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8915
March 24th, 2005 14:00
Removing XP Home and installing XP Pro
My Dimension 8600 bought Nov 04 with XP Pro pre-installed developed a fault ("blinking amber light" see Dimension General Hardware forum). Dell UK repair contractor replaced hard drive but installed XP Home and not XP Pro. Complete details of what I should do to remove XP Home and install XP Pro needed please, somebody? (I'm not telephoning Dell technical support, I can't afford the cost having spent over 2 hours talking to a technician in India when my PC developed the initial fault and I had paid for next day on-site support!).
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Denny Denham
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March 24th, 2005 15:00
If your system had the PC Restore partition on it, it was removed along with the old hard drive so the warning in the site does not apply.
The instructions on the Supersite (one of the links in my page) give specific instructions on the partitioning and formatting process. At a minimum you will delete the existing C:\ partition (which is where XP Home is installed), create a new one, then format it. You may, if you wish, create more than one partition from the unpartitioned space that results from deleting the current C:\. This will provide one partition for the operating system and applications and another for data (which expedites reinstalling Windows by reducing the amount of data that needs to be backed up--things on D:\ will not be affected by a reinstall).
helstonian
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March 24th, 2005 15:00
Steve, Thanks for replying to my message so quickly! Clicked on the link you mentioned and saw the info. shown below. I don't know if the replacement hard disk has a partition with the restore "as shipped" facility, does this matter? And as for repartition and reformat, though I understand what these terms mean I don't know or feel confident enough to carry out the tasks without a considerable amount of "hand holding"
Phil
"If you are using a Dimension or Inspiron system made after July 15, 2004 your hard disk has a partition on it which can be used to restore the system to an "as shipped" condition. The procedure for doing this is given here. If you reinstall Windows XP you will rewrite the Master Boot Record on the hard disk and this feature will no longer be available."
volcano11
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March 24th, 2005 15:00
Just do a clean install of Windows XP Pro. During the first stages of the installation, just make sure you repartition and reformat the drive to get rid of the Windows XP Home installation. Instructions for a clean install can be found at:
http://www.djdenham.com/Install%20Procedures.htm
Steve
volcano11
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March 24th, 2005 15:00
helstonian
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March 27th, 2005 19:00
Steve,
My PC Properties box shows "Microsoft Windows XP, Home Edition, Version 2002, Service Pack 2" I think that this suggests that I may have XP Pro already installed, what are the immediately noticable differences between Pro and Home so that I can be sure that I have the OS installed that I want?
Phil
Denny Denham
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March 27th, 2005 19:00
Why would the fact that the properties specifically states that you have Home Edition installed lead you to believe that you have XP Pro installed? If you had XP Pro your properties would say "Microsoft Windows XP, Professional Edition, Version 2002, Service Pack 2." You have Home Edition at present.