Upgrading from XP Home to Pro

My girlfriend just bought a new laptop, and naturally it comes with Windows XP Home, with SP2. Yay. Now, naturally I want to put XP Pro on it instead, and I was wondering if anyone knows if you can use a standard XP Pro disc to do a full upgrade? My girlfriend wouldn't take too kindly to me scrubbing the hard drive and loading Pro from scratch (although that's what I really want to do) but she would be okay with me doing an upgrade. Only thing that may be an issue is the computer has Home edition with SP2, my Pro discs are either with no SP or SP1.

So, can I do it? Or is formatting the only option?

You're just going to run into problems if you upgrade. Wipe it clean.

I concur. Format it, and if you can make a backup copy of XP Pro with SP2 slipstreamed into the install -- it'll seriously save a LOT of headaches. You can get some tools from nlite.org to slipstream the service packs into the main install.

I want to format it, but the problem is it's my girlfriend's computer...agh.

I think I'll leave it with home edition on it for now...either that or I'll wipe and use Pro edition and hope she doesn't notice...

It was a minor battle for her to let me put Firefox and Typing of the Dead (best laptop game EVER) on it.

Can you get an external drive to back her data up to before you format?

That would save you the headache. But then, if she was using IE, she probably won't notice the difference.

Unless you're running a domain/active directory at home, I don't believe there is any big reason to go to Pro. Yeah, it doesn't give you as much control -- but does your girlfriend really need the ability to screw things up?

All you really need to do for that machine is install Spybot/AdAware, Firefox, Thunderbird and NOD32.

The main reason I want to go Pro is this: The majority of the time I use a computer with XP home, it does random stupid shit. It may lock up, it may go crazy, something like that. Of course, it may be because most of the people who are running the home versions may have fucked it up, as most people with computer knowledge would have wiped it and put Pro on it anyway.

The biggest reason for pro over home is better terminal service implementation, not to mention the fact that home edition is really just ME with the XP frontend. And if I were you just wait awhile, she'll forget the whole debate of home vs pro. Reformat the bitch and slap pro on, if it lifts your skirt that much. She'll never know the difference.

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Originally Posted by Mr_B

not to mention the fact that home edition is really just ME with the XP frontend.

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Sorry for the bump of ye olde threade, but what are you talking about?

XP Home == a neutered XP Pro. ME technology was tossed out once consumers standardized 2000 Pro as the new technology base (i.e. businesses started buying 2000 Pro exclusively and home users began switching to it, once MS got the gaming and other home use bugs out).

XP Home, like Pro, is based on the NT kernel and core components, not the Win9x line. Home differs from Pro with weaker security, the lack of ability to attach to a domain/active directory, no Remote Desktop (except for Remote Assistance), single-processor support (as opposed to Pro's 2-proc), no IIS (web server), no Automated System Recovery, no Dynamic Disk support, and slimmed down networking features.

So, my original point still stands, although it's probably a wee bit too late to contribute to that now. ;)

It's never too late! Mwahahaha.

So far, I haven't had any of the problems with XP home that I've had on every other XP home editon computer I've used, with the exception of the new security monitor (a new SP2 feature?) that is pissing me off.

"Warning! Windows Firewall is turned off! You may be at risk"

(checks box that says quit bugging me, my router has a firewall)

...10 minutes later

"Warning! Your computer may be at risk!"

:bang: