Wanted: XP upgrade CD

[Wingnut]

I am running W2K now on my desktop and want to upgrade to a legit XP with a COE. If I get an "upgrade" version instead of the "full" version, can I use it to upgrade my current OS without loosing the files I have on the HD? I don't want to have to do a clean install of XP and have to back-up all my files & reinstall all my software. I have seen them on E-bay, but thought I would ask here first.

Thanks.

[hitokage]

Yes, there is such a thing, however you'll need to use a XP Pro upgrade disk - the Home version won't upgrade 2000. Provantage still has them if you want to compare prices and/or want to avoid the possibility of getting a bogus copy from eBay if no one here can help. Here are links to their pages on the Provantage website -
XP Home
XP Pro

[BillMorrow]

moved to the windows conference..

[bill bolton]

can I use it to upgrade my current OS without loosing the files I have on the HD?

Yes, but you will probably not be happy with the performance outcomes. The upgrade process will carry across a lot of baggage in the registry etc that won't help you in terms of a stable and well performing XP environment.

Cheers,

Bill B.

[BruisedQuasar]

You really are in for trouble if you try to upgrade from 2000 to XP. It is not as troublesome as upgrading from XP to Vista but it will not work out well for you. A company with honor and pride would not release such disks.

Yes, the operating core system is NT for both 2000 and XP but two different versions of NT were used. With the XP to Vista upgrade disk, you are looking at two different operating systems. XP is based on NT and Vista is based on Windows Server 2003.

To add insult to injury, MS charges a handsome bounty on those upgrade CDs.

Get this one! In the few places still selling XP and Vista (I should say few places selling XP period) the prices are nearly the same! Want to bet MS insisted on this? Putting the two side by side with nearly the same gouge price will enhance, not reduce, Vista sales. The average, know hardly anything PC user, will naturally go for the "new thing" Vista, even if the computer guy in the family advised stick with XP.

So many PC makers have bowed to consumer demand and returned to installing XP SP2 on new PCs upon buyer request that Microsoft dictated no more Win XP sales or new PC installs after January 1st, 2008.

I say it is time to go Linux. Ubuntu will send you three
professionally burned Ubuntu Linux 7.04 CDs free of charge & no postage charge. Ubuntu 7.04, or you can get Xbuntu for older and lower end systems. Ubuntu & Xubuntu 7.04 have excellent auto installers, even automatically identifies and installs your Ethernet card & broadband connection.

You can try it as Live CD first, see if it works OK on your system, see if you like it. Then, install it if you wish. Just click "install" on the desktop. It will even resize & repartition your hard drive, so you can keep your Windows. Ubuntu CD creates a dual boot menu. Just make sure you defrag your primary hard drive 2 or 3 times before you install.

If you want to try just running a live CD, you want Accelerated Knoppix. It is ready to use in a very short time,
from CD! If you have at least 1GB memory, Knoppix will even create a ram disk and install into it and run from system memory. Talk about fast.

I run accelerated knoppix on my T23. Firefox opens much faster than on any Windows system! With Knoppix my little 1MHz T23 surfs faster than a lot of dual core new Vista PCs I've seen.
--Bruised

[BruisedQuasar]

Update.
I am told by tech friends that Windows backed off due to
out cry from the big PC makers. Microsoft backed off
their Announcement that there will be no more licensing
of XP to PC makers after Jan, 2008.

Supposedly, MS also changed their decision to drop support and store sales of XP after Jan 2009.

So, XP users are safe for a few years longer.

I use Win 2000 Pro SP4 on my dual boot laptops, so I know
MS still supports 2000. I get weekly updates.

IMHO, Win 2000 Pro SP4 is the best Windows O/S ever.

[ashleys]

Supposedly, MS also changed their decision to drop support and store sales of XP after Jan 2009.

So, XP users are safe for a few years longer.

I use Win 2000 Pro SP4 on my dual boot laptops, so I know
MS still supports 2000. I get weekly updates.

XP mainstream support ends on 14th April 2009
XP extended support ends on 8th April 2014

Windows 2000 mainstream support ended 30 June 2005
Windows 2000 extended support will end 13 July 2010.