XP Pro OEM license cannot upgrade 2000?

[Guest]

Wanted to upgrade user from 2K pro to XP pro - bought full version of XP Pro,
not upgrade license, but bought OEM version.
Setup says it does not support upgrading this path, but all MS websites of
course say its a valid upgrade path.
is there a workaround, as long as it is a full version, besides installing
from scratch? I would like to keep software installations and settings.

 

[Vanguard]

Wanted to upgrade user from 2K pro to XP pro - bought full version of XP
Pro,
not upgrade license, but bought OEM version.
Setup says it does not support upgrading this path, but all MS websites of
course say its a valid upgrade path.
is there a workaround, as long as it is a full version, besides installing
from scratch? I would like to keep software installations and settings.

OEM versions are intended for ... drum roll ... OEMs. That means the OS
install is fresh. OEM versions do not upgrade a prior version. OEM
versions do a full and *fresh* install of the OS. The MS websites
(unspecified by you) will say the *retail* full version provides an upgrade
path. With OEM versions, you migrate instead of upgrade. OEM versions do
*full* installs, not upgrades.

There may be a way to force an OEM version to perform an upgrade but you
probably need the Microsoft-branded OEM version rather than a bastardized
OEM version from Dell, Gateway, or somewhere non-Microsoft. See
http://www.petri.co.il/use_oem_version_to_upgrade_xp.htm. I've never
bothered with trying this scheme because I know an OEM version will attempt
to perform a full install rather than an upgrade.

 

[Carey Frisch [MVP]]

You purchased the wrong version. You need a
"Retail Upgrade Version" of Windows XP Professional
in order to upgrade over Windows 2000. OEM versions
can only be installed "clean" on a reformatted drive
or partition.

--
Carey Frisch
Microsoft MVP
Windows - Shell/User
Microsoft Community Newsgroups
news://msnews.microsoft.com/

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:

| Wanted to upgrade user from 2K pro to XP pro - bought full version of XP Pro,
| not upgrade license, but bought OEM version.
| Setup says it does not support upgrading this path, but all MS websites of
| course say its a valid upgrade path.
| is there a workaround, as long as it is a full version, besides installing
| from scratch? I would like to keep software installations and settings.

 

[terry b.]

For OCG Pete:
Here's another idea:
If your hd's large enough, and if you're not totally-stuck on the
idea of upgrading Win2K, why not get ahold of some partitioning
software [e.g., Partition Magic, etc] and downsize the size of the
existing 2K partition, then install your OEM copy of XP as a new
install on a newly-created partition. That way you'd have all your
original data to migrate onto XP, plus you'd have the advantages
[security, etc] of a dual-boot sys.
Or not.

riprap
living under the bridge eating cold leftovers

 

[Rock]

Wanted to upgrade user from 2K pro to XP pro - bought full version of XP Pro,
not upgrade license, but bought OEM version.
Setup says it does not support upgrading this path, but all MS websites of
course say its a valid upgrade path.
is there a workaround, as long as it is a full version, besides installing
from scratch? I would like to keep software installations and settings.

OEM versions can't do an upgrade, only a clean install. To do an
upgrade on the Win2k you'll need either an retail upgrade version of XP
Pro or the full version. Since you have the qualifying product get the
retail upgrade version (which can also do a clean install) - it'll save
you some money over the full version.

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

Wanted to upgrade user from 2K pro to XP pro - bought full version of
XP Pro, not upgrade license, but bought OEM version.
Setup says it does not support upgrading this path, but all MS
websites of course say its a valid upgrade path.

Yes, 2000 Professional to XP Professional is a valid upgrade path.

is there a workaround, as long as it is a full version, besides
installing from scratch? I would like to keep software installations
and settings.

Sorry, you can't--not with an OEM version, which does not do upgrades of any
kind. You need a retail version to do this--either Full or Upgrade. You
should have bought an Upgrade version, not an OEM version.

 

[Infosink]

terry b. wrote:
| For OCG Pete:
| Here's another idea:
| If your hd's large enough, and if you're not totally-stuck on the
| idea of upgrading Win2K, why not get ahold of some partitioning
| software [e.g., Partition Magic, etc] and downsize the size of the
| existing 2K partition, then install your OEM copy of XP as a new
| install on a newly-created partition. That way you'd have all your
| original data to migrate onto XP, plus you'd have the advantages
| [security, etc] of a dual-boot sys.
| Or not.
|
| riprap
| living under the bridge eating cold leftovers

Yes there is more than one way to skin this cat too:

e.g. He could take this opportunity to get a second harddrive and make
imaginative use of the Files and Settings Tranfer Wizard (and dualboots).
While he'd still have to install his apps again, many of his settings (for
email, Internet, desktop and the like) could be preserved for the new
install regardless.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Wanted to upgrade user from 2K pro to XP pro - bought full version of XP Pro,
not upgrade license, but bought OEM version.
Setup says it does not support upgrading this path, but all MS websites of
course say its a valid upgrade path.

An OEM CD cannot be used to perform an upgrade of an earlier OS, as it
was designed to be installed _only_ upon an empty hard drive. It can
still be used to perform a repair installation (a.k.a. an in-place
upgrade) of an existing WinXP installation.

is there a workaround, as long as it is a full version, besides installing
from scratch? I would like to keep software installations and settings.

No, there's no workaround. Either perform the necessary clean
installation, or purchase a retail (either upgrade or full) license,
which can be used to perform the upgrade.


--

Bruce Chambers

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