This isn't really a Windows 2000 Pro support call, so the engineers
can't charge me R249+VAT just to ask a question about Windows XP
Professional DSP - whatever DSP means.

At the end of March 2008, I will be needing to purchase 2 Windows XP
Professional CDs to upgrade firstly my Windows 2000 Professional SP4
computer, and secondly my Windows XP Home computer, so that we are all
on the same page.

What I need to know is what my software supplier cannot tell me. That
is, if I purchase two Windows XP Professional CDs, will I have to
reformat the hard drives in both machines? Since Windows 2000 Pro SP4
is already NTFS and Windows XP Home is also NTFS, surely installing XP
Professional over 2KProSP4 and XP Home will only update the system
files? Since the main drive in my W2K Pro SP4 machine is a 300GB disk,
I am very hesitant to have to reformat it just to accommodate some
quirk of XP Pro.

If not, from where can I purchase proper XP Professional packages
since no one in South Africa appears to be selling XP - EVERYONE is
going mad selling VISTA - and I am not interested in VISTA until next
year at the earliest.

Advice please.

"Ian D Samson" <iansamson3@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7ecec61d-11ec-46af-95f0-63414085506a@k2g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> This isn't really a Windows 2000 Pro support call, so the engineers
> can't charge me R249+VAT just to ask a question about Windows XP
> Professional DSP - whatever DSP means.
>
> At the end of March 2008, I will be needing to purchase 2 Windows XP
> Professional CDs to upgrade firstly my Windows 2000 Professional SP4
> computer, and secondly my Windows XP Home computer, so that we are all
> on the same page.
>
> What I need to know is what my software supplier cannot tell me. That
> is, if I purchase two Windows XP Professional CDs, will I have to
> reformat the hard drives in both machines? Since Windows 2000 Pro SP4
> is already NTFS and Windows XP Home is also NTFS, surely installing XP
> Professional over 2KProSP4 and XP Home will only update the system
> files? Since the main drive in my W2K Pro SP4 machine is a 300GB disk,
> I am very hesitant to have to reformat it just to accommodate some
> quirk of XP Pro.
>
> If not, from where can I purchase proper XP Professional packages
> since no one in South Africa appears to be selling XP - EVERYONE is
> going mad selling VISTA - and I am not interested in VISTA until next
> year at the earliest.
>
> Advice please.

I don't know what quirk in XP Pro you are talking about. Yes you can upgrade
Windows 2000 to XP Pro and you can upgrade XP Home to XP Pro. So you can
purchase 2 XP Pro Upgrade versions if you wish to save some money. Full
retail versions of XP will also upgrade Windows 2000 and XP Home. OEM
versions of XP cannot upgrade a system so stay away from OEM versions. And
yes the Upgrade versions are designed to enable you to retain your data and
installed apps so you won't have to reformat. Do the upgrade from your
current Windows 2000 and XP Home Desktops not by booting off the CD.

Do a decent disk clean on both systems before you upgrade and you should
uninstall your antivirus programs and spyware protection before upgrading
and reinstall them again after.You should also create backups of your
important data before upgrading. While most upgrades go through without a
hitch there are rare cases when they don't. So backup.

You can purchase software online if you can't purchase it in a store. Avoid
cheap deals and "used" versions. Expect to pay about $200.00 US for XP Pro
Upgrade
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusine...p/default.aspx

--

Xandros

"Ian D Samson" <iansamson3@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:7ecec61d-11ec-46af-95f0-63414085506a@k2g2000hse.googlegroups.com...
> This isn't really a Windows 2000 Pro support call, so the engineers
> can't charge me R249+VAT just to ask a question about Windows XP
> Professional DSP - whatever DSP means.
>
> At the end of March 2008, I will be needing to purchase 2 Windows XP
> Professional CDs to upgrade firstly my Windows 2000 Professional SP4
> computer, and secondly my Windows XP Home computer, so that we are all
> on the same page.
>
> What I need to know is what my software supplier cannot tell me. That
> is, if I purchase two Windows XP Professional CDs, will I have to
> reformat the hard drives in both machines? Since Windows 2000 Pro SP4
> is already NTFS and Windows XP Home is also NTFS, surely installing XP
> Professional over 2KProSP4 and XP Home will only update the system
> files? Since the main drive in my W2K Pro SP4 machine is a 300GB disk,
> I am very hesitant to have to reformat it just to accommodate some
> quirk of XP Pro.
>
> If not, from where can I purchase proper XP Professional packages
> since no one in South Africa appears to be selling XP - EVERYONE is
> going mad selling VISTA - and I am not interested in VISTA until next
> year at the earliest.
>
> Advice please.

I don't know what quirk in XP Pro you are talking about. Yes you can upgrade
Windows 2000 to XP Pro and you can upgrade XP Home to XP Pro. So you can
purchase 2 XP Pro Upgrade versions if you wish to save some money. Full
retail versions of XP will also upgrade Windows 2000 and XP Home. OEM
versions of XP cannot upgrade a system so stay away from OEM versions. And
yes the Upgrade versions are designed to enable you to retain your data and
installed apps so you won't have to reformat. Do the upgrade from your
current Windows 2000 and XP Home Desktops not by booting off the CD.

Do a decent disk clean on both systems before you upgrade and you should
uninstall your antivirus programs and spyware protection before upgrading
and reinstall them again after.You should also create backups of your
important data before upgrading. While most upgrades go through without a
hitch there are rare cases when they don't. So backup.

You can purchase software online if you can't purchase it in a store. Avoid
cheap deals and "used" versions. Expect to pay about $200.00 US for XP Pro
Upgrade
http://www.microsoft.com/smallbusine...p/default.aspx

--

Xandros

Ian D Samson wrote:
> This isn't really a Windows 2000 Pro support call, so the engineers
> can't charge me R249+VAT just to ask a question about Windows XP
> Professional DSP - whatever DSP means.
>
> At the end of March 2008, I will be needing to purchase 2 Windows XP
> Professional CDs to upgrade firstly my Windows 2000 Professional SP4
> computer, and secondly my Windows XP Home computer, so that we are all
> on the same page.
>
> What I need to know is what my software supplier cannot tell me. That
> is, if I purchase two Windows XP Professional CDs, will I have to
> reformat the hard drives in both machines? Since Windows 2000 Pro SP4
> is already NTFS and Windows XP Home is also NTFS, surely installing XP
> Professional over 2KProSP4 and XP Home will only update the system
> files? Since the main drive in my W2K Pro SP4 machine is a 300GB disk,
> I am very hesitant to have to reformat it just to accommodate some
> quirk of XP Pro.
>
> If not, from where can I purchase proper XP Professional packages
> since no one in South Africa appears to be selling XP - EVERYONE is
> going mad selling VISTA - and I am not interested in VISTA until next
> year at the earliest.
>
> Advice please.

DSP is a generic OEM and cannot be used to upgrade, only clean install.
That leaves you with full retail XP or retail upgrade XP. I would
recommend getting the latter. With an upgrade, you can either upgrade
your current systems or do a clean install. Try calling small computer
stores to find XP.

Alias

Ian D Samson wrote:
> This isn't really a Windows 2000 Pro support call, so the engineers
> can't charge me R249+VAT just to ask a question about Windows XP
> Professional DSP - whatever DSP means.
>
> At the end of March 2008, I will be needing to purchase 2 Windows XP
> Professional CDs to upgrade firstly my Windows 2000 Professional SP4
> computer, and secondly my Windows XP Home computer, so that we are all
> on the same page.
>
> What I need to know is what my software supplier cannot tell me. That
> is, if I purchase two Windows XP Professional CDs, will I have to
> reformat the hard drives in both machines? Since Windows 2000 Pro SP4
> is already NTFS and Windows XP Home is also NTFS, surely installing XP
> Professional over 2KProSP4 and XP Home will only update the system
> files? Since the main drive in my W2K Pro SP4 machine is a 300GB disk,
> I am very hesitant to have to reformat it just to accommodate some
> quirk of XP Pro.
>
> If not, from where can I purchase proper XP Professional packages
> since no one in South Africa appears to be selling XP - EVERYONE is
> going mad selling VISTA - and I am not interested in VISTA until next
> year at the earliest.
>
> Advice please.

DSP is a generic OEM and cannot be used to upgrade, only clean install.
That leaves you with full retail XP or retail upgrade XP. I would
recommend getting the latter. With an upgrade, you can either upgrade
your current systems or do a clean install. Try calling small computer
stores to find XP.

Alias