Help installing WinXP Pro on Dell Dimension 4600

Question

I have just bought a brand new Dimension 4600 with WinXP Home installed at the factory. I have not opened the box.

Someone gifted me a full (unopened) retail copy of WinXP Pro which I would like to install. (This not the WinXP Pro Upgrade.)

Can you please guide me concerning

1.What is the best way to replace the preinstalled XP Home with the retail copy of XP Pro? (Of course, ideally, I would like to just install Pro over Home. I have read

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=312369

which seems to imply this is possible. But many friends say I must uninstall Home, or reformat the Hard Drive, or partition or some combination. )
2. Will I have to (re-?) install anything such as drivers from the Dell Resources CD, etc.?
3. Any other advice on how to do this?

I know zero about installing operating systems. Please provide fairly detailed instructions. (My "friends" have confused me. :) )

Many thanks.

Jim

P.S. I want to please the person who gave me the WinXP Pro and show that I have Pro on the PC. But I doubt they will know the difference if I took the full XP Pro back (assuming I can) and got the XP Pro Upgrade. Does that make the whole process much more simple?

Message Edited by jcimarron on 07-24-2004 12:05 PM

Message Edited by jcimarron on 07-24-2004 12:13 PM

rickmktg · Answer

@jcimarron wrote:

I have just bought a brand new Dimension 4600 with WinXP Home installed at the factory. I have not opened the box.

Someone gifted me a full (unopened) retail copy of WinXP Pro which I would like to install. (This not the WinXP Pro Upgrade.)

Can you please guide me concerning

1.What is the best way to replace the preinstalled XP Home with the retail copy of XP Pro? (Of course, ideally, I would like to just install Pro over Home. I have read

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=312369

which seems to imply this is possible. But many friends say I must uninstall Home, or reformat the Hard Drive, or partition or some combination. )
2. Will I have to (re-?) install anything such as drivers from the Dell Resources CD, etc.?
3. Any other advice on how to do this?

I know zero about installing operating systems. Please provide fairly detailed instructions. (My "friends" have confused me. :) )

Many thanks.

Jim

P.S. I want to please the person who gave me the WinXP Pro and show that I have Pro on the PC. But I doubt they will know the difference if I took the full XP Pro back (assuming I can) and got the XP Pro Upgrade. Does that make the whole process much more simple?

First, thank the person who got you Pro. However, they spent a great deal of money for no reason. Pro is unneeded for 99.9% of homes. And further, IF you needed Pro, then the Upgrade version would have saved a great deal of money. I would recommend that you attempt to return Pro and put the money towards some needed gift.

Otherwise, you're looking at a CLEAN install, a reinstall of all drivers and programs, a loss of some features that Dell didn't put on the CDs, and 1/2 a day's work...

redwolfe_98 · Answer

there is a reinstall guide in dell support, "product support'/reinstall guide.. you should look it over so that you are familiar with what needs to be done, specifically for your dell 4600.. i don't believe that installing win xp pro over win xp-home works too well.. besides, doing a clean reinstall of win xp et al on a new dell is a good idea, imo.. i believe it will save you some trouble, down the road..

you should install the "chipset" drivers first, after installing win xp..

installing win xp et al is relatively easy.. you should have a firewall running before reconnecting to the internet after doing a clean install of win xp.. you could use wn xp's built-in "internet connection firewall", or another one, if you have one saved to disks..

i believe that win xp-home is less problematic than win xp pro.. you can read about the differences between the two at the microsoft website..

here is a link to the reinstall guide for the 4600..

http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/software_reinstall/en/index?c=us&cs=19&l=en&s=dhs&sysID=DIM_P4_4600&servtag=&results=true&category=0&os=47

Message Edited by redwolfe_98 on 07-24-2004 06:47 PM

Denny Denham · Answer

@redwolfe_98 wrote:

i don't believe that installing win xp pro over win xp-homeÂ works too well.. besides, doing a clean reinstall of win xp et al on a new dell is a good idea, imo.. i believe it will save youÂ some trouble, down the road..

jcimarron,

Installing XP Pro over XP Home is impossible, of course. Instructions for a clean install are available here.

jcimarron · Answer

Thank you all so far.

rickmktg --Thanks for your insight.

I understand you are pretty negative about using a full retail WinXP Pro CD to install that OS over WinXP Home as supplied by Dell.

1) What about using a WinXP Pro Upgrade CD? Is that a better route to getting WinXP Pro on my PC? (It bothers me that, due to my gift giver, I can have XP Pro for "Free", but maybe I should forget it?)

2) What is the Dell OS CD that I will receive with my Dimension 4600? I now have an IBM PC. The OS CD that I got was a "Product Recovery" CD. If I used it to reinstall the OS, it first wiped the hard drive clean and then reinstalled whatever was on the hard drive when I got it from the factory. (The actual wiping and reinstallation was pretty fast and easy. The problem was reinstalling everything else--my personal data, all hardware, self installed software,etc. )

redwolfe 98--Thanks to you, as well.

You say " doing a clean reinstall of win xp et al on a new dell is a good idea, imo.. " Can you please explain that a little more? Why is it a "good idea"? rickmktg-- seems pretty negative on the idea.

Also "installing win xp et al is relatively easy.. " It does not seem that way!! :) Please feel free to convince me.

Please chime in on the questions I have asked of rickmktg above if you want.

ALL--Please do not forget that I am talking about a Dimension 4600 fresh out of the box. The only things installed are what Dell has installed at the factory. There are no personal data, software, etc.

Message Edited by jcimarron on 07-24-2004 06:49 PM

rickmktg · Answer

See comments below.

@jcimarron wrote:

Thank you all so far.

rickmktg --Thanks for your insight.

I understand you are pretty negative about using a full retail WinXP Pro CD to install that OS over WinXP Home as supplied by Dell.

1) What about using a WinXP Pro Upgrade CD? Is that a better route to getting WinXP Pro on my PC? (It bothers me that, due to my gift giver, I can have XP Pro for "Free", but maybe I should forget it?) The only difference between an Upgrade CD and a Full CD is that the upgrade CD requires the prior OS CD (which you will have). Also, the full CD is quite a bit more expensive, like $100.

2) What is the Dell OS CD that I will receive with my Dimension 4600? Full windows CD, OEM from Dell. Contains NOTHING but Windows. I now have an IBM PC. The OS CD that I got was a "Product Recovery" CD. If I used it to reinstall the OS, it first wiped the hard drive clean and then reinstalled whatever was on the hard drive when I got it from the factory. (The actual wiping and reinstallation was pretty fast and easy. The problem was reinstalling everything else--my personal data, all hardware, self installed software,etc. ) Dell doesn't provide recovery CDs, you get the OS. Then you have to reinstall the drivers, then the software that comes with the computer on CDs, which isn't all that is pre-installed, some is non-recoverable.

redwolfe 98--Thanks to you, as well.

You say " doing a clean reinstall of win xp et al on a new dell is a good idea, imo.. " Can you please explain that a little more? Why is it a "good idea"? rickmktg-- seems pretty negative on the idea. Because XP Pro gives you no features that you need.

Also "installing win xp et al is relatively easy.. " It does not seem that way!! :) Please feel free to convince me.

Please chime in on the questions I have asked of rickmktg above if you want.

ALL--Please do not forget that I am talking about a Dimension 4600 fresh out of the box. The only things installed are what Dell has installed at the factory. There are no personal data, software, etc.

Denny Denham · Answer

jcimarron, Also 'installing win xp et al is relatively easy.. ' It does not seem that way!! :) Please feel free to convince me. On a fresh system such as you have it should take no more than two hours to install Windows XP Professional, the necessary drivers, and the preinstalled applications. If you have any experience installing any of the Windows 9X family of operating systems you will be stunned at how easily XP goes on. The fact that partitioning and formatting are an integral part of the installatio process makes it much more convenient.

redwolfe_98 · Answer

installing XP Pro over XP Home is impossible, of course.

denny, i don't know why you would say "installing XP Pro over XP Home is impossible, of course." considering that (unless i am mistaken) win 98, win-me, and win 2000 are upgradable (upgrade install) to win xp pro, you would be inclined to think that win xp home is likewise, "upgradable". however, i did see something at the ms website that suggested that upgrading (upgrade install) win xpsp1-home to win xp pro (minus sp1?) is not supported.. i think that i have heard of people upgrading (upgrade install) win xp home to win xp pro, but it did not work out very well.. anyway, a clean install, wiping the harddrive, is the way to go, if you are installing win xp..

jcimarron, there is no difference between the full version of win xp pro and the upgrade version of win xp pro except the price, and an upgrade version requires that you own a "previous" version of windows to qualify to use the upgrade version.. your new winxpsp1-home cd from dell should qualify.. so, unless you are wanting a cash refund by exchanging the full version for the upgrade version, there is no need to exchange it..

i was agreeing with what the other poster was saying, that i think you will be better off using win xp home as opposed to win xp pro unless you have a special need to use some of the features in win xp pro which are oriented to business use, primarily through its networking capabilities, and additional security rigors, which may be a pain..

also, i have noticed that people using win xp pro occasionally have problems resulting from windows updates that users of win xp home do not experience..

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/getstarted/installquick.mspx

note that this article is pre-sp1.. my understanding is that win xpsp1-home is not "upgradable" (upgrade install) to win xp pro..

Message Edited by redwolfe_98 on 07-25-2004 09:50 AM

Denny Denham · Answer

redwolfe_98

I made the statement because the original poster stated that he had been given a full version of Windows XP. With that there is no option of a clean install or installing over another operating system, as there is with an upgrade copy.

If a user has a choice of XP Home or XP Pro (for no additional cost, as is the case here) it would seem ludicrous to opt for the version which has fewer capabilities. The added features of XP Professional do not get in the user's way, they are simply available if they are needed.

jcimarron · Answer

You three have been most generous with comments and suggestions.

I feel there may be two views on what I must do if I still want to install WinXP Pro.
1) The view I like is that all I have to do is put the WinXP Pro CD in the drive and follow instructions per
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/getstarted/installquick.mspx
or
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=312369
Both of those seem to say that no installed drivers, programs, data, will be wiped, (even if such are installed--but see below).
2) The other view is that I must perform a clean install which will wipe everything that Dell has put on the hard drive. (per rickmktg--"Otherwise, you're looking at a CLEAN install, a reinstall of all drivers and programs, a loss of some features that Dell didn't put on the CDs, and 1/2 a day's work..."

Or has the fact that I am starting with a Dimension 4600 out of the box changed the situation?? I have been assuming that Dell will have installed "something" on the hard drive at the factory. If, in fact, Dell has installed nothing, then I would assume it makes no difference whether I use the Dell WinXP Home CD or the full MS WinXP Pro CD to install the OS.
Could any/all of you please comment? Have I got it wrong?
(denny dedham--You have referred to "preinstalled applications" so maybe there are some?? You also have mentioned "The fact that partitioning and formatting are an integral part of the installatio process makes it much more convenient." Does this still apply in my case? I would not plan to partition unless I had to.)

This seems the real crux of the matter. If I am starting with a blank hard drive, then presumably installation of WinXP Pro will not change the need to install drivers, programs, etc., after installing the OS. I will have to do that anyway, and the time and problems involved will be the same.
(rickmktg--If you agree with all this, could you elaborate a little on your comment "a loss of some features that Dell didn't put on the CDs" ?? Like what features?)

redwolfe_98--If it still has pertinence, please elaborate on "doing a clean reinstall of win xp et al on a new dell is a good idea, imo.. "
And perhaps the problems you remember about installing WinXP over WinXP are those in the MSKB article
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=312369

If the Dimension 4600 does come with preinstalled OS, drivers, applications, etc., on the hard drive, I probably will just leave things alone and forget about installing WinXP Pro.

I look forward to your further help and guidance. Again thanks.

Denny Denham · Answer

@jcimarron wrote:
You three have been most generous with comments and suggestions.

I feel there may be two views on what I must do if I still want to install WinXP Pro.
1) The view I like is that all I have to do is put the WinXP Pro CD in the drive and follow instructions per
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/setup/getstarted/installquick.mspx
or
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?kbid=312369
Both of those seem to say that no installed drivers, programs, data, will be wiped, (even if such are installed--but see below).
Â Â You have a full version of Windows XP Professional. You cannot do anything other than a clean install with it. That Microsoft document does not apply.

2) The other view is that I must perform a clean install which will wipe everything that Dell has put on the hard drive. (per rickmktg--"Otherwise, you're looking at a CLEAN install, a reinstall of all drivers and programs, a loss of some features that Dell didn't put on the CDs, and 1/2 a day's work..."

Or has the fact that I am starting with a Dimension 4600 out of the box changed the situation?? I have been assuming that Dell will have installed "something" on the hard drive at the factory. If, in fact, Dell has installed nothing, then I would assume it makes no difference whether I use the Dell WinXP Home CD or the full MS WinXP Pro CD to install the OS.
Could any/all of you please comment? Have I got it wrong?
Â Â Dell has installed some items such as wallpaper, a little utility that displays your system support number and express support number. None of those are "must have" items. I have been running my system for nearly three years without them and they have not been missed.

(denny dedham--You have referred to "preinstalled applications" so maybe there are some?? You also have mentioned "The fact that partitioning and formatting are an integral part of the installatio process makes it much more convenient." Does this still apply in my case? I would not plan to partition unless I had to.)
Â Â Take a look at the procedures given here. It addresses partitioning and why you might wish to consider creating at least two partitions. As you proceed through installation you will note a FAT partition which is ~34MB in size. This partition contains Dell diagnostics, which you can access by pressing F12 on bootup. You can leave that partition alone (its size is not significant in terms of current hard drives) or delete it if you wish, as the diagnostics are available elsewhere from Dell, but having them on the hard disk is a convenience.

The preinstalled applications to which I referred are such things as your CD burning software, Office or WordPerfect Suites, Antivirus application, and that sort of item.

To address the remainder of your post, a clean install will involve reinstalling drivers and programs. They are currently installed--your hard disk is not presently "blank." I considered that factor in my estimate of the time required being two hours or less. That was the time required on each of the Windows XP systems I reinstalled the operating system on. The fact that you are starting with a new system and do not have to worry about backing up data stored on the hard disk makes the process quite quick.

jcimarron · Answer

Denny Denham
1) Firstly, I am really pleased to find out where you hanging out these days. I used to have lots of your fixes, sites, etc., in my Favorites and then one day those sites no longer worked.
2) I must admit that I have only today started to click on some of the links below your signature. They are masterfully done, and obviously are trying to make it as easy as possible for someone like me to startup a new Dell.
3) But I am still chicken. It is now clear that to use the WinXP Pro CD I will have to do a "clean install". Your links almost make me feel I probably could do that for the OS itself (hope I survive the partitioning and then operating from partitions), but I still am pretty unclear how to reinstall the Dell-installed drivers, apps, etc. that I will have wiped in the "clean install" process.
OK, so I am not only a chicken, but a wimp. Unless you can direct me to some detailed reference how to reinstall everything that Dell has installed specific to my new PC other than the OS, I think I must pass on using the WinXP Pro CD.
You really have tried.
Thanks.

Denny Denham · Answer

jcimarron,

Detailed instructions for reinstalling the drivers can be found (as illustrated in the link I provided in my latest post) through the Reinstall Guide link accessible under Product Support above the forum. Reinstalling your applications is simply a matter of inserting the appropriate CD and following the prompts.

I did a clean reintall of XP immediately upon receipt of my XP system simply because it had an AOL icon on the desktop and I didn't know how deeply AOL was established. Having gone through the process with Windows 95 and 98 I was pleased at how painless the process was.

That being said, unless you need some of the specific features of Windows XP Professional, you will actually gain very little by moving up from XP Home except the experience of redoing your system from scratch.

Denny Denham · Answer

jcimarron,

You may just be in luck, depending on the date of shipment of your computer. See http://support.dell.com/support/topics/global.aspx/support/kb/en/document?dn=1090152&c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19"> this, a replacement for the old Zztop.

jcimarron · Answer

Denny Denham--Very interesting.
Order date for my Dimension 4600 is July 19 and shipping date is July 23.
Since I will have no user data or external devices installed, it sounds like I can be more adventuresome and get some experience.
The plot thickens.

Message Edited by jcimarron on 07-25-2004 08:34 PM

jcimarron · Answer

Denny Denham (formerly www.djdenham@whidbey.com as I remember)--
Thanks. You have been most kind.
If only System Restore would bring me back to the way Dell set the hard drive up, in case I mess up.
P.S. Hope you are enjoying the 90Âº weather you have had recently. I will be in the Seattle area in about two weeks, visiting my daughter and granddaughter.

Windows General

Help installing WinXP Pro on Dell Dimension 4600

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