Greetings --
David said:
I want to upgrade my 98se install to XP pro. However all I
have is the "system recovery" CDs.
1) Does this mean I have to buy the "full" version?
No, it simply means that you easily cannot perform a clean
installation using the Upgrade CD. Simply boot from the WinXP Upgrade
CD. The Upgrade CD checks to see if a qualifying OS is installed,
and, if it finds none, it asks you to insert the installation media
(CD) of that OS. Unfortunately, an OEM "Recovery/Restore" CD will not
work for this purpose; you must have a true installation CD, complete
with the "\Win98" folder and *.cab files, or the "\i386" folder of
WinNT/2K.
Alternatively, or especially if all you have is an OEM Recovery CD
for the earlier OS, you can even start the upgrade from within the
current Win98/Me/NT/2K installation, and still elect to perform a
clean installation, to include formatting the drive. In this case,
there's no further request for the qualifying OS's installation CD,
because the installation routing "remembers" that you started from
within the qualifying OS. This process is more time-consuming, but
you get the same results: a clean installation of WinXP.
2) I would like to do a full install if possible.
Well, since it's not possible to install only "part of WinXP,"
you'll get this.
3) What is Microsoft's marketing rational here?
It's nothing to do with Microsoft. Two essential decisions caused
your present dilemma. First, the manufacturer from whom you purchased
your PC decided all on its own to provide you only with a Recovery CD
created via its own proprietary disk imaging mechanism. Secondly,
_you_ elected to purchase a computer and OS from such a vendor, rather
than choosing to pay a bit more for a real installation CD.
Naturally, there's no way for Microsoft to economically produce an
Upgrade CD that could decipher and recognize dozens of proprietary
file formats as qualifying products.
Bruce Chambers
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