New Dell PC w/XP Home - How to Upgrade to Pro?

[Scott Smith]

I just bought a new Dell 8400 that came with Windows XP Home. I already own
XP Pro on my old Dell system, and I'm trying to upgrade the new Dell to Pro
before I move my files over and wipe the old system.

I've tried booting with both an XP Pro upgrade CD and a full XP Pro CD.
Both give me the option to install XP Pro, but not to upgrade. I get far
enough along into the setup that it's clear that it's going to *ADD* the XP
Pro OS instead of upgrading the XP Home that's already there.

Why is this so @#$% complicated? Seems like the whole thing is rigged to
make me buy a new copy of the OS each time I buy a new computer?

I've had this system for almost a week and I still can't do anything with
it.

Can anyone tell me what options I have other than calling Dell and paying
for yet another copy of Windows XP Pro (in addition to all the copies of XP
Home that I pay for every time I buy a system, and never use)?

Thanks in advance.

-Scott

(BTW - I'm usually pro-Microsoft, but this is just getting too annoying)

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I just bought a new Dell 8400 that came with Windows XP Home. I
already own XP Pro on my old Dell system, and I'm trying to upgrade
the new Dell to Pro before I move my files over and wipe the old
system.
I've tried booting with both an XP Pro upgrade CD and a full XP Pro
CD. Both give me the option to install XP Pro, but not to upgrade. I
get far enough along into the setup that it's clear that it's going
to *ADD* the XP Pro OS instead of upgrading the XP Home that's
already there.
Why is this so @#$% complicated? Seems like the whole thing is rigged
to make me buy a new copy of the OS each time I buy a new computer?

I've had this system for almost a week and I still can't do anything
with it.

Can anyone tell me what options I have other than calling Dell and
paying for yet another copy of Windows XP Pro (in addition to all the
copies of XP Home that I pay for every time I buy a system, and never
use)?

Your Dell came with an OEM version of the software. The software was
created to ONLY be installed CLEANLY and on that partitcular system. OEMs
sell this version for several reasons.. One being that it is cheaper and the
other because they can pick and choose what to include from tha default
install as well as make it specific to a machine/machine type. So yes - the
"whole thing is rigged
to make you buy a new copy of the OS each time I buy a new computer" since
you chose to get a system with an OS pre-Installed. From the strict
standpoint of the EULA, many things you describe trying to do would be
"questionable".

If that is not the case here and the old Dell came with some other OS and
you bought the Windows XP Upgrade from a retail store , then you are likely
running into one of two problems.

First off, the proper way to upgrade an OS is to already be in the old OS
and insert the "upgrade" in the CD drive and run it.

Secondly, if you have Windows XP Home SP2 installed on the new Dell and
upgrade is Windows XP SP1 or before, you cannot just "upgrade" as it is an
older service pack revision. You will need to (in this case, as you are
unlikely to be able to uninstall SP2 fromt he new Dell) create a new Upgrade
CD with SP2 integrated. I suggest using "AutoStreamer".

Use "AutoStreamer" to integrate SP2 and create a new CD
http://www.autopatcher.com/autostreamer.html

Really customize your CD..
http://unattended.msfn.org/

 

[Ron Martell]

I just bought a new Dell 8400 that came with Windows XP Home. I already own
XP Pro on my old Dell system, and I'm trying to upgrade the new Dell to Pro
before I move my files over and wipe the old system.

I've tried booting with both an XP Pro upgrade CD and a full XP Pro CD.
Both give me the option to install XP Pro, but not to upgrade. I get far
enough along into the setup that it's clear that it's going to *ADD* the XP
Pro OS instead of upgrading the XP Home that's already there.

Why is this so @#$% complicated? Seems like the whole thing is rigged to
make me buy a new copy of the OS each time I buy a new computer?

I've had this system for almost a week and I still can't do anything with
it.

Can anyone tell me what options I have other than calling Dell and paying
for yet another copy of Windows XP Pro (in addition to all the copies of XP
Home that I pay for every time I buy a system, and never use)?

Thanks in advance.

-Scott

(BTW - I'm usually pro-Microsoft, but this is just getting too annoying)

If you actually have a need for Windows XP Pro on the new system then
you should have ordered it from Dell that way.

If you have a Retail Upgrade CD for Windows XP Pro and if that license
is not currently in use on another computer then you can boot your new
computer into Windows XP Home and run the Setup program on the CD.

Note that this will not work if your new Dell XP Home has Service Pack
2 installed and if your XP Pro Upgrade CD is an original release or
Service Pack 1 version. What you need to do in that situation is to
create a new XP Pro Upgrade Installation CD with Service Pack 2
slipstreamed into it as per the following web sites:
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_sp2_slipstream.asp
http://www.helpwithwindows.com/WindowsXP/winxp-sp2-bootcd.html
http://www.msfn.org/articles.php?action=show&showarticle=49

Then you can use the newly created Upgrade CD with SP2 to upgrade your
Dell OEM XP Home to XP Pro.

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I just bought a new Dell 8400 that came with Windows XP Home. I already own
XP Pro on my old Dell system, and I'm trying to upgrade the new Dell to Pro
before I move my files over and wipe the old system.

Based upon your description, you have an OEM license for WinXP Pro on
the older PC. An OEM version must be sold with a non-peripheral piece
of hardware (normally a motherboard or hard rive, if not an entire PC)
and is _permanently_ bound to the first PC on which it's installed. An
OEM license, once installed, is not legally transferable to another
computer under _any_ circumstances.

Further, an OEM CD *cannot* perform an upgrade; it's been specifically
designed to perform only clean installations.

I've tried booting with both an XP Pro upgrade CD and a full XP Pro CD.
Both give me the option to install XP Pro, but not to upgrade. I get far
enough along into the setup that it's clear that it's going to *ADD* the XP
Pro OS instead of upgrading the XP Home that's already there.

What was the source of the WinXP Pro Upgrade CD? Is there any chance
it might have come from a questionable source? Will it allow you to
start the upgrade from within the new computer's WinXP Home
installation? If not, what specific error message do you get? You may
have a service pack mismatch between the WinXP Home installation and the
Upgrade CD. If so, simply slipstream SP2 into the Upgrade.

How to integrate software updates into your Windows installation source
files
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;828930



--

Bruce Chambers

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH

 

[Scott Smith]

If you actually have a need for Windows XP Pro on the new system then
you should have ordered it from Dell that way.

That would certainly have been simpler, but as much of a pro-Microsoft guy
as I am, I just don't like the idea of buying yet another copy Windows XP
when I already own so many. I completely understand the need for Microsoft's
anti-piracy measures, but it's starting to seem like Microsoft and/or OEMs
like Dell have made it so hard to move stuff to a new computer before
decommissioning the old one, that people would rather just pay up again...
that bugs me.

-Scott

 

[Ron Martell]

That would certainly have been simpler, but as much of a pro-Microsoft guy
as I am, I just don't like the idea of buying yet another copy Windows XP
when I already own so many. I completely understand the need for Microsoft's
anti-piracy measures, but it's starting to seem like Microsoft and/or OEMs
like Dell have made it so hard to move stuff to a new computer before
decommissioning the old one, that people would rather just pay up again...
that bugs me.

-Scott

How much time has elapsed since you acquired your "just bought" new
Dell system?

Have you tried contacting Dell's customer service to see if they can
do anything for you that would be less expensive than purchasing a
retail product?

Good luck


Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

In memory of a dear friend Alex Nichol MVP
http://aumha.org/alex.htm