b_leonard said:
I have a laptop with xp home edition abd purchased a copy of xp professional.
I need to upgrade but need some tips on how to install xp pro, wipe out xp
home edition, but still not lose my important data. Any help you can offer
will be greatly appreciated! Thanks all!
Am afraid to just pop in the disk because the xp home came as a Dell bundle
with al of the drivers and so on.
WinXP is designed to install and upgrade the existing operating
system while simultaneously preserving your applications and data, and
translating as many personalized settings as possible. The process is
designed to be, and normally is, quite painless. That said, things can
go wrong, in a small number of cases. If your data is at all important
to you, back it up before proceeding.
The upgrade from WinXP Home to WinXP Pro, in particular, almost
always goes smoothly, as both operating systems use the same kernel.
However, do you really need to upgrade? 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
--
Bruce Chambers
Help us help you:
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. -Benjamin Franklin
Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. -Bertrum Russell