Laptop upgrade - XP Home to Pro
 

HP 511 Laptop with XP Home provided. I would like to put my copy of XP Pro on. Are there any pitfalls in store for me? I am assuming it will be a simple 'upgrade' with the CDRom but I have learnt the hard way to be cautious.:mad:

Likewise Mrs B's new Dell with XP Home?

I dumped everything off my HP510 and installed XP pro no problem.
Go to HP site and get the latest audio/video drivers.





edit..sorry you did say upgrade (will engage brain before finger next time!)

BOAC,

The official MS position is that there is indeed a supported upgrade path from XP home to XP pro.

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition can be upgraded to (and with):

• Windows XP Professional Retail (Full) Version
• Windows XP Professional Upgrade Version

I would ALWAYS recommend a clean install of XP. However, if you make all the necessary backups (and use your new big hard disk to store a disk image for good luck), you could try an upgrade in situ. If it all works, fine. Otherwise you can just do the clean install.

And as BigEndBob says, download all the drivers before you start. :}

HTH

SD

Just a word of caution if you are thinking of using the same disk for both.
MS do not allow this and although it is physically possible to install the same disk on other computers you are going to run into activation problems if you use the same disk on other machines after the initial installation.
Regards
FBW

Flybywyre,

You are absolutely right regarding the 2 versions I mentioned - I should have made it clearer that in saying "with" a particular version I meant with an appropriately licensed copy!

Technically you can install multiple PCs from the same disk and with the same license key without any activation issues, - but this is with a Volume Licensing agreement, which few home users have!

It does seem peculiar to me that upgrading from XP Home to Pro costs the same as from Win98 to XP. Long gone are the days that upgrading from NT3.51 workstation to server required changing 2 or 3 registry keys (not that MS ever officially approved the upgrade)! AFAIR, it was not much harder to upgrade NT4 workstation to server either.

SD

I shelved the issue a while back due to 'busy' but am back looking at it again. Does anyone have:-

1) Experience of the change from Home to Pro on an HP Laptop?
2) A link to where I can see which drivers I need to download?

BOAC,

The HP website is the place to go - there is no real difference between drivers for Home and Pro, although HP provide different links for each.

SD

Thanks, SD, I'll have a nose around. Anyone actually done it please? (Successfully!!)

Drivers will be exactly the same, Home is just a crippled version of Pro anyway.

An in-place upgrade should go just fine.

And you've already got backups of your important data and software keys anyway (haven't you?)

:ok:

If you have a XP pro disc then save whats important then go for a format and install a fresh copy. Personally i couldn't live without the Xp disc i have as it seems the best way to run these computer thingies is to reformat every 6-9 months and fresh install.
Besides the HP drivers for video and sound get;
Upgrades to SP3.
Install directx 9.0c.
Download Free Java Software - Sun Microsystems
Adobe Flash Player
can be useful.

And Bob's your uncle!

All backed-up' recorded, Mac, but since the OS is installed on a separate partition, is an in-place upgrade going to work or does it mean a wipe, remove the 'hidden' partition and reformat?

BOAC, unless you're on a network with a Domain controller, or wish to implement security policies, why are you upgrading?

That's a good question! I'm not the first and not really needing the second (although the 'extra' bells and whistles are 'nice to have') but maybe I should not bother - certainly a lot easier!:)

If you want to use NTFS security on the file system, then Pro is essential.

Even for home use, I find it essential (keep the children away from stuff!).

SD