XP Home vs PRO

[Guest]

My computer is running on XP PRO but I need to bring in upgrades thru service
pak 2 in order to run 2 programs I recently installed. I do not have the
disk for XP Pro & I am willing to purchase a full version. I would perfer
not to spend the $300 on PRO if I can use XP Home. I don't need any of the
features XP Pro has over the Home version. Can I buy & install Home without
losing files created in XP Pro. Is it as simple as loading Home then
removing PRO?

 

[Shenan Stanley]

My computer is running on XP PRO but I need to bring in upgrades thru
service pak 2 in order to run 2 programs I recently installed. I do
not have the disk for XP Pro & I am willing to purchase a full
version. I would perfer not to spend the $300 on PRO if I can use XP
Home. I don't need any of the features XP Pro has over the Home
version. Can I buy & install Home without losing files created in XP
Pro. Is it as simple as loading Home then removing PRO?

Windows XP Home is "below" Windows XP Professional. You cannot downgrade.
If you want Windows XP Home, you will be doing a clean installation.

My guess is the part you are leaving out is that your Windows XP
Professional installation was not a licensed (properly) edition - because if
it is - just upgrade to SP2.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

No. You cannot overwrite Pro with Home without doing a clean install.

Anyway, why do you need the cd to update the system at the Windows Update
site? You can install Service Pack 2 from the web or a Service Pack 2 cd
you can order from Microsoft or pick up at someplace like Best Buy or Office
Depot (for free) without the XP cd. Just be sure to back up your computer
first (if you can) in case something goes wrong (power outage, whatever).
Be sure to clean the system of viruses and spyware before starting.

 

[Colin Barnhorst]

If Shenan is correct and you are not running an authorized copy of XP, then
all you have to do is bop down to the local computer outlet and buy a copy
of XP Pro full edition with SP2 already included and do a repair install.
That will legitimize your system and you will have a much more pleasurable
experience with it.

 

[Ken Blake]

In

My computer is running on XP PRO but I need to bring in
upgrades thru
service pak 2 in order to run 2 programs I recently installed.
I do
not have the disk for XP Pro

You don't need it to install SP2. Just download and install SP2
(or order the free SP2 CD from Microsoft).

& I am willing to purchase a full
version. I would perfer not to spend the $300 on PRO if I can
use XP
Home. I don't need any of the features XP Pro has over the Home
version. Can I buy & install Home without losing files created
in XP
Pro.

Sorry, no. That's a downgrade and downgrades aren't supported. If
you do this, you'll need to backup your data, do a clean
installation of XP Home, then restore your data from the backups.

 

[Husky]

My computer is running on XP PRO but I need to bring in upgrades thru service
pak 2 in order to run 2 programs I recently installed. I do not have the
disk for XP Pro & I am willing to purchase a full version. I would perfer
not to spend the $300 on PRO if I can use XP Home. I don't need any of the
features XP Pro has over the Home version. Can I buy & install Home without
losing files created in XP Pro. Is it as simple as loading Home then
removing PRO?

I knew there was something wrong with that quote. I just got a new machine and
if I'd been told the OS was going to run 2/3rds the cost of the machine, I'd
have stuck with my P1 win98.

that $299.00 price is directly from the M$ web site

Microsoft Windows XP Professional W/SP2 (1-Pack) $169.00
http://comtekcomputers.com/catalog/..._id=2&osCsid=7ad6e1b7573ecff6cf988d02e0c675be

that's what I paid. about $50.00 more than XP home.
Plus you get the CD for that price. I would hope so for that much.