features) of WinXP Pro.

Windows XP Media Center Edition Home
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ehome/default.asp

Your only option would be to perform a clean installation of WinXP
Pro on each machine.

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


--

Bruce Chambers

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