upgrade from xphome sp2 -xpro

[Guest]

I was going to upgrade my son's machine from home sp2 to pro xp1, but message
said the version already installed is newer.... anyway to upgrade the
machine, or format and install??

I hope this doesn't sound too confusing.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I was going to upgrade my son's machine from home sp2 to pro xp1,
but message said the version already installed is newer.... anyway
to upgrade the machine, or format and install??

I hope this doesn't sound too confusing.

Surprising - considering most new copies of Windows XP Professional Retail
would come with SP2 integrated (and possibly even more updates than that
integrated) already - but there is your issue...

You need to have a copy of Windows XP Professional with SP2 integrated into
it in order to upgrade your Windows XP Home Edition with SP2 already
installed. You can do this yourself and burn a new CD. A Google search
for:

"Windows XP" slipstream or integrate SP2

Will bring up many possible instructions.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I was going to upgrade my son's machine from home sp2 to pro xp1, but message
said the version already installed is newer.... anyway to upgrade the
machine, or format and install??

Reformatting and installing cleanly *is* an option, but a lot of extra
work, and is way overkill to do this.

You have two better choices:

1. Uninstall SP2, do the upgrade, then reinstall SP2.

2. Create a slipstreamed version of XP Professional, including SP2,
and use it. See http://forum.aumha.org/viewtopic.php?t=7262
or http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm

I would choose the second option.

But are you sure you want to do this? Are you aware that XP Home and
Professional are identical except that Professional includes a few
features (mostly related to security and networking) missing from
Home? Most home users don't need and would never use these extra
features and will see no benefits by upgrading.

For details go to

http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/whichxp.asp>

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.asp

Also note another point, not included in any of the above:
Professional allows ten concurrent network connections, and Home only
five.