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Replace Windows XP PRO with Windows XP Home


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#1
rmelone

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Question: If a system has a pirated version of Windows XP Pro and the user would like to replace it with a legitimate release of Windows XP Home, what would the installation procedure be?

The system has two hard drives; 'C' and 'E.' I would think all the OS information would be on 'C.'

Thanks.

Robert
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#2
Tyger

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If you have installation disk you could try putting it in the machine, when you boot go into setup to make it boot from cd-rom, and see if it will install over the copy of pro. If it refuses too, which it may well since pro is considered an upgrade from home, you may have to reformat the drive to remove pro and install again. Windows won't let you reformat C:, you will have to have some third party software, maybe some came with the disk, or us a set of XP floppies and make sure that format.com is loaded to format the drive. Then you can boot from cd-rom and run the installation.
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#3
rmelone

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I have backed everything up I feel is important and have source CDs for programs I may have to reinstall.

When I tried to boot with the Windows XP CD the only option available was something about 'original data' which made me nervous so I powered down the system.

I then thought if I could remove Windows XP Pro Service Pack 2 (which was an update) and then remove Windows XP Pro itself my system should be back to Windows 98SE. It looks like I would be able to remove SP2 but the following message came up when I tried to remove Pro:

SETUP CANNOT UNINSTALL WINDOWS XP BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF HARD DRIVES PRESENT AFTER UPGRADING IS NOT THE SAME AS THE NUMBER PRESENT BEFORE UPGRADING

When I installed Pro I only had a 'C' drive and then later added an 'E' drive.

Would it help if I were to remove the connections to the 'E' drive and reboot with only the 'C' drive? Should I then be able to remove Pro? My thinking is if I go back to Windows 98SE I should then be able to install Windows XP Home the 'normal' way without formatting the hard drive.

Thanks,

Robert
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#4
rmelone

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Is there anyone who can answer my questions?

I would appreicate some help.

Thanks,

Robert
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#5
dsenette

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uninstalling xp will not revert you back to 98...when you installed xp...98 got removed....if this is a full xp home disk...and not some form of upgrade disk....you need to format the drive then install xp...you can do this either by booting to the home disk and formatting the drive
or by getting a 98 boot disk and using fdisk
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#6
rmelone

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If Windows 98 got removed when I installed XP Pro why, after I get this message:

SETUP CANNOT UNINSTALL WINDOWS XP BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF HARD DRIVES PRESENT AFTER UPGRADING IS NOT THE SAME AS THE NUMBER PRESENT BEFORE UPGRADING

do I get this option:

REMOVE THE BACKUP OF MY PREVIOUS OPERATING SYSTEM?

Thanks,

Robert
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#7
dsenette

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http://www.quepublis...p?p=429098&rl=1

i seem to have made an error...it is possible to revert back to 98 if you preformed an XP UPGRADE...the steps above suggest how to remove xp.
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#8
rmelone

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To eliminate the 'SETUP CANNOT UNINSTALL WINDOWS XP BECAUSE THE NUMBER OF HARD DRIVES PRESENT AFTER UPGRADING IS NOT THE SAME AS THE NUMBER PRESENT BEFORE UPGRADING' message I tried disconnecting the 'E' drive but was unable to boot the system. If that had worked, I had intended to attempt to remove XP Pro which should have enabled the system to go back to Win 98se and then I would have tried to install XP Home.

Should I just bite the bullet and fomat the 'C' drive and install XP Home or do I have other options?

Thanks,

Robert
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#9
dsenette

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welll...to answer that i have a question...

what is the final desired result?...what operating system areyou wanting to be using when you're done with the process?
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#10
rmelone

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Here's what I would like to do:

1. Remove Windows XP Pro. (Possibly going back to Windows 98se.)
2. Install Windows XP Home.

So, Windows XP Home is what I would like to end up with for my OS.

Robert
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#11
dsenette

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if xp home is what you would like to end up with...and you don't have anything that you absolutely have to save on the system..i would just format and start over (which...so far sounds like your only option...since the removal of xp hasn't worked) otherwise you can try to get back to 98 then go back up to xp again.
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#12
rmelone

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I just had a thought.

Because I'm having problems uninstalling Windows XP Pro using ADD/REMOVE and am unable to disconnect the 'E' drive, what if I uninstall Windows XP Pro from a command prompt (reference KB308233 on the Microsoft support site.)

Thanks,

Robert
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#13
dsenette

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go for it...it's worth ashot...if bad turns to worse...then...all you need to do is reload xp home...and you're there
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#14
gerryf

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pardon my intrusion, as dsenette is one of the most knowledgable folks around here, but I have a question....or rather suggestion. You are investing a lot of effort in ridding yourself of Pro to install home...what are you trying to "preserve" on this machine, since you are going to install Home? Why not back up data and wipe it out?

If you uninstall Pro and install XP Home, you will not be able to simply run all the programs anyway, since removing Pro will take some critical program files along with it.

Or are you just not able to back up a HUGE quantity of data, and therefore are trying to take a short cut?

If that is the case, I would simply drop the drive in a separate system, rename windows, program files, and Documents and Settings, then simply install Xp Home...after it is up and running, grab all the data you need and wipe out the old windows, program files and DandS....
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#15
dsenette

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gerry...he's trying to replace pro with home because his pro install is a pirated version.....
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