pirate software

  • Thread starter Thread starter glen
  • Start date Start date
G

glen

I bought a computer online which is running windows xp
pro, When I tried to download the service packs I found
it had an invalid cd key. I bought a copy of xp home to
install as xp pro is too expensive for my taste.
my problem is i dont know what steps to take to install
xp home over xp pro without losing my settings and info.
Please help?
 
Windows XP Home Edition cannot be installed over XP Pro.
You'll need to purchase a "Full Version" of XP Pro and perform
a "repair install". Otherwise, XP Home will require a "clean install".

How to Perform a Windows XP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

Clean Install Windows XP
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

[Courtesy of MS-MVP Michael Stevens]

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


| I bought a computer online which is running windows xp
| pro, When I tried to download the service packs I found
| it had an invalid cd key. I bought a copy of xp home to
| install as xp pro is too expensive for my taste.
| my problem is i dont know what steps to take to install
| xp home over xp pro without losing my settings and info.
| Please help?
 
you could try to use file and setting transfer wizard to save your
settings..... ive used and saves your favorites, address book,
outlookexpress settings and more......
if you have an upgrade CD of home all you can do is upgrade with it..... you
would have to put win98 or ME on that to use.
 
glen said:
I bought a computer online which is running windows xp
pro, When I tried to download the service packs I found
it had an invalid cd key. I bought a copy of xp home to
install as xp pro is too expensive for my taste.
my problem is i dont know what steps to take to install
xp home over xp pro without losing my settings and info.
Please help?
Click to expand...

You cannot install the Home version of XP over top of the Pro - that
is considered a "downgrade" and downgrade installs are never
supported.

Your best option is to use the "Files and Settings Transfer Wizard" in
Windows XP Pro (in Accessories - System Tools) and save the resulting
file to another hard drive partition, a network drive, or a removable
backup device such as a CDRW drive. You will have to reinstall all of
your application programs, however.

Then delete the existing partition on the hard drive, such as by
booting the computer with a Windows 98 Startup Disk (www.bootdisk.com)
and running FDISK at the A:\> prompt. If your XP Pro is using NTFS on
the hard drive then it will be a non-DOS partition that you will be
deleting, and if the hard drive is NTFS then it will be the Primary
DOS partition that you delete.

Next boot your computer with the XP Home CD and let it partition and
format the hard drive then install your XP Home. When the install is
finished you can use FASTW in XP Home to import the file you saved.

For more information on using FASTW see former MVP Gary Woodruff's
article at http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/fast.htm

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"The reason computer chips are so small is computers don't eat much."
 
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