XP Home --> Professional

[krotus]

My computer originally came pre-installed with XP Home Edition on it. I have
an older licensed copy of Windows XP Professional (never used) that I want to
upgrade my computer with. Unfortunately the CD's version of XP Professional
is quite a bit older than the computer's version of XP Home Edition. When I
try to upgrade my computer it tells me "Setup cannot continue because the
version of Windows on your computer is newer than the version on the CD.". I
also tried to boot from the XP Professional Install CD to upgrade it that
way, but the install CD is quite a bit older than the computer and lacks the
appropriate drivers to find the computer's hard drive. Is there any way to
upgrade my computer from Home Edition to Professional Edition with the CD I
have? Or perhaps some way I can prove to Microsoft I have a valid license
for Professional and get a more up to date CD?

 

[Mick Murphy]

XP home, by now, would have Service Packs, etc installed on it; that is why
it is classified as newer.
It would be better to do a clean install, instead of trying to uninstall
everything!
But, back up ALL your Data, as it will be lost.

How were you trying to boot the CD?
You have to set the CD/DVD drove to be 1st in the Boot Order.

Right at power on/start up, there should be at the bottom of the screen F1,
F2 or Delete to go inot Bios/Setup, or F12 to go to Boot Menu.

Use either way, to change the boot order to make CD drive to be 1st, reboot
with CD in drive, load files, delete existing Partition, make new partition,
format, install, etc.

 

[John John (MVP)]

Slipstream the newer service pack to the Windows XP Professional CD, or,
to boot from and use the CD, place the drive controller drivers on a
floppy diskette and when prompted press the F6 key to load the
controller drivers.

John

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

My computer originally came pre-installed with XP Home Edition on it. I have
an older licensed copy of Windows XP Professional (never used) that I want to
upgrade my computer with. Unfortunately the CD's version of XP Professional
is quite a bit older than the computer's version of XP Home Edition. When I
try to upgrade my computer it tells me "Setup cannot continue because the
version of Windows on your computer is newer than the version on the CD.".

It's not much "older" vs. "newer," it's rather that you have a service
pack installed that's not on the Professional CD.

The solution is to put the latest service pack on the CD. It's done by
a process called slipstreaming.

Read here: http://forum.aumha.org/viewtopic.php?t=7262
and http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/slipstream.htm

The word "slipstreaming" was originally used to refer to the practice
of many software manufacturers of including updates to their product
on the distribution CD without any real announcement of what they were
doing or differentiation of the various kind of CDs. It was always a
disparaging term because it was poor practice. It was used as a way
for the manufacturer not to have to print a different box, manual,
etc. for the updated version, and to sell older stock that didn't
appear to be outdated, but actually was. That saved them money, but it
left the customer unable to tell whether he was buying the new version
or the old.

Somewhere along the line, people started creating their own updated
versions of some software, by merging the update files with the
original CD. Someone got the bright idea to call it by the same name
"slipstreaming," without realizing that the name was originally used
in a disparaging way.

The term stuck. I dislike the use of the word this way, but the
original meaning has been lost, so I long ago gave up trying to fight
it. Since everybody now uses it simply to mean a version with the
upgrade incorporated in it, I reluctantly go along.

So these days a slipstreamed copy of XP simply means an installation
CD that you've made yourself that incorporates an upgrade, such as
SP2.

 

[philo]

My computer originally came pre-installed with XP Home Edition on it. I have
an older licensed copy of Windows XP Professional (never used) that I want to
upgrade my computer with. Unfortunately the CD's version of XP Professional
is quite a bit older than the computer's version of XP Home Edition. When I
try to upgrade my computer it tells me "Setup cannot continue because the
version of Windows on your computer is newer than the version on the CD.". I
also tried to boot from the XP Professional Install CD to upgrade it that
way, but the install CD is quite a bit older than the computer and lacks the
appropriate drivers to find the computer's hard drive. Is there any way to
upgrade my computer from Home Edition to Professional Edition with the CD I
have? Or perhaps some way I can prove to Microsoft I have a valid license
for Professional and get a more up to date CD?

Unless you need to put your machine on a domain...
I would not bother. There is really no advantage to going with XP pro
for most "home users"

 

[Daave]

My computer originally came pre-installed with XP Home Edition on it.
I have
an older licensed copy of Windows XP Professional (never used) that I
want to
upgrade my computer with.

For what reason? Home and Pro are *very* similar.

I am also curious why you would have an unused license of XP Pro just
lying around. They're very expensive!