XP Pro back to XP Home?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Helen
  • Start date Start date
H

Helen

Hi
I seem to have got myself in a hole and I'm hoping
someone can help.
I recently bought the XP Professional Upgrade for my
desktop - it's working fine.
This week I took delivery of a laptop and, trying to keep
costs down,opted for XP Home thinking I could use the
upgrade. I now know I can't but too late and I can't find
a way to uninstall it, nor will it let me reinstall from
the back up cd that came with the system.
I'd be grateful if anyone could tell me what they think
my best options are here. The message keeps coming up re
activation!
 
The OEM restore cd should give you the ability to reformat and reinstall the
original software that came with the PC. Contact your PC vendor for
instructions.
 
The easiest solution is to purchase another license (Product Key), change the
current Product Key to the new one, and activate.

HOW TO: Change the Product Key at the Time of Activation
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;810892&Product=winxp

Additional Licenses for Windows XP Professional
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/addlic.asp


--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows XP - Shell/User

Be Smart! Protect your PC!
http://www.microsoft.com/security/protect/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------


| Hi
| I seem to have got myself in a hole and I'm hoping
| someone can help.
| I recently bought the XP Professional Upgrade for my
| desktop - it's working fine.
| This week I took delivery of a laptop and, trying to keep
| costs down,opted for XP Home thinking I could use the
| upgrade. I now know I can't but too late and I can't find
| a way to uninstall it, nor will it let me reinstall from
| the back up cd that came with the system.
| I'd be grateful if anyone could tell me what they think
| my best options are here. The message keeps coming up re
| activation!
 
Greetings --

The only way to change from WinXP Pro to WinXP Home is to format
the drive and start over. There is no supported downgrade path or
technique. In order to do this, you must have the WinXP Home
installation CD.

Simply boot from the WinXP Home installation CD. You'll be
offered the opportunity to delete, create, and format partitions as
part of the installation process. (You may need to re-arrange the
order of boot devices in the PC's BIOS to boot from the CD.)

HOW TO Install Windows XP
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;316941

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm


Bruce Chambers

--
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You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on
having both at once. -- RAH
 
Thanks for all your advice - I was trying to avoid
purchasing yet another licence - I thought the licence
covered a single user NOT a single computer! My mistake.
Bruce - thanks for the help - I thought that might be the
case although if I've understood you correctly, I should
be given options when using the Installation CD. All it
said was that it couldn't be done!
I will, however check out the websites you've suggested.
Thanks again everyone :o)
 
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