Will new XP install harm drive D:?

[therod]

I want to upgrade my Windows Server 2003 machine to XP Pro. That
computer has 2 hard disks. Drive C: has all the server stuff installed
on it, of course. Drive D: is a shareable disk with a lot of stuff on
it from the other computers on the network. Can I be sure, when I let
XP format Drive C: during the install, that it won't also format
Drive D: or should I physically disconnect Drive D: before I do the
upgrade?

 

[Jupiter Jones [MVP]]

I have seen various types of data loss in similar situations.
Usually the person clicked to fast and did not pay attention.

Generally I always disconnect the other drives.
That makes destroying the data because of some type of error or problem
impossible.

Server 2003 to Windows XP is not an upgrade.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I want to upgrade my Windows Server 2003 machine to XP Pro.

That's a downgrade, not an upgrade, and can't be done. You can however clean
install XP Professional, and it would seem from what follows that that may
be what you actually meant.

That
computer has 2 hard disks. Drive C: has all the server stuff
installed on it, of course. Drive D: is a shareable disk with a lot
of stuff on it from the other computers on the network. Can I be
sure, when I let XP format Drive C: during the install, that it won't
also format
Drive D:

If you do it correctly, it will only format what you tell it to.

or should I physically disconnect Drive D: before I do the
upgrade?

That should be unnecessary, but it does protect you against any possibility
of your making an error.

 

[therod]

Ken,

Thanks. That makes me feel a little more confident. Yeah, I know it's
a downgrade (going from Server 2003 to XP Pro), but in my case Server
2003 was a little too much for what I need. I can still run a VPN
connection over XP Pro and it should work fine as a file server and
router for my small LAN.

Thanks again.

Tom

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Ken,

Thanks. That makes me feel a little more confident. Yeah, I know
it's a downgrade (going from Server 2003 to XP Pro), but in my case
Server 2003 was a little too much for what I need.

Not a problem. I wasn't trying to talk you out of downgrading, just trying
to clarify what it was and explain that you can't do a downgrade and have to
clean install.

I can still run a
VPN connection over XP Pro and it should work fine as a file server
and router for my small LAN.

Thanks again.

You're welcome. Glad to help.

 

[Richard]

That's a downgrade, not an upgrade,

Just curious, how is that a downgrade? I admit, I know nothing of
Server2003.

I would presume in a business environment where servers are needed, Server
2003
operates better to meet those needs than XP (?)

Richard

 

[Tom Willett]

A server O/S and a Desktop O/S are totally different animals. Time for you
to do some research. Start at www.google.com or perhaps www.microsoft.com

Just curious, how is that a downgrade? I admit, I know nothing of
Server2003.

I would presume in a business environment where servers are needed, Server
2003
operates better to meet those needs than XP (?)

Richard