I mean i have Windows XP HOME EDITION ON MY COMPUTER BUT IS PIRATE so I'm going to buy a legal Windows xp home edition CD?? so can i install Windows XP Home Edition over Windows XP Home Edition??
2007-07-22 16:14:40 · 4 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Laptops & Notebooks
Yes you can install it, but the best way around to do it is to reinstall a fresh system and clear out the old system first. If you have updated to SP2, then if your new edition cd does not include SP2 updates, you will have to remove the SP2 windows updates from your current operating system before proceeding to reinstall windows. Go to add remove programs, uninstall the windows updates. Then once it is removed, then reboot PC, and insert the genuine copy and go to install. Go to options that you select to install, it would say if you want to remove previous copy of windows. If you haven't installed windows before, you can google search for 'installing xp' or 'reinstall xp' and find the step by step instructions how to do it. One other thing is to move all the files eg bmp, tiff, saved documents, your IE favourites and store them to either a saved partition in your c drive, or store in external harddrive or thumb drive before reinstalling windows XP. Otherwise all the documents will be lost when you wipe out windows on c drive. You should register your genuine copy of windows on the internet. Reestablish all your internet connections after installing XP and also use an SP2 disc update if available to minimise downloading from microsoft. Also activate your antivirus program as soon as you can whilst on the internet.
2007-07-22 16:27:14 · answer #1 · answered by Ken 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, easily.
When you reinstall a Windows Operating System the first thing it wants to do is to clear off the old one, reformat the drive and get rid of everything. So back up your data first and put on the legal version. Of course you can also take the serial number from the legal version and make your installed illegal version legal. Since they are both XP Home editions it doesn't matter which original install CD you use. If you update it to service pack 2 then it will be the same operating system.
2007-07-22 23:19:42 · answer #2 · answered by Dan S 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you dont have to. just upgrade the windows, if your window cd key is a fake one, it will ask you to activate your windows again, then you type the retail cd key. you dont have to do all those usless stuffs. there no difference between the retail copy and the one you downloaded illegally. the other difference is the cd key. which is require for you to upgrade you windows. thats all. retail version doesnt run faster than the pirate one. its not more secure than the pirate one. its all the same.
2007-07-22 23:22:54 · answer #3 · answered by ۞_ʞɾ_ 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I would just use a program called keyfinder to change your XP key without messing with the reinstall. That can be a blessing and a hassle.
2007-07-22 23:28:55 · answer #4 · answered by mark g 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋