Upgrading from XP Home to Pro

[Guest]

Hi. I've searched for an answer unsuccessfully, hope someone can help. I
am running XP Home SP2 on my desktop and need to upgrade to Pro for Domain
support (work purposes). I browsed through the forum briefly to see that it
is indeed supported, and supposedly simple, to do so. I purchased a new hard
drive & motherboard intending to build a new PC, and purchased the OEM
version of XP Pro w/SP2. My plan was to upgrade the existing PC with Pro,
then use my current copy of Home on the new build PC.

Ran into a problem. While in Windows, I popped the Pro cd in my drive and
it opened the install screen. However, at the "collecting information" step,
or basically a second or two after I click install, it stops with the
following error:
"Windows XP Setup does not support upgrading from Microsoft Windows XP Home
Edition to Microsoft Windows XP Professional". After clicking ok on that
message (ok is the only option) the Welcome to Windows Setup box opens and my
only option is "New Install". It advises me to choose this option to replace
Windows or to install Windows on a separate disk or partition.

I absolutely don't want to do a clean install of Windows. Yes, I could, but
I have a ton of programs installed on this machine and it would take
literally days to reinstall everything. I thought about booting from the XP
Pro disk and seeing if it gives me the option to repair or upgrade an
existing Windows setup but frankly I'd be scared to proceed with that for
fear of ending up with basically a clean install.

Has anyone seen this error before? Is it because I'm trying to use an OEM
version or what?

TIA,

RJ

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Only a conventional "Retail Version" of Windows XP Pro
can upgrade over Windows XP Home Edition. An OEM
version must be installed "clean" on a reformatted drive.
If you purchased an OEM version, you purchased the
wrong version because it was not designed
for upgrading over an existing Windows installation.
That's one reason OEM versions cost less than retail versions.

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

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

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

:

| Hi. I've searched for an answer unsuccessfully, hope someone can help. I
| am running XP Home SP2 on my desktop and need to upgrade to Pro for Domain
| support (work purposes). I browsed through the forum briefly to see that it
| is indeed supported, and supposedly simple, to do so. I purchased a new hard
| drive & motherboard intending to build a new PC, and purchased the OEM
| version of XP Pro w/SP2. My plan was to upgrade the existing PC with Pro,
| then use my current copy of Home on the new build PC.
|
| Ran into a problem. While in Windows, I popped the Pro cd in my drive and
| it opened the install screen. However, at the "collecting information" step,
| or basically a second or two after I click install, it stops with the
| following error:
| "Windows XP Setup does not support upgrading from Microsoft Windows XP Home
| Edition to Microsoft Windows XP Professional". After clicking ok on that
| message (ok is the only option) the Welcome to Windows Setup box opens and my
| only option is "New Install". It advises me to choose this option to replace
| Windows or to install Windows on a separate disk or partition.
|
| I absolutely don't want to do a clean install of Windows. Yes, I could, but
| I have a ton of programs installed on this machine and it would take
| literally days to reinstall everything. I thought about booting from the XP
| Pro disk and seeing if it gives me the option to repair or upgrade an
| existing Windows setup but frankly I'd be scared to proceed with that for
| fear of ending up with basically a clean install.
|
| Has anyone seen this error before? Is it because I'm trying to use an OEM
| version or what?
|
| TIA,
|
| RJ

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

OEM is designed for a Clean Installation and will not perform an upgrade.

You seem to have two choices:
1. Perform a Clean Installation
2. Return and exchange for retail which can be used for upgrade.

 

[Guest]

Sigh...that's what I was afraid of. I should have checked a little closer
before buying the OEM version.

Thanks anyway!

RJ

 

[Guest]

Who knows where these mvps get thier info,but microsoft consistantly
says "not to upgrade from home to pro",even though pro says "upgrade"
its referring to other windows OS.You need to do a clean installation of pro,
meaning booting to xp cd,delete home,then reformat and install pro...

 

[Michael Stevens]

In

Who knows where these mvps get thier info,but microsoft consistantly
says "not to upgrade from home to pro",even though pro says "upgrade"
its referring to other windows OS.You need to do a clean installation
of pro, meaning booting to xp cd,delete home,then reformat and
install pro...

Care to supply some of those Microsoft links where they say not to upgrade
from home to pro?
--
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

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

Microsoft has never issued a statement such as
"not to upgrade from home to pro", as you suggest.
Please do not post poorly researched misinformation.

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

Get Windows XP Service Pack 2 with Advanced Security Technologies:
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/protect/windowsxp/choose.mspx

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

:

| Who knows where these mvps get thier info,but microsoft consistantly
| says "not to upgrade from home to pro",even though pro says "upgrade"
| its referring to other windows OS.You need to do a clean installation of pro,
| meaning booting to xp cd,delete home,then reformat and install pro...

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

Andrew;
Please post the source where Microsoft states "not to upgrade from home to
pro".
..
..
..
..
..
Just as I thought.
You got caught making it up.

The problem is the OP has an OEM CD.
If the CD was retail, upgrading would not only be possible, but it is
usually successful.
It can also be cheaper.
But what do you care, it is not your $.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Who knows where these mvps get thier info,but microsoft consistantly
says "not to upgrade from home to pro",even though pro says "upgrade"
its referring to other windows OS.You need to do a clean installation of pro,
meaning booting to xp cd,delete home,then reformat and install pro...

Stop lying.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[RWS]

Of course you can upgrade XP Home to XP Pro with the Retail XP Pro CD -
BUT bear in mind that there will be no Uninstall available - and if it is a
Pre-installed
OEM XP Home system, you might best check with your manufacturer first and
see what they have to say about doing that upgrade. Some of them may void
your
warranty or there may be driver / application / OEM utilities issues that
need to be
addressed.