Pro on Disk, Home Online, New PC, Want to Switch

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I own a licensed copy of XP Professional, which I have used on my old PC for
the last year or so. I have just purchased a new PC, which came with XP Home.
XP Home was installed at the store through what appeared to be an online
installation system. That means I have two licensed copies of XP, one Pro,
one Home. I'm not sure how they differ, but I would like to install Home on
the old PC and Pro on the new one.

How on earth do I manage to install Home anywhere if I don't have the disk?
I've made a system recovery disk, but it doesn't seem to work like an
installation disk.

Can I install Home on another computer?

If I can't install Home on the old PC, what about when I want to reformat
the new PC? The people at the store just went ahead and installed without
asking my preferences (I happened to be a little way off dancing with my
nine-month-old when the clerks started installation). I'd like to partition
the drive, to keep Windows, Office, other applications, and "object" files
separate.
 
|>I own a licensed copy of XP Professional, which I have used on my old PC for
|>the last year or so. I have just purchased a new PC, which came with XP Home.
|>XP Home was installed at the store through what appeared to be an online
|>installation system. That means I have two licensed copies of XP, one Pro,
|>one Home. I'm not sure how they differ, but I would like to install Home on
|>the old PC and Pro on the new one.
|>
|>How on earth do I manage to install Home anywhere if I don't have the disk?
|>I've made a system recovery disk, but it doesn't seem to work like an
|>installation disk.
|>
|>Can I install Home on another computer?
|>
|>If I can't install Home on the old PC, what about when I want to reformat
|>the new PC? The people at the store just went ahead and installed without
|>asking my preferences (I happened to be a little way off dancing with my
|>nine-month-old when the clerks started installation). I'd like to partition
|>the drive, to keep Windows, Office, other applications, and "object" files
|>separate.
|>

I got mine that way; one 200 gig NTFS drive, Two partitions (one 4.5
gigs restore partition) and XP home installed. And an XP pro on hand.

I used Partition magic and converted from NTFS to Fat32, then chop'd
up the drive into 4 more partitions. With no data loss....

Then installed XP pro as a dual boot setup, I see XP home as a back
door to Pro :)

I mention this cause your stuck with home on the new machine, just a
way you can work with it.

- NTFS to Fat32 is just a personal preference...
 
Mark said:
I own a licensed copy of XP Professional, which I have used on my old PC for
the last year or so. I have just purchased a new PC, which came with XP Home.
XP Home was installed at the store through what appeared to be an online
installation system. That means I have two licensed copies of XP, one Pro,
one Home. I'm not sure how they differ, but I would like to install Home on
the old PC and Pro on the new one.

How on earth do I manage to install Home anywhere if I don't have the disk?
I've made a system recovery disk, but it doesn't seem to work like an
installation disk.

Can I install Home on another computer?

If I can't install Home on the old PC, what about when I want to reformat
the new PC? The people at the store just went ahead and installed without
asking my preferences (I happened to be a little way off dancing with my
nine-month-old when the clerks started installation). I'd like to partition
the drive, to keep Windows, Office, other applications, and "object" files
separate.
Click to expand...

Without getting into other bothersome issues such as type
of licensing that are related to either version of Windows
XP, the best all-around solution is to take the system back
to the store and have them install XP Pro. And, at the same
time, also pester the store for a Windows XP cdrom disc.
 
Curt said:
I agree with Mistofflees,
Bring the machine back, and demand nothing less than a full install CD--none
of this "recovert CD" crap.
You might have to stomp your feet and throw a tantrum, and you may not want
your nine-year old to see "Daddy" acting that way <g>

Good luck,
Click to expand...

I also agree. If they won't do as you ask then get your money back and
shop elsewhere.

Steve N.
 
Mark said:
I own a licensed copy of XP Professional, which I have used on my old PC for
the last year or so. I have just purchased a new PC, which came with XP Home.
XP Home was installed at the store through what appeared to be an online
installation system. That means I have two licensed copies of XP, one Pro,
one Home. I'm not sure how they differ,
Click to expand...


The WinXP Home and WinXP Pro versions are _identical_ when it comes
to performance, stability, and device driver and software application
compatibility, but are intended to meet different functionality,
networking, security, and ease-of-use needs, in different environments.
The most significant differences are that WinXP Pro allows up to 10
simultaneous inbound network connections while WinXP Home only allows
only 5, WinXP Pro is designed to join a Microsoft domain (a crucial
capability at most universities) while WinXP Home cannot, and only WinXP
Pro supports file encryption and IIS. (Oh, and WinXP Pro usually costs
roughly $100 USD more than WinXP Home.)

Windows XP Comparison Guide
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.asp

Which Edition Is Right for You
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/whichxp.asp

Windows XP Home Edition vs. Professional Edition
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp

As you weren't aware of these differences, I don't see why you'd feel
the need to swap the operating systems. If you had had any need for
WinXP Pro's different feature set, you'd have known the differences
between the two editions.

but I would like to install Home on
the old PC and Pro on the new one.
Click to expand...


That can't be done. Oh, you can remove the WinXP Pro from the old
computer and use it to upgrade the new computer, if it was a retail
license.

However, based on your own description, you have an OEM license for
WinXP Home on the new computer. An OEM version must be sold with a
non-peripheral piece of hardware (normally a motherboard or hard rive,
if not an entire PC) and is _permanently_ bound to the first computer on
which it's installed. An OEM license, once installed, can be removed,
but is not legitimately transferable to another computer under _any_
circumstances.

How on earth do I manage to install Home anywhere if I don't have the disk?
I've made a system recovery disk, but it doesn't seem to work like an
installation disk.
Click to expand...


You can't. And that's part of the reason why the OEM didn't supply a
CD: to prevent software piracy.

Can I install Home on another computer?
Click to expand...

By purchasing a license (with CD) to do so.

If I can't install Home on the old PC, what about when I want to reformat
the new PC?
Click to expand...


You've already said that you've made a Recovery CD. The OEM will have
had to provide a means of returning the computer to its ex-factory
state, whether it's a full installation CD, a Recovery CD, or a Recovery
Partition. They are not legally obliged to provide a true installation
CD as part of the sale. Reputable, customer-service aware OEMs, like
MPC, and Gateway, do provide a full OEM installation CD, that does
permit custom installations and repairs. Many uncaring OEMs, especially
those who sell their computers through department stores and chain
outlets, such as Compaq, HP, eMachines, and Sony, however, in an effort
to save pennies and reduce their support costs by having to hire support
people that can only say "Boot from the Recovery CD to return your PC to
its original condition," provide only a CD bearing a disk image of the
hard drive as it left the factory. These Recovery/Restore CDs cannot
perform normal installations, nor can they be used to do any sort of
customizations. Essentially, it boils down to "You get what you pay for."

The people at the store just went ahead and installed without
asking my preferences (I happened to be a little way off dancing with my
nine-month-old when the clerks started installation).
Click to expand...


Did the staff of the store actually perform the OS installation, or did
they simply pull a computer with a pre-installed OS off the shelf? The
latter is most often the case. At any rate, you chose not to tell
anyone your preferences, so you'll probably have to learn to live with
the consequences of your own decision.

I'd like to partition
the drive, to keep Windows, Office, other applications, and "object" files
separate.
Click to expand...


Then you probably should have purchased a system without an OS,
purchased a retail OS license, and performed the installation yourself,
or gone to a small systems builder to spec out a custom machine and
installation.


--

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
 
Curt said:
I agree with Mistofflees,
Bring the machine back, and demand nothing less than a full install CD--none
of this "recovert CD" crap.
Click to expand...


How many OEM computers come with real installation CDs, these days. I
agree that the practise is deplorable, but it's far beyond the control
of the sales staff of a store.
You might have to stomp your feet and throw a tantrum, and you may not want
your nine-year old to see "Daddy" acting that way <g>
Click to expand...


Why? By choosing to go off and play with his child, rather than
ensuring that the sales staff understood his desires, the OP got exactly
what he asked for.


--

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
 
Mark said:
I own a licensed copy of XP Professional, which I have used on my old
PC for the last year or so. I have just purchased a new PC, which
came with XP Home. XP Home was installed at the store through what
appeared to be an online installation system. That means I have two
licensed copies of XP, one Pro, one Home. I'm not sure how they
differ, but I would like to install Home on the old PC and Pro on the
new one.
Click to expand...


If you're not sure how they differ, almost certainly there's no need for you
to do this. XP Professional and XP Home are exactly the same in all
respects, except that Professional has a few features (mostly related to
networking and security) missing from Home. For most (but not all) home
users, even those with a home network, these features aren't needed and
would never be used.

Moreover, you can not do this without violating the terms of at least one of
your licenses; it may even be physically impossible.

You don't say whether the XP Professional came with the computer or not, but
you do say the XP Home copy came with the computer. A copy that comes with a
computer is an OEM copy, and one of the disadvantages (probably the biggest
disadvantage) of an OEM copy is that its license binds it permanently to the
first computer it's installed on. So it may not be moved to your other
computer. Moreover, many OEM copies are BIOS locked to the particular
motherboard, so it's very possible that it also *can not* be moved to the
other computer.

If your XP Professional computer is also an OEM copy, you will have sinilar
restictions/problems in moving it.
 
Bruce said:
Why? By choosing to go off and play with his child, rather than
ensuring that the sales staff understood his desires, the OP got exactly
what he asked for.
Click to expand...

Be nice, Bruce. I ignored this point even though I do not
believe parents should be taking 9-month old children on
shopping trips. I can be easily nasty by writing that if
Microsoft were to drop the price of its retail Windows XP
product lines by 50%, it might be possible for a parent to
afford a baby-sitter to take care of the child whilst doing
serious business...like buying a computer.
 
Mistoffolees said:
Be nice, Bruce.
Click to expand...


Just stating the facts.

I ignored this point even though I do not
believe parents should be taking 9-month old children on
shopping trips. I can be easily nasty by writing that if
Microsoft were to drop the price of its retail Windows XP
product lines by 50%, it might be possible for a parent to
afford a baby-sitter to take care of the child whilst doing
serious business
Click to expand...


Why would a baby-sitter be necessary. The very existence of the child
demonstrates the existence of two parents, only one of whom was involved
in the computer purchase.

...like buying a computer.
Click to expand...


--

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
 
Bruce said:
Why would a baby-sitter be necessary. The very existence of the child
demonstrates the existence of two parents, only one of whom was
involved in the computer purchase.
Click to expand...

The very existence of the child does not in any way demonstrate the
existence of two parents, Bruce.

Most of the parents I know these days are single parents--some
permanently, as the result of death and divorce, others temporarily,
mostly as the result of one parent being in the military.

I did the single parent gig for most of my daughter's life, and you can
trust me that parents do not take their children along when they're
trying to accomplish something like this unless they absolutely have no
other choice.

rl
--
Rhonda Lea Kirk

If you ever need some proof that time can heal your wounds,
just step inside my heart and walk around these rooms;
where the shadows used to be.... Mary Chapin Carpenter
 
Rhonda said:
Bruce Chambers wrote:




The very existence of the child does not in any way demonstrate the
existence of two parents, Bruce.

Most of the parents I know these days are single parents--some
permanently, as the result of death and divorce, others temporarily,
mostly as the result of one parent being in the military.

I did the single parent gig for most of my daughter's life, and you can
trust me that parents do not take their children along when they're
trying to accomplish something like this unless they absolutely have no
other choice.

rl
Click to expand...

Get the idea that that there are things that just does not "compute"
with these MVP's? It could explain a lot about the nature and tone of
their participation in these Microsoft newsgroups.
 
Rhonda said:
Bruce Chambers wrote:




The very existence of the child does not in any way demonstrate the
existence of two parents, Bruce.

Most of the parents I know these days are single parents--some
permanently, as the result of death and divorce, others temporarily,
mostly as the result of one parent being in the military.

I did the single parent gig for most of my daughter's life, and you can
trust me that parents do not take their children along when they're
trying to accomplish something like this unless they absolutely have no
other choice.

rl
Click to expand...

Get the idea that that there are things that just does not "compute"
with these MVP's? It could explain a lot about the nature and tone of
their participation in these Microsoft newsgroups.
 
First of all, thanks to all of you for responding. The information was
helpful, even if the tone and asides were occasional snide.

Just so you know, if you're interested, we are a two-parent, three-child
family. The other two, the oldest and most difficult to control, were with
Grandma, who was already getting anxious for us to take them off her hands.
The youngest, with whom I was dancing, was behaving well, but as any parent
will know, good behaviour is a thing to be nurtured. That's why were were
dancing while the clerks were fussing with the computer.

It was necessary for both parents to participate in the purchase so that I
would not buy anything beyond our current means and so that my wife would not
buy anything below my current standards.

For several minutes up to the installation of the OS, there had been a lot
of fuss and bother over the installation of some extra RAM. My son and I were
within meters of the scene, and I was called upon at one point to enter a few
particulars, so it cannot be said that I excused myself from the equation.
However, I was never consulted about my preferences. I suppose the clerks
assumed I was an utter peasant and would have no preferences worth hearing
about. I, on the other hand, being a first-time new-computer buyer, was
unaware of the new terms regarding the OS and assumed that I would be given a
disk or have some other method of altering the setup. I did not enquire or
interfere, because I was anxious to relieve my mother-in-law of the two older
children, get the younger child to the babysitter, take my wife and the older
children for a quick swim, and pack up my dog and pick up my recently
divorced buddy for a soothing night hike. Besides, I assumed that I could
undo or redo whatever the clerks did once I got the computer home.

As the ramifications of the deal began to dawn on my innocent mind, I
couldn't help murmuring that the rights of consumer seem to have perished at
the hands of the manufacturers and retailers. Piracy works both ways. It
seems entirely reasonable to me, though you may call me a peasant, for the
purchaser of a piece of hardware and its accompanying software to be able to
do what he wants with both or either.
 
GHalleck said:
Get the idea that that there are things that just does not "compute"
with these MVP's? It could explain a lot about the nature and tone of
their participation in these Microsoft newsgroups.
Click to expand...

Some of them. Sometimes. And then other times, I see perfectly sensible
answers. It gets very confusing. Every now and again, I think I might as
well unsubscribe, but there are still some posters I would miss.

In the meantime, I've just become much pickier about the posts I read. I
guess just not picky enough.

I really wish I'd missed this thread.

rl
--
Rhonda Lea Kirk

If you ever need some proof that time can heal your wounds,
just step inside my heart and walk around these rooms;
where the shadows used to be.... Mary Chapin Carpenter
 
=?Utf-8?B?TWFyayBQZW5ueQ==?= said:
unaware of the new terms regarding the OS and assumed that I would be given a
disk or have some other method of altering the setup. I did not enquire or
Click to expand...

Assume whatever you want to assume. PC vendors have NO oblication to
give you an OS disk unless you PAY for it.
 
Rhonda said:
The very existence of the child does not in any way demonstrate the
existence of two parents, Bruce.
Click to expand...

Are you positing immaculate conception, then?

Most of the parents I know these days are single parents--some
permanently, as the result of death and divorce, others temporarily,
mostly as the result of one parent being in the military.
Click to expand...


While there are admittedly single parents galore, I seriously doubt
that "most" parents are single. Not even close.

I did the single parent gig for most of my daughter's life, ...
Click to expand...


As have, raising a son....

and you can
trust me that parents do not take their children along when they're
trying to accomplish something like this unless they absolutely have no
other choice.
Click to expand...


There is always a choice. If nothing else, the OP could - and
apparently should - have postponed the shopping expedition until such
time as he could devote his full attention to the chore. It's not as if
buying a new computer is something that "absolutely, positively must be
done" the moment the impulse strikes. Despite their popularity and near
ubiquitousness, personal computers remain luxury items, not essentials.


--

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
 
Bruce said:
Rhonda Lea Kirk wrote:
Click to expand...
Are you positing immaculate conception, then?
Click to expand...

No, just a different definition of "parent" than that of womb or sperm
donor.
While there are admittedly single parents galore, I seriously doubt
that "most" parents are single. Not even close.
Click to expand...

"Most of the parents I know," is what I wrote, not "most parents."

But have you looked at the statistics for single-parent households
lately? And those numbers don't take into account all the parents who
are temporarily missing from home because they're in the military or
otherwise have a job that takes them away.
As have, raising a son....
Click to expand...

Then you should know better.
There is always a choice. If nothing else, the OP could - and
apparently should - have postponed the shopping expedition until such
time as he could devote his full attention to the chore. It's not as
if buying a new computer is something that "absolutely, positively
must be done" the moment the impulse strikes. Despite their
popularity and near ubiquitousness, personal computers remain luxury
items, not essentials.
Click to expand...

You assume an awful lot about his situation and his needs.

When going for the cheap shot, it's best to have sufficient information,
because it has so much potential to ricochet.

rl
--
Rhonda Lea Kirk

If you ever need some proof that time can heal your wounds,
just step inside my heart and walk around these rooms;
where the shadows used to be.... Mary Chapin Carpenter
 
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