help upgrading win 2k to xp pro

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Guest

Does anyone know if I can use a full version of xp pro when upgrading from
win 2k, or would it have to be the upgrade version that i buy? I am looking
on eBay for it, but the majority of them are the full versions, rather than
the upgrade. I just wondered if I could use a full version.
I would be grateful for any help anyone could offer!
Thanks a lot.
 
Does anyone know if I can use a full version of xp pro when upgrading from
win 2k, or would it have to be the upgrade version that i buy? I am looking
on eBay for it, but the majority of them are the full versions, rather than
the upgrade. I just wondered if I could use a full version.
I would be grateful for any help anyone could offer!
Thanks a lot.
Click to expand...

The full version (retail) and upgrade version (retail) will do an upgrade
or a clean install. The difference is the upgrade version requires proof of
a previous version of Windows; the full version does not have that
requirement.

Tread lightly though. Many of the ebay full versions are of the generic OEM
type vs retail type. These will only do a clean install as they are
intended to be used on a new system that does not yet have an operating
system installed.
 
Thanks for that Sharon. So if I get a full version from ebay, is it ok if it
does do a clean install, rather than an upgrade? Will it work ok?
Thanks
 
Thanks for that Sharon. So if I get a full version from ebay, is it ok if it
does do a clean install, rather than an upgrade? Will it work ok?
Thanks
Click to expand...

Yes, assuming that your system is XP compatible, it's okay to do that. Will
it work? If your hardware and software is XP compatible - yes.
How To Clean Install:
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

Obvious but will state anyhow, all software - programs, drivers and
hardware support programs - will have to be reinstalled. Make sure you have
all Product IDs, registration numbers and codes, on hand to reinstall that
software. If you store this information on your computer, print it out
before "offing" Win2000 and installing XP. May want to grab any records of
user names and passwords for sites you access on a regular basis while
you're at it.

Win2000 drivers usually work in XP but drivers designed for XP are
preferred if available. If it was me, I would check for XP versions of
drivers before installing - download and copy to CD, DVD, external drive or
another partition so that they're handy right after the base install of XP
is in place.

One more point about OEM copies: There are restrictions to the OEM licenses
you may not be aware of. Once installed on a computer, the license is tied
to that hardware - no moving that copy of XP to new hardware if the system
dies.

Also, make sure with the seller that you are getting a generic OEM CD. You
*don't* want to purchase if the CD is marked with "For Dell Computers" or
similar. If you get one like this, you've been ripped off and will want to
return it.
 
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