mitchymitch said:
I just tried to reinstall my XP Home Edition upgrade CD and I got a
message stating that my Version 2002 disc is older than my currant
version of XP on my computer. Therefore, its not allowing me to
reinstall XP again.
Any ideas how to get this CD to work without having to do a
complete fresh install without using my Windows Me --> then up load
XP again.
ps ... Would MS send me a new disc??? ... with paying $$$???
You are obviously trying to do a clean install of Windows XP from inside
Windows XP. Standing on a rug, refusing to move and pulling on the rug
often does little but land you on your butt. ;-) You need to *boot* from
the CD - not already be in Windows if you want to perform a clean
installation.
Your Windows XP CD (whether it has no service packs integrated, SP1a, SP2 or
SP3 integrated) is fine for installation as long as it is not damaged and
matches the license and edition you have. You could, if desired, integrate
(some call it slipstream) service pack 3 into your installation and burn a
new copy of the CD to use from now on - keeping your original in a safe
place.
Now is a great time to point you to one of the easiest ways to find
information on problems you may be having and solutions others have found:
Search using Google!
http://www.google.com/
(How-to:
http://www.google.com/intl/en/help/basics.html )
(By no means is it limited to technical issues...)
For example - with nothing but the keywords I gave you...
http://www.google.com/search?q=integrate+service+pack+windows+xp
But giving you a few more...
keywords: slipstream, "Windows XP", "service pack", nlite, autostreamer,
bbie, integrate
http://www.google.com/search?q=slip...e+pack",+nlite,+autostreamer,+bbie,+integrate
In any case - you could just take what you have (assuming it is a full
retail or OEM copy of Windows XP, not just an upgrade version) and install
with it and then catch up with the service packs... (Download and install
service pack 2 first after you are done installing, then follow that up by
downloading and installing service pack 3.) If - as you seem to imply -
your copy is an *upgrade* version of the Windows XP media - then you would
need to at least have your qualifying media (yours seemed to be Windows ME)
available. Would have to be actual installation media - not some
restoration media from your OEM vendor. ;-)
Here is the quick run-down - you change your BIOS to boot from CD, boot with
the Windows XP CD in the drive, watch for the "Press any key to boot from
CD..." message and do so and then follow the prompts. You'll likely want to
delete all partitions, create a new partition, install WIndows XP, install
all your hardware device drivers (assuming you have found these and saved
them in some location off the computer itself) and the service packs (you'd
have to go through SP2 then SP3 to be up to date with them - if you don't
create new installation media with SP3 integrated) and all post SP3 updates
(likely many trips through
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com/ and many
reboots later) and then install all your software (assuming you have
installation media and product keys/serial numbers for it all) and finally -
restoring all your documents, Internet favorites/bookmarks, email, contacts,
pictures and music (hopefully you backed all that up before you did your
clean installation.)
Want something more of a pictorial?
http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
The big difference if your CD (installation media) is an upgrade version -
it will ask at some point for your qualifying media. You'd put your WIndows
ME CD in the drive when asked, follow the prompts and it would find the
qualifying media and continue on - prompting you what to do next. You can
still do a clean install with just the WIndows XP CD as long as you have
actual installation media (Windows 9x/ME/2000) that qualifies you for using
the Windows XP Upgrade media set.
Hopefully with the links and the quick run-down, you now have a better
understanding of what it is you are about to undertake and what you need to
do in order to properly prepare.
