Is it possible to upgrade Media Center Edition to XP Pro?

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@wanttoupgrade wrote:

Subject says it all.

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Why?

The reason I ask is that MCE 2005 has all the features of XP Pro with the exception of the ability to join a domain and use cached credentials. Not usually an issue for a home user.

It is my understanding (haven't done it myself) that MCE (2005) *can* be joined to a domain during a clean install. If you do that you lose the ability to use Media Center extenders. (extenders require fast user switching, computers in a domain require that fast user switching be disabled)

As far as "upgrading" to Pro from MCE AFAIK you cannot. You would have to clean install Pro.

Accepted

 Insert the WINXP Pro. disk and restart the system, when you see the Dell logo press F12, and Go to CD-Drive in the boot menu. Keep pressing the spacebar when you see "Press any key to boot from CD" and follow the WinodwsXP Pro. set-up instructions.

LCDmaster: If you're such a specialist, why can't you spell "Dimension"? LOL!!!

The reason I want to upgrade is that I want to run software (Oracle 10g) that requires Pro, not Media Center Edition. The MEC edition came with this refurbished laptop. Wouldn't have been my choice as an OS, but all else was what I was looking for.

If it were my system, I would wipe the hard drive completely and do a clean installation. To find the reinstallation guide for your system, click Desktops above, then enter your service tag number and select Reinstallation Guide from the drop down list, and everything will go smoothly.

I'm quite sure you will not be able to upgrade. But even if you could, you shouldn't.

It's not "Demension", it's spelled d-i-m-e-n-s-i-o-n.

Just thought a specialist like you would want to know this. :)

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@wanttoupgrade wrote:
The reason I want to upgrade is that I want to run software (Oracle 10g) that requires Pro, not Media Center Edition. The MEC edition came with this refurbished laptop. Wouldn't have been my choice as an OS, but all else was what I was looking for.

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Unless your using it in a domain environment it should run fine on Media Center.

That Media Center Edition is an operating system is something of a misnomer. The Media Center components are really just a group of applications that run on Windows XP Pro. In fact if you purcahse an OEM MCE it comes as two CDs. (as opposed to the disc Dell ships which is on DVD) The first CD installs Windows XP Pro and the second disc adds the Media Center components.

Untill you start Media Center it looks and acts exactly like a Windows XP Pro computer and as I said previously has all the components (Remote Desktop, Multi-processor support, Automated System Recovery, Dynamic Disk Support, Internet Information Services/Personal Web Server, Encrypting File System, File-level access control) as XP Pro.

Now we can work on the apostophe in Printer's and the space in PowerEdge. LCDMaster has made the home page here.

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@LCDmaster wrote:

I am a specialist on the stff on my sig'; not 1st grade grammar!

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Perhaps in the first grade they will teach you to proofread, if your teacher isn't too stffy.

Thanks. It's a laptop, btw. Not a desktop.

wanttoupgrade:

I'm not sure I've heard why you need Pro. Is this a network managed environment?