Greg said:
I have Home Edition on my laptop. I have an extra copy of Pro. Is there any
difference other than the obvious (connecting to domains, ect..)?
The WinXP Home and WinXP Pro versions are _identical_ when it
comes to performance, stability, and device driver and software
application compatibility, but are intended to meet different
functionality, networking, security, and ease-of-use needs, in
different environments. The most significant differences are that
WinXP Pro allows up to 10 simultaneous inbound network connections
while WinXP Home only allows only 5, WinXP Pro is designed to join a
Microsoft domain while WinXP Home cannot, and only WinXP Pro supports
file encryption and IIS. (Oh, and WinXP Pro usually costs roughly $100
USD more than WinXP Home.)
Windows XP Comparison Guide
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.asp
Which Edition Is Right for You
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/whichxp.asp
Windows XP Home Edition vs. Professional Edition
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp
And second, This Pro copy was previously installed on my office computer
(bought it myself). And now the company was kind enough to provide OEM
versions for us all. So I reformatted my system and installed the OEM
version on mine. If I do install the Pro version on my laptop will it
register the software okay?
Assuming a retail license (OEM licenses are not legitimately
transferable), simply remove WinXP from the computer it is currently on
(which it sounds like you have already done) and then install it on the
new computer. If it's been more than 120 days since you last activated
that specific Product Key, the you'll most likely be able to activate
via the Internet without problem. If it's been less, you might have to
make a 5 minute phone call.
Here are the facts pertaining to activation:
Piracy Basics - Microsoft Product Activation
http://www.microsoft.com/piracy/basics/activation/
Windows Product Activation (WPA)
http://www.aumha.org/a/wpa.htm
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Bruce Chambers
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