Re: Upgrade XP Home to XP Professional

Right now I have two Laptops. Both came prloaded with XP Home. I wiped one
about 6 mths ago and did a fresh install of XP Pro using a retial full
version. I just received a new 100gb hard drive and I want to restore my
laptop to its original state using the dell CD with the new hard drive. I
then want to upgrade to XP Pro using the retial version. Do I have to wipe
the old hard drive first since its version of XP Pro is already activated.
Is the best way to wipe the HD to hook it up to the USB port and format it
llike any other external drive. I would any other drive. The only thing one
that drive that I want to make sure is truely off it is my income tax info
and bank staement info. Is everything truely gone when a drive is reformated.

"T. Waters" wrote:

> George, I am not sure which kind of machine is where, and also am unclear on
> the various versions of XP and which is on which machine.
> --Do you have 3 machines and 3 copies of XP?
> --The version of XP from the Dell laptop may be configured for a laptop only
> and may not work on a desktop. You will have to try it and see.
> --No need to use AEFDISK.
> --After wiping the hard drive, and assuming you have no national secrets or
> the like on it, you can dispose of it, though I would keep it around for a
> spare. I would not sell it.
> --I would perform an upgrade installation before installing applications.
> --On your third machine running Home, there is no need to spend the extra
> money for a full version of Pro. Go with the Upgrade version.
> Good luck, and post back if anything is unclear.
>
> George Schneider wrote:
> > What I'm doing is I have one machine with Pro on it at home. I just
> > got a new hard drive and was going to load XP Home which is what was
> > originally loaded on the laptop when I purchased it from Dell several
> > years ago. then upgrade to Pro which is ful version retail after
> > wiping the old hard drive. I should clean the old hard drive first
> > before upgrading the new one correct to be in complaint with the
> > microsoft license. I have a utility called AEFDISK which basically
> > deletes the master boot record making the hard drive nonbootable till
> > you format it. The other option I have is to hook up the hard drive
> > using a caddy I have to a USB port and format the drive that way.
> > Once I do this is all information off the drive so I can go ahead and
> > upgrade and in compliance with Microsoft licensing. Also is it safe
> > to sell/dispose of an old hard drive after it has been wipped. Also
> > does it make a difference if I load all my software first on Home
> > then upgrade or should I upgrade then load my software. I have
> > anothe machine that is runnign XP home as well does it make more
> > sense to buy the upgrade or full retial version when I pln to upgrade
> > this one.
> >
> > Thansk,
> > George
> >
> > "T. Waters" wrote:
> >
> >> George Schneider wrote:
> >>> I have a computer runnign XP HOme. Is it possible to upgrade to XP
> >>> PRO using th XP Pro disk I have.
> >>
> >> George, it depends on the provenance of the disk you have.
> >> If the XP disk was purchased separately, then you can use it.
> >> Whether you can perform and upgrade installation depends on whether
> >> the disk is either: Full Retail, or Upgrade version. OEM XP disks
> >> can only clean-install.
> >> If the disk came with a machine that had XP pre-installed, chances
> >> are the disk will not work on your computer running Home. Exception:
> >> many times, Dell disks have full functionality on machines other
> >> than the one they were sold with.
> >> Warning: Microsoft forbids you installing XP on more than one
> >> machine at a time. As a result, avoid activating your XP Pro on two
> >> different machines within a 120-day period.
>
>
>
>
.

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