Upgrading from XP Home to XP Professional

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Guest

I have just purchased a SEALED copy of XP Professional Upgrade to upgrade
from my XP Home. I have attempted many times to load it however am advised
each time that the Product Key is incorrect. Have had associate enter Product
Key several times with same result (in case I was misreading characters). Any
suggestions other than calling Microsoft?
 
Hutch said:
I have just purchased a SEALED copy of XP Professional Upgrade to upgrade
from my XP Home. I have attempted many times to load it however am advised
each time that the Product Key is incorrect. Have had associate enter Product
Key several times with same result (in case I was misreading characters). Any
suggestions other than calling Microsoft?
Click to expand...

XP Home is NOT an eligible upgrade path for XP Pro. Eligible products
should be written on the box.

See also: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/upgrading/matrix.mspx
 
Hutch said:
I have just purchased a SEALED copy of XP Professional Upgrade to upgrade
from my XP Home. I have attempted many times to load it however am advised
each time that the Product Key is incorrect. Have had associate enter Product
Key several times with same result (in case I was misreading characters). Any
suggestions other than calling Microsoft?
Click to expand...

Strike the last comment, I misread. I think this changed after XP was
first released.
 
It's possible you have a Key-to-Disk mismatch. XP reads a file in the
i386 folder, Setupp.Ini. This file tells the installer what type of disk is
in use and determines the key that will work/validate to install.
The font/size used for the PID is not something for Bifocal people to
try and decipher. Especially the Eights & B's are hard to make out.
I use a lighted magnifying glass to jot them down for customer records.
It might be easier to just return the product and inform them of the
inability to install and request a new box.
 
Mike said:
XP Home is NOT an eligible upgrade path for XP Pro. Eligible products
should be written on the box.
Click to expand...


Sorry, this is completely false. XP Home to Professional is not only
supported, but the easiest and most likely successful of all possible
upgrades.

To the original poster: where did you buy this Upgrade version?
 
From an individual.
--
DH


Ken Blake said:
Sorry, this is completely false. XP Home to Professional is not only
supported, but the easiest and most likely successful of all possible
upgrades.

To the original poster: where did you buy this Upgrade version?
Click to expand...
 
Hutch said:
From an individual.
Click to expand...


Then, unless you know this individual very well and trust him, you should
consider the possibility that what you bought was not a legitimate version.
I wouldn't put too much trust in its being a "sealed copy." Shrink wrap
machines are inexpensive, and software pirates buy them too.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup


 
Was the packaging a proper box, or a cardboard piece in shrink-wrap?.. and
are you using the product key that was supplied with the CD, or the key on
the computer's COA sticker?..
 
I do not know what you mean by "computer's COA sticker". Sorry, I am just a
old retired guy trying to stay out trouble and his wifes way.
Having purchased a number of MS products over the years I am confident it is
the original box.
The CD is retained in the center of a MS trifold document with three manuals
in a sleve on the right and marketing info on the left. The document is very
high quality. I had to break the seal of the outside box which is also of MS
quality. The CD can only be read by rotating it at different angles and has a
gold cast. The product key is on the back of the center page of the trifold.
It is a gold label with black product key figures and black bar coding.
There is an irredescent "thread" running vertically through the right end of
the label.The outside box has a label on the end underneath the seal. The
label is white with a green stripe running horizontally across the top. It
has three different bar codes, several numbers including "E85-02666", "Line 4
Team: SDUN and "Microsoft Certificate of Authenticity". There is a silver
irredescent thread running vertically at the right end.
The seller tells me that the box was bought new and only the UPC code was
removed for the rebate. I am asking the seller if the purchase receipt can be
provided.
Thanks so much for everyones help.
 
The seller advises the Upgrade was purchased from Office Depot and will be
providing me the receipt so I, hopefully, can make an exchange. Thanks again.
 
Hutch

I understand that part about keeping out of the wife's way.. lol..

Good luck with the exchange, btw..
 
Hutch said:
The seller advises the Upgrade was purchased from Office Depot and will be
providing me the receipt so I, hopefully, can make an exchange. Thanks
again.
Click to expand...

Sure sounds legitimate Hutch. Only thing I would add it to make sure you
are reading the key correctly. Sometimes they get misread. Very common for
a B to look like an 8 and visa versa. There are others but I can't recall.
Ted
 
Very common for
a B to look like an 8 and visa versa.
Click to expand...

Number 1 and the capital letter I (between H and J :-) and number 0 (zero)
and capital letter O are other classics, esp when the font face is a sans
serif.

I cannot imagine why codes choose to use the letters I and O at all given
the risk of mistake.
 
John Waller said:
Very common for

Number 1 and the capital letter I (between H and J :-) and number 0 (zero)
and capital letter O are other classics, esp when the font face is a sans
serif.

I cannot imagine why codes choose to use the letters I and O at all given
the risk of mistake.
Click to expand...

Or why couldn't Microsoft just use a better font, like Lucinda Console, that
has numbers that are larger then capital letters.
Ted
 
John

If you look at a Microsoft key code, you will notice that numbers are larger
than letters.. in this way, if an '8' looks smaller than some of the other
numbers, it is in fact a 'B'..
 
If you look at a Microsoft key code, you will notice that numbers are
larger than letters.. in this way, if an '8' looks smaller than some of
the other numbers, it is in fact a 'B'..
Click to expand...

Agreed, although I was thinking of the CoA sticker on the side of my Windows
box where numbers and letters are sans serif, identical heights and
mono-spaced - and sometimes hard to read when the box is on the floor under
the desk in dim light without a torch :-)
 
Mike Hall (MS-MVP) said:
John

If you look at a Microsoft key code, you will notice that numbers are
larger than letters.. in this way, if an '8' looks smaller than some of
the other numbers, it is in fact a 'B'..
Click to expand...
My XP Pro folder has the key with all the characters the same size but I
notice the 8 has a small loop on the top and easier to see. The key on my
laptop is all the same size.
Ted
 
John

I have to use reading glasses and a magnifier for them.. :-)

It's like the average phone book.. if the telephone companies want us to use
their phones, how about they print numbers in the book big enough to read..
 

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