XP Pro to XP Home - any suggestions?

K

KWW

OK, I need to "retire" my current XP Pro PC since I use it to work from home
sometimes. I have built a new one and want to load the XP Pro onto it. I
want to give my old PC to my wife to use since she doesn't need XP Pro and
has some applications on the old PC for her hobbies. To remain legal, I
have purchased XP Home for her and want to somehow convert the old PC from
XP Pro to XP Home. Sure, I could reformat, but some of her apps were
purchased and installed from the web and we don't have the installation SW
any more. She also has her login ID set up just the way she wants it, as
well has her email tools, etc....

So, is there a way to replace the XP Pro SP2 with XP Home SP2 without having
to start all over?
TIA.
 
A

Alias

KWW said:
OK, I need to "retire" my current XP Pro PC since I use it to work from home
sometimes. I have built a new one and want to load the XP Pro onto it. I
want to give my old PC to my wife to use since she doesn't need XP Pro and
has some applications on the old PC for her hobbies. To remain legal, I
have purchased XP Home for her and want to somehow convert the old PC from
XP Pro to XP Home. Sure, I could reformat, but some of her apps were
purchased and installed from the web and we don't have the installation SW
any more. She also has her login ID set up just the way she wants it, as
well has her email tools, etc....

So, is there a way to replace the XP Pro SP2 with XP Home SP2 without having
to start all over?
TIA.
Click to expand...

No.

Alias
 
C

Carey Frisch [MVP]

Sorry, but there is no way to "downgrade" Windows XP Professional
to Windows XP Home Edition. A "clean install" would be required
which requires a reformat of the drive.

Clean Install Windows XP
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

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

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

:

| OK, I need to "retire" my current XP Pro PC since I use it to work from home
| sometimes. I have built a new one and want to load the XP Pro onto it. I
| want to give my old PC to my wife to use since she doesn't need XP Pro and
| has some applications on the old PC for her hobbies. To remain legal, I
| have purchased XP Home for her and want to somehow convert the old PC from
| XP Pro to XP Home. Sure, I could reformat, but some of her apps were
| purchased and installed from the web and we don't have the installation SW
| any more. She also has her login ID set up just the way she wants it, as
| well has her email tools, etc....
|
| So, is there a way to replace the XP Pro SP2 with XP Home SP2 without having
| to start all over?
| TIA.
| --
| KWW
 
N

Nepatsfan

(e-mail address removed),
KWW said:
OK, I need to "retire" my current XP Pro PC since I use it
to work from home sometimes. I have built a new one and
want to load the XP Pro onto it. I want to give my old PC
to my wife to use since she doesn't need XP Pro and has some
applications on the old PC for her hobbies. To remain
legal, I have purchased XP Home for her and want to somehow
convert the old PC from XP Pro to XP Home. Sure, I could
reformat, but some of her apps were purchased and installed
from the web and we don't have the installation SW any more.
She also has her login ID set up just the way she wants it,
as well has her email tools, etc....
So, is there a way to replace the XP Pro SP2 with XP Home
SP2 without having to start all over?
TIA.
Click to expand...

Sorry, but the only way to do what you propose is to perform a
clean installation of XP Home. As you're aware, you'll lose all
the installed programs and settings.

As I see it, you have three options:
1. Return XP Home and purchase XP Pro. If you've already opened
the box, this could be a problem.

2. Shop around for a discounted Upgrade version of XP Pro. I've
seen this item advertised recently in national chains for
$99.99. For example, it's currently available at that price at
CompUSA. Keep in mind that you don't have to install XP Home to
use the upgrade CD. Start the XP Pro installation and provide
the XP HE CD when asked for "qualifying" media.

3. Install XP Home and encourage your wife to take up some new
hobbies. Sorry, but I couldn't resist throwing in that one.

Good luck

Nepatsfan
 
G

Ghostrider

KWW said:
OK, I need to "retire" my current XP Pro PC since I use it to work from home
sometimes. I have built a new one and want to load the XP Pro onto it. I
want to give my old PC to my wife to use since she doesn't need XP Pro and
has some applications on the old PC for her hobbies. To remain legal, I
have purchased XP Home for her and want to somehow convert the old PC from
XP Pro to XP Home. Sure, I could reformat, but some of her apps were
purchased and installed from the web and we don't have the installation SW
any more. She also has her login ID set up just the way she wants it, as
well has her email tools, etc....

So, is there a way to replace the XP Pro SP2 with XP Home SP2 without having
to start all over?
TIA.
Click to expand...

While the answer is no in regards to downgrading XP Pro to
XP Home, there are still options to retain some of the wife's
favorite features on the new installation. Part of it depends
on her luck.

For the shareware, re-visit their web sites and download the apps
again and store them as files. The activation codes for them should
be somewhere in the e-mail or they might also be present in the About
dialog box for those apps. Retrieve them since it should be possible
to re-use them.

As for login ID...to what? Depending on to what and how it is set
up, there could be a configuration file that can be transferred to
the new system. Same for e-mail, such as the case with Netscape where
the user's entire profile can be copied and set up again.

Search around. Take your time. Don't get frustrated and despair.
 
T

Thomas Grassi

I would suggest that you do not even attempt to try downgrading. It is a
problem upgrading. The safest way to put on a new OS is with a new hardrive.
My suggestion would be to get yourself another harddrive make it the "C"
drive then install XP Home on it. That will make your orginal drive now "D"
and you should then be able to access the program from there.

otherwise just buy the license and not worry about it being XP PRo. The PC
Police have not yet made its rounds.


Tom
 
C

Cindy Winegarden

Hi KWW,

Something no one here has mentioned - If the "old" computer was purchased
with WinXP Pro installed by the OEM you can't transfer the license to the
new computer you have built yourself. The OEM license stays with the
original hardware. If, however, you also built the old computer then
theoretically you could transfer the license. Of course, you're still stuck
with the problem of downgrading the license on the old computer, which, as
others here have said, is not possible without a clean install.
 
M

Merlin

It's a good idea to burn to cd any software that you purchased and download
from the web.


Sure, I could reformat, but some of her apps were
 
G

GHalleck

Cindy said:
Hi KWW,

Something no one here has mentioned - If the "old" computer was purchased
with WinXP Pro installed by the OEM you can't transfer the license to the
new computer you have built yourself. The OEM license stays with the
original hardware. If, however, you also built the old computer then
theoretically you could transfer the license. Of course, you're still stuck
with the problem of downgrading the license on the old computer, which, as
others here have said, is not possible without a clean install.
Click to expand...

Ever heard of the "Don't ask, don't tell" rule?
 
N

NoStop

K

KWW

I built the systems myself. I have only purchased 3 complete PCs, an IBM
compatible XT system, an early Pentium system (great deal), & a laptop.
Built 15 others. Not athat many, but given that it was only for family... it
is enough.
 
B

Bruce Chambers

NoStop said:
Just another way that MickeyMouse screws its end-users. Surely, they could
have designed things so that a Pro system could be "down-graded" to a Home
system ... although I consider all MickeyMouse products as down-grades.
Click to expand...


Please name just one other operating system (or application, for that
matter), from any vendor, that has the built-in capability to be downgraded.


--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
 
N

NoStop

Please name just one other operating system (or application, for that
matter), from any vendor, that has the built-in capability to be
downgraded.
Click to expand...
You're using the term "downgraded", but in reality Pro and Home were
released at the SAME time, have essentially the same underlying kernel and
GUI and ONLY are different for marketing purposes - read MickeyMouse out to
make tons of money. So yes, they're essentially the same product and should
be easily interchangeable. This is UNLIKE a generational upgrade with other
o/s's where as you say no tools are made for "downgrading".

But with real operating systems such as Linux, one doesn't get into a box
like this for a number of reasons. The least of which is that the hard
drive can be easily moved into another PC and will function quite well -
all programs intact - without all this sillness you find in MickeyMouse's
offerings. Linux can be "downgraded" easily enough by the end-user if by
that you mean going back to an earlier kernel or GUI. With Linux there is
freedom to do what one will with ones computer and not be dictated to by a
monoplistic multinational corporation.



--
The ULTIMATE Windoze Fanboy:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2370205018226686613

View Some Common Linux Desktops ...
http://linclips.crocusplains.com/index.php
 
K

Ken Blake, MVP

Thomas said:
I would suggest that you do not even attempt to try downgrading.
Click to expand...


It's not a matter of even trying. It simply can't be done.

It
is a problem upgrading. The safest way to put on a new OS is with a
new hardrive.
Click to expand...


Not at all true. No new drive is ever required. You can clean install on
previously-used drived and the result is identical to clean installing oin a
brand new drive. Moreover upgrades to Windows XP usually work very well.

My suggestion would be to get yourself another
harddrive make it the "C" drive then install XP Home on it. That will
make your orginal drive now "D" and you should then be able to access
the program from there.
Click to expand...


Nope. Can't be done. All installed programs (except for an occasional
trivial one) have many associated files within Windows and references to
them in the registry and elsewhere. Programs have to be installed within the
Windows installation you're trying to run it from. What you suggest simply
will not work bcasue all those needed files and registry entries won't be in
place..
 
K

Ken Blake, MVP

Cindy said:
Hi KWW,

Something no one here has mentioned - If the "old" computer was
purchased with WinXP Pro installed by the OEM you can't transfer the
license to the new computer you have built yourself. The OEM license
stays with the original hardware. If, however, you also built the old
computer then theoretically you could transfer the license.
Click to expand...


Cindy, it's not so much a matter of who built the computer as it is what
kind of license it is. Retail licenses may be transferred, but OEM ones
can't. Even if he built the computer himself, he could have bought and
installed an OEM copy of Windows on it, and the license isn't transferrable.
 

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