Using Windows XP Home Edition In A Small SBS 2003 Domain-Based Network

[Laird]

I am currently upgrading my small home NT 4 Server based network to Small
Business Server 2003. I have three workstations using Windows 98 SE
currently.

I am also going to upgrade the workstations to Windows XP. Here is my
dilemma:

I understand that I cannot upgrade Windows 98SE to XP Professional. From
what I have read at Microsoft, I can only upgrade Windows NT 4 Workstation
or Windows 2000 to XP Professional.

I understand that domain networks are not supported with Windows XP home
Edition.

Is this all true? I can reformat the drives and install a full version of
XP Professional if absolutely mandatory, but I was hoping to avoid this
issue. I was hoping to upgrade only.

Any advice would be appreciated. It looks like my better option is to
upgrade to Windows 2000 Professional and then later next year upgrade to XP.
What do you think?

Thank you and All the Best,

Phil



--

 

[Ron Martell]

I am currently upgrading my small home NT 4 Server based network to Small
Business Server 2003. I have three workstations using Windows 98 SE
currently.

I am also going to upgrade the workstations to Windows XP. Here is my
dilemma:

I understand that I cannot upgrade Windows 98SE to XP Professional. From
what I have read at Microsoft, I can only upgrade Windows NT 4 Workstation
or Windows 2000 to XP Professional.

That is not correct. You can upgrade Windows 98 to Windows XP Pro
just as easily as you can upgrade it to Windows XP Home.

I understand that domain networks are not supported with Windows XP home
Edition.

You cannot log into the Domain using XP Home, but you can access the
shared resources on the Domain by logging into them individually,
equivalent to what you would do on a peer-to-peer network.

Is this all true? I can reformat the drives and install a full version of
XP Professional if absolutely mandatory, but I was hoping to avoid this
issue. I was hoping to upgrade only.

Any advice would be appreciated. It looks like my better option is to
upgrade to Windows 2000 Professional and then later next year upgrade to XP.
What do you think?

Thank you and All the Best,

You will need the Retail Upgrade or Volume License version of Windows
XP Pro in order to do the upgrades but they should go just fine. An
OEM version of XP Pro will not do the upgrade (from any previous
version of Windows).

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

Answers inline.

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display\Security
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
--------------------------------
Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
--------------------------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.

I am currently upgrading my small home NT 4 Server based network to Small
Business Server 2003. I have three workstations using Windows 98 SE
currently.

I am also going to upgrade the workstations to Windows XP. Here is my
dilemma:

I understand that I cannot upgrade Windows 98SE to XP Professional. From
what I have read at Microsoft, I can only upgrade Windows NT 4 Workstation
or Windows 2000 to XP Professional.

This is wrong. 98 SE can be upgraded to either platform.

I understand that domain networks are not supported with Windows XP home
Edition.

True. XP Home does not have the capability to join a domain. You will have to enter the user's domain credentials anytime you want to do anything that requires domain permissions.

Is this all true? I can reformat the drives and install a full version of
XP Professional if absolutely mandatory, but I was hoping to avoid this
issue. I was hoping to upgrade only.

Any advice would be appreciated. It looks like my better option is to
upgrade to Windows 2000 Professional and then later next year upgrade to XP.
What do you think?

No. You can upgrade directly from 98 SE to XP Pro.

 

[Laird]

I am currently upgrading my small home NT 4 Server based network to Small
Business Server 2003. I have three workstations using Windows 98 SE
currently.

I am also going to upgrade the workstations to Windows XP. Here is my
dilemma:

I understand that I cannot upgrade Windows 98SE to XP Professional. From
what I have read at Microsoft, I can only upgrade Windows NT 4 Workstation
or Windows 2000 to XP Professional.

I understand that domain networks are not supported with Windows XP home
Edition.

Is this all true? I can reformat the drives and install a full version of
XP Professional if absolutely mandatory, but I was hoping to avoid this
issue. I was hoping to upgrade only.

Any advice would be appreciated. It looks like my better option is to
upgrade to Windows 2000 Professional and then later next year upgrade to XP.
What do you think?

Thank you and All the Best,

Phil

------------------------------------
Update:


I checked on the Microsoft Web Site and see that I CAN upgrade to XP
Professional from Win 98 SE. I understand that XP will not decompress
compressed 98 files, etc. so a user would have to do this before upgrade.

There is either incorrect or incomplete information in the following text:

Microsoft Windows XP, Deluxe Second Edition!, Online Training Solutions,
Inc.
Copyright 2005 Online Training Solutions, Inc. Microsoft Press

Page ix : Windows XP Professional: [...] You can upgrade to Windows XP
Professional from Microsoft Windows NT Workstation or Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional.

Windows XP Home Edition: [...] Windows XP Home Edition is designed as the
upgrade from Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
(Windows ME).

It seems the text from the book is misleading since the Microsoft web site
says you can upgrade (as opposed to full install) to XP Professional from
Me, 98, NT and Win 2000 Pro.

I hope I saved someone from an unnecessary reply.

Regards,

Phil

 

[Laird]

Ron,
Thanks. I found that the Microsoft text book I was using was misleading or
stated incorrectly. I've included that information for your perusal below.

Thanks!
-------------------------------------------
Update:

I checked on the Microsoft Web Site and see that I CAN upgrade to XP
Professional from Win 98 SE. I understand that XP will not decompress
compressed 98 files, etc. so a user would have to do this before upgrade.

There is either incorrect or incomplete information in the following text:

Microsoft Windows XP, Deluxe Second Edition!, Online Training Solutions,
Inc.
Copyright 2005 Online Training Solutions, Inc. Microsoft Press

Page ix : Windows XP Professional: [...] You can upgrade to Windows XP
Professional from Microsoft Windows NT Workstation or Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional.

Windows XP Home Edition: [...] Windows XP Home Edition is designed as the
upgrade from Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
(Windows ME).

It seems the text from the book is misleading since the Microsoft web site
says you can upgrade (as opposed to full install) to XP Professional from
Me, 98, NT and Win 2000 Pro.

I hope I saved someone from an unnecessary reply.

Regards,

Phil

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

 

[Laird]

So noted. Please see my response that I found the Microsoft Press text
misleading or stated incorrectly. I included the text wording when I
replied earlier.

Thank you Doug!

Best,

Phil

Answers inline.

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart
Display\Security
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
--------------------------------
Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
--------------------------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.

I am currently upgrading my small home NT 4 Server based network to Small
Business Server 2003. I have three workstations using Windows 98 SE
currently.

I am also going to upgrade the workstations to Windows XP. Here is my
dilemma:

I understand that I cannot upgrade Windows 98SE to XP Professional. From
what I have read at Microsoft, I can only upgrade Windows NT 4 Workstation
or Windows 2000 to XP Professional.

This is wrong. 98 SE can be upgraded to either platform.

I understand that domain networks are not supported with Windows XP home
Edition.

True. XP Home does not have the capability to join a domain. You will have
to enter the user's domain credentials anytime you want to do anything that
requires domain permissions.

Is this all true? I can reformat the drives and install a full version of
XP Professional if absolutely mandatory, but I was hoping to avoid this
issue. I was hoping to upgrade only.

Any advice would be appreciated. It looks like my better option is to
upgrade to Windows 2000 Professional and then later next year upgrade to XP.
What do you think?

No. You can upgrade directly from 98 SE to XP Pro.

 

[Doug Knox MS-MVP]

It is a little misleading, but in essence what it is saying:

"If you're in an NT4, 2000 environment (read 'business') then go with XP Pro. If you're in a home environment (9x based) go with Home."

--
Doug Knox, MS-MVP Windows Media Center\Windows Powered Smart Display\Security
Win 95/98/Me/XP Tweaks and Fixes
http://www.dougknox.com
--------------------------------
Per user Group Policy Restrictions for XP Home and XP Pro
http://www.dougknox.com/xp/utils/xp_securityconsole.htm
--------------------------------
Please reply only to the newsgroup so all may benefit.
Unsolicited e-mail is not answered.

Ron,
Thanks. I found that the Microsoft text book I was using was misleading or
stated incorrectly. I've included that information for your perusal below.

Thanks!
-------------------------------------------
Update:

I checked on the Microsoft Web Site and see that I CAN upgrade to XP
Professional from Win 98 SE. I understand that XP will not decompress
compressed 98 files, etc. so a user would have to do this before upgrade.

There is either incorrect or incomplete information in the following text:

Microsoft Windows XP, Deluxe Second Edition!, Online Training Solutions,
Inc.
Copyright 2005 Online Training Solutions, Inc. Microsoft Press

Page ix : Windows XP Professional: [...] You can upgrade to Windows XP
Professional from Microsoft Windows NT Workstation or Microsoft Windows 2000
Professional.

Windows XP Home Edition: [...] Windows XP Home Edition is designed as the
upgrade from Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition
(Windows ME).

It seems the text from the book is misleading since the Microsoft web site
says you can upgrade (as opposed to full install) to XP Professional from
Me, 98, NT and Win 2000 Pro.

I hope I saved someone from an unnecessary reply.

Regards,

Phil

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

That is not correct. You can upgrade Windows 98 to Windows XP Pro
just as easily as you can upgrade it to Windows XP Home.



You cannot log into the Domain using XP Home, but you can access the
shared resources on the Domain by logging into them individually,
equivalent to what you would do on a peer-to-peer network.


You will need the Retail Upgrade or Volume License version of Windows
XP Pro in order to do the upgrades but they should go just fine. An
OEM version of XP Pro will not do the upgrade (from any previous
version of Windows).

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca
Syberfix Remote Computer Repair

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."

 

[Shenan Stanley]

Thanks. I found that the Microsoft text book I was using was
misleading or stated incorrectly. I've included that information
for your perusal below.

Thanks!
-------------------------------------------
Update:

I checked on the Microsoft Web Site and see that I CAN upgrade to XP
Professional from Win 98 SE. I understand that XP will not
decompress compressed 98 files, etc. so a user would have to do
this before upgrade.

There is either incorrect or incomplete information in the
following text:

Microsoft Windows XP, Deluxe Second Edition!, Online Training
Solutions, Inc.
Copyright 2005 Online Training Solutions, Inc. Microsoft Press

Page ix : Windows XP Professional: [...] You can upgrade to
Windows XP Professional from Microsoft Windows NT Workstation or
Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional.

Windows XP Home Edition: [...] Windows XP Home Edition is designed
as the upgrade from Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows
Millennium Edition (Windows ME).

It seems the text from the book is misleading since the Microsoft
web site says you can upgrade (as opposed to full install) to XP
Professional from Me, 98, NT and Win 2000 Pro.

I hope I saved someone from an unnecessary reply.

I do not find that misleading at all.. It is true.

Those who use Windows NT/2000 Professional would be more likely to *need* to
upgrade to Windows XP Professional.
Those who use Windows 9x/ME wouldn't likely need the additional benefits one
would get from the professional edition.

So it is logical to say that one (XP Professional) is marketed to one
audience while the other (XP Home) is marketed to another. It never stated
you could not upgrade from 9x to Professional, only that XP Home was
designed as the upgrade from 9x/ME. It also just did not show all the
upgrade paths - who knows for what purposes... Perhpas just to explain the
reasoning behind the different versions of Windows XP - not to give you the
actual upgrade paths.

Windows XP supported upgrade paths
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/292607

 

[Laird]

100 percent agreed Doug.

Best,

Phil

It is a little misleading, but in essence what it is saying:

"If you're in an NT4, 2000 environment (read 'business') then go with XP
Pro. If you're in a home environment (9x based) go with Home."