replacing the OEM version WinXP Home Edition

[Guest]

I purchased Emachine T6212 and have decided I do not wish to keep the
pre-installed version of WinXP. I want to upgrade the RAM and I will buy a
retail version. Any advice on how to proceed to "uninstall' or 'overwrite'
the exisitng OEM version would be most appreciated. --
Thank you for your help
Gail

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Gail;
A Repair Installation using the new CD and Product Key will do the job:
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/repaxp.htm

Are you sure you really want to do this?
Exactly what to you hope to gain since once installed, OEM and retail are
identical.

 

[M and D]

The retail version and the OEM version are identical.

No need to reinstall Windows if you're adding RAM.

Steven

 

[Guest]

I was advised by Emachines Support that the 'Restore CD' is provided by the
manufacturer which includes the OS, bundled software and the device drivers
in a Ghost Image format. Because of this individual files cannot be extracted
except for the drivers. They further advised that using the Restore Cd will
wipe clean the hard drive and all partitions (which i created to store data
files) and reinstall all the original software to recreate the system to the
exact setup as the day I purchased it.

I understood from reading the various postings on this and other WinXP
forums that having my own retail version granted me some control over my
sytem should i ever have to reinstall any/some system files. In a perfect
world this may never happen. According to my understanding of what Emachines
advised me I do not have that control with their "Restore CD". Did I
misunderstand something?

 

[Michael Stevens]

In

I was advised by Emachines Support that the 'Restore CD' is provided
by the manufacturer which includes the OS, bundled software and the
device drivers in a Ghost Image format. Because of this individual
files cannot be extracted except for the drivers. They further
advised that using the Restore Cd will wipe clean the hard drive and
all partitions (which i created to store data files) and reinstall
all the original software to recreate the system to the exact setup
as the day I purchased it.

I understood from reading the various postings on this and other WinXP
forums that having my own retail version granted me some control over
my sytem should i ever have to reinstall any/some system files. In a
perfect world this may never happen. According to my understanding
of what Emachines advised me I do not have that control with their
"Restore CD". Did I misunderstand something?

You understood perfectly, but you can still upgrade the ram without
reinstalling anything.
--
Michael Stevens MS-MVP XP
(e-mail address removed)
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com
For a better newsgroup experience. Setup a newsreader.
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/outlookexpressnewreader.htm

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Gail;
I am not thoroughly familiar with the Emachines restore CDs.
But some OEM restore CDs are as you stated so it is likely that also applies
to Emachines.
Once installed, there is no difference.
But there may be more options such as the Repair Installation that you may
not get with the restore CD.
If you want the most flexibility, you may want retail, but you are only
paying for the added flexibility since you already have Windows XP.

Also since your current Windows XP is OEM, the CD will become a low quality
coaster since it can not be installed on another computer.
OEM are normally permanently tied to the original computer regardless the
condition of the original computer.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I purchased Emachine T6212 and have decided I do not wish to keep the
pre-installed version of WinXP. I want to upgrade the RAM and I will buy a
retail version. Any advice on how to proceed to "uninstall' or 'overwrite'
the exisitng OEM version would be most appreciated. --
Thank you for your help
Gail

The normal way to "uninstall" any operating system is to format
the hard drive and install a new OS of your choice.

Simply boot from the new 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


Bear in mind that by replacing the factory-installed operating system,
you'll be voiding any support agreement you might have with the
computer's manufacturer, and you may even void its warranty, if any.
Check with the manufacturer before proceeding, if support and warranty
issues concern or interest you.


--

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

Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of
chains and slavery? .... I know not what course others may take, but as
for me, give me liberty, or give me death! -Patrick Henry

 

[Guest]

Would it be possible to instal the retail version over the OEM version, while
keeping any program files from previous setup? Would reformatting to a
different file system i.e from FAT32 delete or negate any previous program
files?

p.s sorry to butt in but this has been driving me nuts for weeks

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Would it be possible to instal the retail version over the OEM version, while
keeping any program files from previous setup?

Certainly, provided that the retail version is at the same (or higher)
service pack level as the OEM installation.

You can use the retail full license of WinXP to perform a repair
(a.k.a. in-place upgrade) installation, using the new CDs and Product Keys.

How to Perform an In-Place Upgrade of Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/directory/article.asp?ID=KB;EN-US;Q315341

Would reformatting to a
different file system i.e from FAT32 delete or negate any previous program
files?

Well, yes. By definition, formatting erases everything from the target
partition. However, you can safely *convert* your current hard drive to
NTFS whenever desired, without having to format the partition and
reinstall everything. As always when performing any serious changes,
back up any important data before proceeding, just in case. A little
advance preparation is also strongly recommended, so you can avoid any
performance hits caused by the default cluster size:

Converting FAT32 to NTFS in Windows
http://www.aumha.org/a/ntfscvt.htm



--

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

Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of
chains and slavery? .... I know not what course others may take, but as
for me, give me liberty, or give me death! -Patrick Henry

 

[Guest]

Thank you very much Bruce, hurray now i can sleep again

 

[Dr. C.Joseph Drayton, Ph.D. AS&T]

Hi Bruce,

Just wanted to say that your statement is not always true. I have a
HP Pavilion zd8205us that came with a OEM version of WinXPhe.

Last weekend, I had to buy WinXPpe for a new project I am working
on. I bought the $300.00 full retail edition, and it would not let
me do a repair install or upgrade. I had to do a new install. I
don't know if the problem is just related to my model HP or if the
problem relates to all HP laptops. I just know it doesn't work.

I was fortunate in that HP has a directory called SWSetup that
contained all of the drivers for the laptop. I did the new install
and ran SWSetup and I had a starting point.

I found the situation annoying though because I have more than 40GB
of applications and their support files that I use on a regular
basis. It takes more than 38 hours to reinstall all of my software.
I keep all of my data on a separate partition so that is not a
problem. When you are facing a deadline and have to pull time away
to reinstall your applications, it is VERY frustrating. I ended up
just installing the applications I needed for that project, but now
face dong a reinstall of all my other applications.

Ciao . . . C.Joseph

That which a man buys too cheaply . . .
He esteems too lightly

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Hi Bruce,

Just wanted to say that your statement is not always true.

Admittedly, no statement is *always* true, including this one. ;-}
Seriously, though, my answer does apply to most circumstances, but there
will always be "exceptions to the rule." It's simply not practical to
list all of the possible caveats and conditionals under which something
as basic as an upgrade won't work.

I have a
HP Pavilion zd8205us that came with a OEM version of WinXPhe.

Last weekend, I had to buy WinXPpe for a new project I am working
on. I bought the $300.00 full retail edition, and it would not let
me do a repair install or upgrade. I had to do a new install. I
don't know if the problem is just related to my model HP or if the
problem relates to all HP laptops.

Well, HP does tend to use a highly "customised" - shall we say? -
version of the OS in their OEM installations, so you might have
something there.

I just know it doesn't work.

And without more information, I can't begin to guess why it didn't
work, either. Did you get any specific error messages? Was the WinXP
Pro installation CD at the same (or higher) service pack level as the
WinXP Home installation?

I was fortunate in that HP has a directory called SWSetup that
contained all of the drivers for the laptop. I did the new install
and ran SWSetup and I had a starting point.

I found the situation annoying though because I have more than 40GB
of applications and their support files that I use on a regular
basis. It takes more than 38 hours to reinstall all of my software.
I keep all of my data on a separate partition so that is not a
problem. When you are facing a deadline and have to pull time away
to reinstall your applications, it is VERY frustrating. I ended up
just installing the applications I needed for that project, but now
face dong a reinstall of all my other applications.

I understand your frustration. I'm sorry that you had to be one of the
rare "exceptions."


--

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

 

[Guest]

I have been working on a dell pc that was was hit y a power surge and had to
have a new hd. I used the cd that came with the pc (OEM) of course, and
when I installed windows the only thing showing up on the desktop was the
recycle bin. Dell wanted $99 just to tell me why. I used the driver disk and
the application disk and installed as much as it would let me. So far
everything is working but there are a lot of things missing. The OEM stinks
when it comes to needing a new HD.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I have been working on a dell pc that was was hit y a power surge and had to
have a new hd. I used the cd that came with the pc (OEM) of course, and
when I installed windows the only thing showing up on the desktop was the
recycle bin. Dell wanted $99 just to tell me why.

Perhaps you weren't the registered owner (as in original purchaser) of
that Dell, and therefore not entitled to Dell's free support, such as it
is. Or perhaps the warranty has expired. Of course, by design, the
Recycle Bin *is* all the should appear on the desktop of a newly
installed copy of WinXP. So you called Dell to ask why there was
nothing wrong with the computer, and why it was behaving exactly as
designed. Maybe the $99 was a "nuisance" fee.

I used the driver disk and
the application disk and installed as much as it would let me.

That would have restored the computer to its original, ex-factory state.

So far
everything is working but there are a lot of things missing.

What, precisely, is missing? All you've done so far is restore the
computer to the way it was when it left the factory. Any additional
applications that you've installed since then still remain to be
re-installed. Surely you didn't expect them to be magically installed
from the OEM CDs?



--

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

 

[Guest]

Perhaps you weren't the registered owner (as in original purchaser) of
that Dell, and therefore not entitled to Dell's free support, such as it
is. Or perhaps the warranty has expired. Of course, by design, the
Recycle Bin *is* all the should appear on the desktop of a newly
installed copy of WinXP. So you called Dell to ask why there was
nothing wrong with the computer, and why it was behaving exactly as
designed. Maybe the $99 was a "nuisance" fee.




That would have restored the computer to its original, ex-factory state.




What, precisely, is missing? All you've done so far is restore the
computer to the way it was when it left the factory. Any additional
applications that you've installed since then still remain to be
re-installed. Surely you didn't expect them to be magically installed
from the OEM CDs?



--

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
Thanks for the input, but the pc when I bought it had IE, Music Match, and lots of other stuff on oit. It would not let me reinstall the XP on the Dell HD. I had to get a different HD and start from scratch. I then had to validate my copy of XP. And yes, the waranty had expired, so dell wanted to charge me $99 to answer one question. I could not even get them to tell me why the Dell HD (seagate) would not let me do anything, not even format the drive. I had no problem with the new HD (WD) and it let me access all the program files on the install CD.

 

[Guest]

Perhaps you weren't the registered owner (as in original purchaser) of
that Dell, and therefore not entitled to Dell's free support, such as it
is. Or perhaps the warranty has expired. Of course, by design, the
Recycle Bin *is* all the should appear on the desktop of a newly
installed copy of WinXP. So you called Dell to ask why there was
nothing wrong with the computer, and why it was behaving exactly as
designed. Maybe the $99 was a "nuisance" fee.




That would have restored the computer to its original, ex-factory state.




What, precisely, is missing? All you've done so far is restore the
computer to the way it was when it left the factory. Any additional
applications that you've installed since then still remain to be
re-installed. Surely you didn't expect them to be magically installed
from the OEM CDs?



--

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
Thanks for the input, but the pc when I bought it had IE, Music Match, and lots of other stuff on oit. It would not let me reinstall the XP on the Dell HD. I had to get a different HD and start from scratch. I then had to validate my copy of XP. And yes, the waranty had expired, so dell wanted to charge me $99 to answer one question. I could not even get them to tell me why the Dell HD (seagate) would not let me do anything, not even format the drive. I had no problem with the new HD (WD) and it let me access all the program files on the install CD.

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

"It would not let me reinstall the XP on the Dell HD"
Sounds like the drive was bad, but it is difficult to tell since you did not
give specifics of exactly what happened when you tried.
Have you run hard drive diagnostics?
Since you are out of warranty, Dell can not help with the diagnostics or the
results and without that information, there is not much they can tell you.

As for Music Match etc, did you check under Start/All Programs?
Whether there is an icon on the Desktop or not is irrelevant.
If not, perhaps you chose options to not install them or your CD does not
include them.
Try the Application CD again.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar
http://www.dts-l.org


Thanks for the input, but the pc when I bought it had IE, Music Match, and
lots of other stuff on oit. It would not let me reinstall the XP on the Dell
HD. I had to get a different HD and start from scratch. I then had to
validate my copy of XP. And yes, the waranty had expired, so dell wanted to
charge me $99 to answer one question. I could not even get them to tell me
why the Dell HD (seagate) would not let me do anything, not even format
the drive. I had no problem with the new HD (WD) and it let me access all
the program files on the install CD.

 

[Guest]

i finally got the OS insatlled on another hd. the dell hd kept telling me
that it could not install to a machine that was not a dell. weird, it's a
dimension 3000 only 1 year old. anyway, i then installed the os on a western
digital hd and extracted the files from the installation disk. all is well,
and really, without all the junk stuff from dell, the pc actually runs better
and faster than it did originally. thanks for the help everyone.