windows xp professional

[beebeeslee]

is it possible to install Windows XP Professional that says for distribution
only with a new PC onto an exisiting computer running windows 98? I bought
this without realizing it was for disitribution with a new PC and do not want
to open it not knowing if it will work. All help appreciated. Thanks.
beebeeslee

 

[Gordon]

is it possible to install Windows XP Professional that says for
distribution
only with a new PC onto an exisiting computer running windows 98? I bought
this without realizing it was for disitribution with a new PC and do not
want
to open it not knowing if it will work. All help appreciated. Thanks.
beebeeslee

Yes but with provisos. What you have is an OEM version. That means that a)
you cannot to an in-situ upgrade, you will only be able to do a clean
install and b) once you have installed it, it stays with that machine, you
cannot transfer it to another machine. Period.

HTH

 

[dobey]

Yes but with provisos. What you have is an OEM version. That means that a)
you cannot to an in-situ upgrade, you will only be able to do a clean
install and b) once you have installed it, it stays with that machine, you
cannot transfer it to another machine. Period.

HTH

Sounds like an upgrade edition, so he will need Win98 to as a qualifying
product.

I don't know about the OEM version, but my retail XP pro upgrade edition
required me to put the Win98 disk in the drive during installation to verify
that the machine qualified for an upgrade.

Also there is a chance it will work with Win95. On the box it said the
minimum requirement was Win98, but in the EULA, (during installation), it
has Win95 listed as minimum requirement, (which I tried out of curiosity and
it worked).

 

[John John]

Sounds like an upgrade edition, so he will need Win98 to as a qualifying
product.

I don't know about the OEM version, but my retail XP pro upgrade edition
required me to put the Win98 disk in the drive during installation to verify
that the machine qualified for an upgrade.

Also there is a chance it will work with Win95. On the box it said the
minimum requirement was Win98, but in the EULA, (during installation), it
has Win95 listed as minimum requirement, (which I tried out of curiosity and
it worked).

It isn't an upgrade version. All versions labeled "for distribution
only with a new PC" are OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) versions
and as Gordon correctly stated those version can only be cleanly
installed, they cannot be used to upgrade earlier Windows versions.

John

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

is it possible to install Windows XP Professional that says for distribution
only with a new PC onto an exisiting computer running windows 98? I bought
this without realizing it was for disitribution with a new PC and do not want
to open it not knowing if it will work. All help appreciated. Thanks.

Yes, but you can only install it cleanly, not as an upgrade.

You have an OEM version, and OEM versions come with several
disadvantages, the mot significant of which is that, once you install
it, it can never legally be moved to another computer, not even if the
original one dies.

For that reason I recommend against OEM versions, and instead suggest
the Retail Upgrade version, which usually costs only slightly more
than the OEM version. Contrary to what many people think, the Upgrade
version *can* do a clean installation, as long as you have a CD of a
previous qualifying version to show it when prompted as proof of
ownership. Most people have such a CD, but worst case, if you don't,
you can buy a used copy of Windows 98 very inexpensively.

If you can still return your OEM version, and get an Upgrade instead,
that's what I recommend you do.

 

[Alias]

Yes but with provisos. What you have is an OEM version. That means that a)
you cannot to an in-situ upgrade, you will only be able to do a clean
install and b) once you have installed it, it stays with that machine, you
cannot transfer it to another machine. Period.

HTH

False. If 120 days have past since the last activation, you can install
it on another machine and it will activate on line and pass all the
flavors of WGA with no problems. Now, what you should have said is that
it's technically possible but it will violate the EULA. It's up to the
OP to decide if violating MS' unconscionable EULA bothers him/her or not.

Alias

 

[Patrick Keenan]

is it possible to install Windows XP Professional that says for
distribution
only with a new PC onto an exisiting computer running windows 98? I bought
this without realizing it was for disitribution with a new PC and do not
want
to open it not knowing if it will work. All help appreciated. Thanks.
beebeeslee

This is what's called an OEM release. Your *real* problem is not with the
licensing, but with whether XP will work on hardware designed for Win98.

That hardware may simply be inadeqate.

 

[Patrick Keenan]

is it possible to install Windows XP Professional that says for
distribution
only with a new PC onto an exisiting computer running windows 98? I bought
this without realizing it was for disitribution with a new PC and do not
want
to open it not knowing if it will work. All help appreciated. Thanks.
beebeeslee

That's what is called an OEM release, and one thing it can't do is upgrade
your Win98 install. You have to either use another clean hard disk, or
wipe the existing disk clean, losing all data in the process. A new 80 gig
hard disk should be in the $50 range, but your w98 machine may have
difficulties with this size. You must check.

This actually makes things a little easier for you, because you won't have
to figure out what exactly has to be uninstalled prior to loading XP - it
ALL goes. There's no choice with the OEM format.

The *real* practical problem, though, is less licensing than whether
hardware intended for Win98 is even adequate for XP.

On many XP CDs, there's a copy of the Upgrade Advisor (you can also download
this). Run this, and it will tell you if the hardware will work with XP.
This is extremely important, as there is hardware that *will not work* with
XP at all, and that includes things like some video cards.

Take the results seriously.

You may find that new system prices have dropped significantly, and that you
can get used or all-new, fast, compatible hardware for not a lot of money.
As an example, I recently purchased for clients a number of 2.6 gHz Pentium
4 systems, 512 meg ram, 40 gig drives, with legal XP Pro licenses and
restore CDs, for around $250 each.

HTH
-pk