Archived from groups: microsoft.public.windowsxp.newusers (
More info?)
Brian Gotjunk wrote:
> "Ken Blake" <kblake@this.is.an.invalid.domain> wrote in message
> news:OhLY7evNFHA.576@TK2MSFTNGP15.phx.gbl...
>> In news:ED96B1E2-A716-432B-98C9-5692BA7EE952@microsoft.com,
>> Tess in TN <Tess in TN@discussions.microsoft.com> typed:
>>
>>> I have a second-hand system that's running ME. Now, when I was
>>> given
>>> the machine, I also received a copy of the ME disc, with the
>>> keycode
>>> written on it. I just bought a retail upgrade copy of XP,
>>> under the
>>> mistaken assumption (abetted by the guy at Staples) that it
>>> would
>>> install as long as I had a copy of ME running.
>>
>>
>> No, the assumption wasn't mistaken, nor was the guy at Staples.
>> You *can* do an over-the-top upgrade of Me with your retail
>> Upgrade copy of Windows XP.
>>
>>
>>
>>> Thank goodness I didn't open the package yet, because in doing
>>> a bit
>>> of factchecking afterwards, I see that I have to feed it the ME
>>> disk
>>> during installation.
>>
>>
>> No, that's needed only if you want to do a clean installation of
>> XP with your Upgrade version, rather than upgrading over the top
>> of Me. It's to prove that you own a copy of a previous qualifying
>> version, so you qualify to use the Upgrade CD.
>>
>> --
>> Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>> Please reply to the newsgroup
>>
>>
>>> Will my copy work, since I have the key code? When I check the
>>> Registered User PID on this machine, it shows it registered to
>>> me,
>>> with a PID code, as well.
>>>
>>> Thanks so much for your help-- I'd hate to open that box and be
>>> left
>>> with a $90 coaster!
>>>
>>> Tess
>>
>>
>
> I am in the same situation but I want to do a Clean Install of XP on a
> machine that has ME. It is a Gateway and I have the ME Restore cd
> set. Can I do the Clean Install and insert one of these cd's when it
> asks for the previous version?
>
>
>
>
You may not need the ME Recovery Disk to prove you have a legitimate license
to a previous Windows product in order to use the Windows XP Retail Upgrade
CD.
Here is my experience of using the XP Retail Upgrade CD to do a clean
install of XP.
1) I had an existing installation of Windows on my HD.
2) My HD was partitioned as one partition filling all available free space.
3) My HD was formatted as NTFS.
4) I started the new XP Install by booting with the XP Retail Upgrade CD.
5) Once the machine booted, and I started the XP installation, I deleted all
partitions on the HD, then I formatted the new partition as NTFS
6) During Setup, I was NEVER, at ANY TIME, asked for proof of qualifying
media. This means that I did not have to insert a CD to prove I had
qualifying media. My only conclusion is that the existing installation of
Windows on my HD previous to starting Setup was accepted as qualifying
media.
Conclusion?
You do not need qualifying media to use the Windows XP Retail Upgrade CD to
perform a clean install IF, and I repeat, IF you have an existing
installation of Windows 9x/ME/NT 4.1/2k/Windows XP on the HD on which you
plan to do the clean install.
So, DO NOT, and I repeat, DO NOT use fdisk/format (or a third party tool
like Partition Magic) from a Windows 9x boot disk to partition and format
your HD prior to starting Setup from the XP Retail Upgrade CD. If you do
so, you will HAVE to insert a CD from a previous version of 95/9x/ME/NT
4.x/2k/XP to prove you have qualifying media.
--
Donald L McDaniel
Please reply to the original thread,
so that the thread may be kept intact.
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