XPpro sp2 upgrade CD instructions?

[GLO]

I am getting an XP pro sp2 upgrade licence and want to know in advance what the instructions are?

Can i do a fresh install (my preferred method) with this CD? And will it just ask me for the previous licence details?

[Cartoonite]

I'm not sure exactly what you mean when you say you are purchasing "an XP pro sp2 upgrade licence," but I was able to do a fresh install of 2000 Professional from an upgrade CD. During install it simply asked me to insert a CD from a previous version of Windows to prove that I did indeed have a license to an old version that I wanted to "upgrade" from. I would think a Windows XP SP2 Upgrade CD (which is what I assume you are talking about) would provide the same functionality.

[GLO]

the PC i have has a Win2000 lic but i installed XP (test set up) but i now puchased an upgrade CD with licence.

[Cartoonite]

Did you build your machine and install Windows 2000 yourself from CD, or did you purchase it from a manufacturer who shipped it to you with Windows pre-loaded on it? I believe if you want to do a clean install with your Windows XP Professional Upgrade CD you will need to have a 2000 Professional (or earlier) CD on-hand. I re-tested with my 2000 Professional Upgrade CD to find out exactly what the installation requires. I have attached a jpg of the verification screen from Windows 2000 Professional Upgrade so you have an idea of what it looks like.

Again, I imagine any Windows Upgrade License CD would offer the same option, but unfortunately I have no way of testing XP Pro SP2 for you to be sure.

So, I guess the short answer to your question is "yes," with the CD from your previous version of Windows serving as your means of inputing "previous licence details."

Please let me know how it turns out, I would like to know for sure whether or not my assumptions are correct.

[GLO]

Hi Cartoonite,

The Compaq Presario came with Win ME pre-installed. (its actually my neighbours PC) and i believe they have the recovery discs for it.

I rebuilt their machine with my XPpro licence for them to test and see how the PC handles the new OS.

It turns out that they need to upgrade to 256Mb (which i recommended anyways initially) from 64Mb.

So now i have the ram coming in a day and i have the proper licence for them to use since they have decided they definitely want XPpro sp2.

[Cartoonite]

Hi GLO,

My experience with factory-built machines is very limited. I've always prefered to build my own. My limited experience, however, leads me to believe that factory restore discs are usually based on imaging software rather than actual installation CDs. If this is true in your neighbor's case, you may not be able to use the recovery CDs as proof of an existing license.

If that is the case, you may be forced to do an upgrade install. I will do some more testing with my Windows 2000 Upgrade CD to see if I can perform a clean install by having the Windows Setup program reformat a partition that has an existing Windows 98 installation on it. It may take me a bit, but hopefully I can have an answer for you by the end of the weekend.

If your neighbor's RAM arrives in the meantime, please try on your own and let me know the results. If it's not possible to have the setup program reformat a partition with an existing Windows install on it, you will have to contact either Compaq and/or Microsoft to see what your, or rather, your neighbour's options are.

I hope it works out. Keep me posted.

[GLO]

It let me do a fresh install (contrary to what MS tell you) but it requires online activation within 30days.

They havent activated it yet.