PC won't upgrade from XP Home to XP Professional

[Guest]

I just started school, and because my school has a deal with Microsoft, I got
a copy of XP professional. I want to upgrade my XP home, but when i try, I'm
told my version of Windows is newer than the professional version (I'm
assuming because I have SP2, and the disc probably doesn't).

The details section mentions booting from disc, but I want to know if it's
possible to upgrade this way without formatting my drive/losing my files.

Please let me know.

John

 

[philo]

I just started school, and because my school has a deal with Microsoft, I got
a copy of XP professional. I want to upgrade my XP home, but when i try, I'm
told my version of Windows is newer than the professional version (I'm
assuming because I have SP2, and the disc probably doesn't).

The details section mentions booting from disc, but I want to know if it's
possible to upgrade this way without formatting my drive/losing my files.

Please let me know.

John

The easiest solution would be to uninstall SP2

*however* do you really need XP pro?

For most people it won't make any difference.

 

[Guest]

Actually thier is no "upgrade" from home to xp pro,the update is for
older windows OS.As microsoft says,you need to perform a clean installation
of pro if switching from home...Youre best bet,install xp cd,select,perform
other tasks,open file transfer wizard,set as old computer,select
files,folders,
settings,etc for it to save,save data in a new folder you created,when data
is
finished,move folder to a cd....This can save all but system files.

 

[LVTravel]

You can upgrade to Pro in one of two ways.

1. Uninstall SP2 from Home and then upgrade to Pro and then reinstall all
updates or

2. Slipstream SP2 onto the setup files and create a new Pro disk that
contains SP 2. See the instructions here.

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;900871 and
http://www.theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm and
http://www.helpwithwindows.com/WindowsXP/winxp-sp2-bootcd.html

But to make it all really easy, download Autostreamer from here
http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=188337

 

[Nepatsfan]

(e-mail address removed),

I just started school, and because my school has a deal with
Microsoft, I got a copy of XP professional. I want to
upgrade my XP home, but when i try, I'm told my version of
Windows is newer than the professional version (I'm assuming
because I have SP2, and the disc probably doesn't).

The details section mentions booting from disc, but I want
to know if it's possible to upgrade this way without
formatting my drive/losing my files.

Please let me know.

John

What kind of XP Professional installation CD did you get? If
it's an OEM CD, you'd only be able to do a clean installation.

Keep in mind that booting from the CD will perform a clean
installation. An upgrade is always started from within Windows.

If you received a Retail Full or Upgrade CD then you've got two
options, uninstall SP2 or create what's called a "slipstreamed"
XP installation CD. You basically integrate the SP2 files into
the files from your original installation CD, create a new CD
and use this updated CD to perform the installation.

Here are a few web sites that will explain the process a whole
lot better than I could in this forum.

How to use AutoStreamer to Slipstream Windows XP Service Pack 2
http://www.simplyguides.net/guides/using_autostreamer/using_autostreamer.html

Slipstreaming Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Create Bootable CD
http://www.helpwithwindows.com/WindowsXP/winxp-sp2-bootcd.html

Here are some of the files you'll need to obtain in order to
follow this procedure:

Windows XP Service Pack 2 Network Installation Package for IT
Professionals and Developers
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...be-3b8e-4f30-8245-9e368d3cdb5a&displaylang=en

AutoStreamer 1.0.33
http://fileforum.betanews.com/detail/1092632287/1

CDBurner XPPro
http://www.cdburnerxp.se/download.php

Good luck

Nepatsfan

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I just started school, and because my school has a deal with Microsoft, I got
a copy of XP professional. I want to upgrade my XP home, but when i try, I'm
told my version of Windows is newer than the professional version (I'm
assuming because I have SP2, and the disc probably doesn't).

This means that your installed OS is at a higher service pack level
than is the WinXP Pro CD you're using. You'll either need to uninstall
SP2 before attempting the upgrade, or try slipstreaming SP2 into the
upgrade.

For slip-streaming the service pack and subsequent updates to WinXP:

How to integrate software updates into your Windows installation source
files
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;828930

SlipStreaming WinXP
http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm

The details section mentions booting from disc, but I want to know if it's
possible to upgrade this way without formatting my drive/losing my files.

Only if you create (or borrow or buy) a WinXP Pro installation CD with
SP2 built-in.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

 

[Nepatsfan]

Andrew,

Just out of curiosity, could you provide some documentation for
this statement, "As microsoft says,you need to perform a clean
installation of pro if switching from home"

Thanks

Nepatsfan


(e-mail address removed),

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Actually thier is no "upgrade" from home to xp pro,the update is for
older windows OS.

Why are you still telling this same old lie?

As microsoft says,you need to perform a clean installation
of pro if switching from home...

No, Microsoft has never said any such thing.



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

The easiest solution would be to uninstall SP2

The easiest solution is to create a slipstremed CD, incorporating SP2 ith
your Professional CD. See http://forum.aumha.org/viewtopic.php?t=7262
or http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Actually thier is no "upgrade" from home to xp pro,the update is for
older windows OS.As microsoft says,you need to perform a clean
installation of pro if switching from home

You've repeated this bit of misinformation here multiple times, and each
time you've been corrected. You don't seem to care; you'll attempt to
mislead people the same way every time.

For others reading this: the above is completely false. Microsoft says no
such thing, and upgrading from XP Home to Professional is not only a
supported path, but it is the easiest and most likely successfiul of all
possible upgrades.

 

[Evolution]

How to Slipstream SP2 with Microsoft XP Professional:
http://theeldergeek.com/slipstreamed_xpsp2_cd.htm
(Very easy and clear to understand)

 

[Guest]

Thank you very much for the info, worked like a charm!

 

[philo]

The easiest solution is to create a slipstremed CD, incorporating SP2 ith
your Professional CD. See http://forum.aumha.org/viewtopic.php?t=7262
or http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm

Though that's clearly the *best* solution , I'm not convinced it's the
easiest one.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

<snip>



Though that's clearly the *best* solution , I'm not convinced it's the
easiest one.

Why not? Slipstreaming a service pack into an installation is almost
mind-numbingly simple, especially with the ready available of tools such
as AutoStreamer.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin

 

[philo]

Why not? Slipstreaming a service pack into an installation is
almost mind-numbingly simple, especially with the ready available of
tools such as AutoStreamer.

I've done it and found it easy enough to do...
and is certainly the best way to do it...


I guess the OP can now make his own decision

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Though that's clearly the *best* solution , I'm not convinced it's the
easiest one.

OK, I'll accept that we don't have to have the same perception of what's
easiest, and I should have made it clearer in my original post above, that
my sugesstion was easiest *in my opinion*.

 

[Plato]

I just started school, and because my school has a deal with Microsoft, I got
a copy of XP professional. I want to upgrade my XP home, but when i try, I'm
told my version of Windows is newer than the professional version (I'm
assuming because I have SP2, and the disc probably doesn't).

http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/xpupgrad.php
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sg_9xupgrade.asp
http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=316639

 

[philo]

OK, I'll accept that we don't have to have the same perception of what's
easiest, and I should have made it clearer in my original post above, that
my sugesstion was easiest *in my opinion*.

Well it looks like the OP got it done at any rate
(though he did not state which method he used).

Anyway your advice has been *excellent* for many years...
so I hope you don't think I was trying to pick an arguement!

 

[Bill Sharpe]

Andrew E. wrote:





You've repeated this bit of misinformation here multiple times, and each
time you've been corrected. You don't seem to care; you'll attempt to
mislead people the same way every time.

For others reading this: the above is completely false. Microsoft says no
such thing, and upgrading from XP Home to Professional is not only a
supported path, but it is the easiest and most likely successfiul of all
possible upgrades.

Right on, Ken!
I upgraded from ME to XP Home, then to XP Pro with no problems at all.

Bill Sharpe

 

[jonah]

I just started school, and because my school has a deal with Microsoft, I got
a copy of XP professional. I want to upgrade my XP home, but when i try, I'm
told my version of Windows is newer than the professional version (I'm
assuming because I have SP2, and the disc probably doesn't).

The details section mentions booting from disc, but I want to know if it's
possible to upgrade this way without formatting my drive/losing my files.

Please let me know.

John

All this Slipstreaming, Uninstall -Re-install business is totally
unecessary if you take your "free" XP CD back to school and ask them
to give you an SP2 version.

There is absolutely no reason I can think of why the school should not
give you SP2 - its been out for a very long time now there are 40 odd
critical updates for it.

You sure this XP pro is really "free" ( McWindows possibly ) and do
you really need it?



Jonah