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I have XP Pro Version 5.1 running but I do not have the original XP disk. I
tried to install the various upgrades via download as well as with a service
pack 2 disc. I get an error message that I have an unregistered copy of XP &
therefore can't do the upgrades. Can I purchase & install XP PRO as an
upgrade or do I have to buy the full program? Also, what if I want to but
a lower version of Windows rather than XP Pro.

It is NOT necessary to purchase a FULL Retail CD. Why? Because it is
possible to do a clean install or upgrade using the UPGRADE Retail CD,
as long as you have a full version of a previous Windows (Win95-Win2k,
including all 9x versions of Windows.)

I have been checking prices for the Retail Upgrade CD for XP Pro. The
best price (and probably the safest merchant) I've found is through
Amazon.com. Their price is $159.00, which includes their SuperSaver
Shipping for free. 2-6 day delivery is only $7.95. All-in-all, this is
a very good deal. I'm sure Amazon will sell a bunch of these disks in
the next few weeks.

I intend to purchase this product, because for all intents and purposes,
my OEM copy of XP Pro is worthless since Microsoft disabled internet
activation for this disk. Why is it worthless? To my way of thinking,
I have no desire to spend my time on the phone trying to persuade some
person from Microsoft's Indian Call Center that I have a legal copy of
XP every time I want to reinstall my OS (I always reinstall clean every
few months, since I do a lot of software installation and testing, which
really cruds up the registry and my HD.)

Yeh, I know: I'm doing exactly what Microsoft wants me to do. But of
course, THEY would rather I purchased the "Full Retail" version.

--
Donald L McDaniel
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