Re: Upgrading XP-Home w/SP2 to XP-Pro w/SP2
- From: "Rock" <Rock@xxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2007 21:08:05 -0700
"Mopers" wrote
I’m trying to get the low-down on upgrading from XP-Home w/SP2 to XP-Pro
w/SP2. I’m trying to use a development application that explicitly requires
that I be a “power user” under XP-Pro. I have Win XP-Home w/SP2 (OEM) from
Gateway. Thus, I need to upgrade to XP-Pro.
<snip>
I have Win XP-Home w/SP2 (OEM) from Gateway. As such, I do have a “restore
disk” but I do not have what I would consider to be an XP-Home “installation
disk”. I’m not sure if my understanding is correct with respect to the
difference between a “restore” and “installation” disk. If for some reason I
have to reformat the hard-drive, can I use the “restore” disk to reinstall
XP-Home?
Yes, that's what a restore CD is for, though that will also normally install whatever 3rd party apps the OEM, in this case Gateway, puts in their installations. Also this is usually a "destructive" restore where any data and programs on the drive prior to the restore will be lost. To find our for sure what the recovery CD does and how to restore using it, check the computer documentation or talk to Gateway tech support.
So, moving on... having gone through all of the earlier threads, I think I
have found the following...
1) Since I have XP-Home w/SP2 (OEM), I can only upgrade to XP-Pro w/SP2 via
Retail Upgrade.
Firstly, all XP Upgrade CDs are retail. There is no OEM upgrade CD.
Secondly, an upgrade CD can do either an in place upgrade, preserving data, programs and settings, or a clean install, either on a drive where no copy of windows is installed or on a drive where there is a copy installed. The in place upgrade is started by running the upgrade CD from the desktop of the installed, qualifying OS.
One can also do a clean install by running the upgrade CD from the desktop of the qualifying OS and choosing to do a clean install.
To clean install with an upgrade version on a drive with no OS installed, boot the upgrade CD, then insert the installation CD for the qualifying OS in the drive when prompted. In your case you don't have an installation CD, just a recovery CD, and those are generally not recognized as proof of ownership for this "shiny media" check, even though the OEM version of XP you have is a qualifying OS for the use of an upgrade XP Pro CD.
In that case you can either borrow an XP installation CD from someone, and insert it when asked to show proof of ownership (you do own a qualifying OS so you are not going around the license by doing this), or with XP Home installed from your recovery CD, run the upgrade CD from the XP Home desktop and choose a clean install as I indicated previously.
Thirdly, you can use a full retail XP CD to do either an in place upgrade or a clean install. The only difference between using a full retail and an upgrade CD is that for the clean install the full retail doesn't do a "shiny media check"; since it's a full version you don't have to show proof of ownership of a qualifying OS.
Lastly, OEM versions cannot do an upgrade, only a clean install.
2) I get the impression that if I can get my hands on a Retail version of
“Upgrade to XP-Pro w/SP2” then I’ll not need to be concerned with
“slipstream”...
Correct.
3) In some cases, I see procedures calling for my AntiVirus applications to
be simply disabled. In other cases however, I see procedures that call for
my AntiVirus applications to be uninstalled. This seems to be a problematic
idea since my AntiVirus applications were purchased on-line and installed
from on-line. I have other apps in the same category. I don’t have
installation disks for those applications. How am I to reinstall those after
deleting them?
You should always have some means to reinstall any application. What if your system crashes tonight? What will you do? Usually most on line purchases involve downloading an installation file that can be saved, with an option to redownload for a certain period of time, and some offer an option to get the CD for an additional cost. Didn't you save the installation file? In any event, aside from this upgrade issue you need to figure out how you will reinstall all these apps. If could be needed at any time. Maybe contact the vendors you got them from and find out?
As to whether you should diasble or uninstall the AV, you haven't said what AV it is, which will have an impact on how easy it is to uninstall it. I can't give you definitive advice here. Further down I tell you how I would do it. As an aside I would not use an AV from Norton or McAfee. They are problematic and resource hogs, and hard to uninstall, but that's a digression.
4) I’ve seen procedures that call for IE7 to be uninstalled before
installing the XP-Pro upgrade, followed by re-installing IE7. Is it indeed
the case that the latest distribution of the retail version of the XP-Pro
w/SP2 upgrade comes only with IE6?
Yes, the installation CD has IE6, not IE7. Uninstall IE7 before doing the upgrade. The reinstall it.
This is very disturbing to me considering
all of the problems I ran into when I originally installed IE7. It took
almost two weeks to get all of the problems fixed.
You'll likely have more problems if you don't remove it first.
5) Then I keep seeing the encouragement to “backup” all of my important
files... just in case. This bothers me.
This comment I don't understand. Why? One should always have a full and complete backup of important data at all times. Data loss is an issue of when, not if.
If the upgrade crashes badly
enough... what good are copies of my “important files” in terms of getting
back to square-1?
Isn't the answer obvious here? At least your data files are preserved.
If the upgrade fails badly enough then I’ll probably be
forced to do a full and formal install of XP-Pro w/SP2 (Full Retail).
Or restore XP Home. In either case you'd have to reisntall all apps from original media and restore data from the backup. Of course if you didn't make a backup before doing the upgrade then you would loose the data.
But then, I’ll only be able to do that if I purchase the Full Retail version.
No, as stated above you can do a clean install with an upgrade version.
So... just to be clear... the Full Retail version will allow either an
upgrade or a full install... correct?
Correct, and so will an upgrade version.
In order to cover all possibilities... I’ll have to buy the Full version... even if the upgrade is
successful... hmmm...
No, an upgrade version will work for you to cover all possibliities.
Can someone please address each of my concerns?
Here's what I would do. Get a drive imaging program and and external hard drive. I recommend Acronis True Image Home, version 10. Use ATI to image the current XP Home installation to the external hard drive. This covers you from a backup standpoint, and allows you to restore this image if something goes seriously wrong with the upgrade so you can be back running in about an hour, give or take. The added bonus is ATI can be used for regular backup after the upgrade.
Also backup important data files by some other means to something other than the external hard drive, such as copying to CD or using some other backup program. It's important to have redundancy in backup type and media.
Uninstall the AV program and any 3rd party firewall if you're using one instead of XP's firewall. Note: I would be using an AV program that uninstalls cleanly such as Avast which also happens to be free. For 3rd party firewall there is Sunbelt Software's Kerio Personal Firewall (free and paid) or Comodo Personal Firewall (free). Some like Zone Alarm (free and paid). I think the latest versions are too bloated.
If you image before hand, in lieu of uninstalling the AV, you could just disable it. Having the image which can be quickly restored allows you the flexibility to try various routes to your end goal. If things don't go well restore the image and take another approach. I think drive imaging is indispensible.
Uninstall IE7 from add/remove programs.
Disconnect all non essential peripherals except keyboard, mouse, CD drive, and monitor. The current XP Home has to be running well with no operational problems and no malware. Run chkdsk and defrag.
Do the upgrade. Reconnect hardware one item at a time. Reinstall any drivers. Reinstall AV and firewall. Go to windows update site and install whatever post SP2 updates it indicates. Do them in batches, no more than 3-5 at a time, testing in between.
Install IE7. See this link for info on installation tips.
http://msmvps.com/blogs/spywaresucks/archive/2006/10/18/182724.aspx
Have fun.
--
Rock [MS-MVP User/Shell]
.
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