Problems w/Upgrade from Xp home to Pro

I just out of the blue tonight for no good reason decided to update my perfectly good working computer. DUH!!! Anyhow, just about the time the upgrade was complete the computer restarted. Then the start windows normally or select safe mode blah blah blah screen came up. I tried all and nothing worked. Can't boot to safe mode either. I decided to try a repair but I haven't a clue what to do once there. Did I just warrant myself a fresh install or are there some things I can try? Yes they are both licensed to me.

 

Well, I am very impatient so I am just going to reload. I spent the last hour or so saving things from the harddrive. I am still interested though so any information would be wonderful for future reference.. Thank you.

 

Thank you, I tried all that stuff already and no didn't work. Oh well, as I type this I am watching SP2 install. I really wanted to go Pro so I could use the remote desktop. I think I may be in over my head though. I'm not setting it up properly or something.

 

>> I just out of the blue tonight for no good reason decided to update my perfectly good working computer. DUH!!! Anyhow, just about the time the upgrade was complete the computer restarted. Then the start windows normally or select safe mode blah blah blah screen came up. I tried all and nothing worked <<

If by "upgrade" you mean that you used the XP Pro "Upgrade" Installation CD (Not a brand-new XP Pro CD)...

This may be a day late and a dollar short here; but here goes: I never recommend UPGRADE when it comes to any windows operating systems; but especially regarding XP. Ever since I first started using Windows 95; every single upgrade installation since then seems to bring so many problems to so many people. The web is literally inundated with zillions of posts from frantic users who have tried this "use the upgrade Install CD" method...

The ElderGeek.com site admin sums it up very well here:

"Not doing your homework can turn an upgrade into your worst nightmare. My personal experience has shown that very seldom, if ever, do you realize the full potential of a new operating system when it’s installed as an upgrade. The most meticulous of users can’t guard against all the stray files, drivers, and registry entries that creep into a system through normal use. I see no sense in starting out at a disadvantage. Far too often I’ve heard an operating system badmouthed as being an unstable nightmare when the fault is with the upgrade process."​

While this post may be a bit late (in your case); perhaps someone considering this XP "upgrade method" in the future will happen upon this thread and benefit from the legacy of Windows upgrade hassles that you and many others have experienced.

Good Luck!

 

Yes it was a full xp professional cd..

 

>> Yes it was a full xp professional cd... <<

Oh, sorry I misunderstood that part...

Did you reformat first to get rid of XP Home before installing XP Pro? Because I always entirely reformat (to get rid of HOME) first and then place the full Windows XP professional CD in and start from scratch.

Having HOME stay in there and then placing the full CD Install for "upgrading" instead of reformatting and starting from scratch usually brings on various small and large problems immediately and shortly thereafter as well.

Even though it's a pain to have to reinstall all of the other programs again - in my experience a "clean and lean" install after reformatting works out better and there are far fewer problems in the long run.

The other "upgrade" way is like inviting your ex-wife to live at your house with your new wife. No matter how you try the two cannot co-exist and do not get along very well. The results of the UPGRADE method (without reformatting) always also remind me of that skit on the old Saturday Night Live with John Beluchi "The Thing That Wouldn't Leave!" in that afterward your really sorry you let this intruder through the front door! <g>

Good Luck!

 

Yes, I just reformatted and all is well. I now have Xp pro.

 

First I'd say...
I find your posts very informative.
To the point and in depth. You know your computer stuff and I have learned allot from you.
But a dirty little secret Microshaft keeps is that you as a matter of fact "can" "upgrade" with a brand-new "full installation" XP Pro CD.

I know this because it's made crystal clear that you know how to do this in CompTIA A+...
And also because I have done it before.

These are the paths you would use to upgrade using an XP full installation CD.
i386\... activate
"WINNT.EXE" to upgrade from NT5... 2000... XP Home
"WINNT32.EXE" to upgrade from 98SE... ME

But I agree that it's not recommended.
I did it only twice before finding out that the upgrade never lasts more than a couple weeks before it stops working...
and in a fatal way.

 

>> I find your posts very informative. To the point and in depth. You know your computer stuff and I have learned allot from you. But a dirty little secret Microshaft keeps is that you as a matter of fact "can" "upgrade" with a brand-new "full installation" XP Pro CD. But I agree that it's not recommended. I did it only twice before finding out that the upgrade never lasts more than a couple weeks before it stops working... and in a fatal way. PCJinx <<

Hi there PCJinx,

Thanks for the tips and your comments regarding my posts. I post occasionally in several other computer-related boards as well, but this one is by far one of my favorites. The Major Geeks forum members who give assistance to others here are magnificent and the forum is well managed and overseen by the moderators. Competent oversight something that is quite rare in other computer-based forums on the web nowadays; especially since the tech boom went bust several years ago.

Getting back to the subject at hand here; as for the upgrading of XP I never, ever recommend this "using the upgrade disk instead of the full install" method to anyone; when asked by friends, co-workers or people in forums who are thinking of going this route. It is a prescription for disaster.

As you rightly pointed out; even when you use the FULL XP Install disk for "upgrading" rather than a full format and "fresh" installation this can bring on numerous computer woes. Although it's true that entirely formatting takes a little longer; because you lose all your programs which have to be then reinstalled; I believe it is well worth the effort. The two or three days that users might "save" by updating and keeping the programs from having to be reinstalled; is replaced by weeks, even months of trouble awaiting any user who chooses to do so.

One time I was discussing this subject with a co-worker. He flat out didn’t believe it; because he had just recently upgraded using the XP "update" installation disk on his PC and had thus far experienced no problems. Sure enough, about two or three weeks later he said that he told me that wished he had reformatted instead of upgrading; because he was getting various driver error messages and system crashes that would not go away.

If someone asks about upgrade using the "update" disk I always recommend getting the full XP disk and reformatting instead. Particularly nowadays, when the difference in price between a full XP installation disk and an XP "update" install disk is minimal, especially when you consider the TRUE COST all of the wasted time and headaches using the "update" disk methods brings.

Good Luck!

 

Yes, I just reformatted and all is well. I now have Xp pro.

Glad to hear that it finally worked out for you, kc2hse!

Good Luck!