Installing retail version over oem okay?

Can I install retail version of xp over top of an existing oem version
of XP without losing my data, documents and programs okay? If so will I
encounter any problems at all? I assume that I don't select the initial
'r' for repair option but chose to install and then select the repair
option when it's found the existing install?

I'm doing the over-install because I cannot resolve the boot-up loop
its got into (I get the safe mode and last good..options but
selecting any of them just leads to a reboot to the same screen) by
using various commands under the recovery console. TIA

"george" said this in news item
...
Can I install retail version of xp over top of an existing oem version
of XP without losing my data, documents and programs okay? If so will I
encounter any problems at all? I assume that I don't select the initial
'r' for repair option but chose to install and then select the repair
option when it's found the existing install?

I'm doing the over-install because I cannot resolve the boot-up loop
its got into (I get the safe mode and last good..options but
selecting any of them just leads to a reboot to the same screen) by
using various commands under the recovery console. TIA

Maybe it will work, maybe it won't. There are a couple of concerns he

- You're assuming that the over-the-top installation will automatically keep
all the good stuff (e.g. your various settings) while fixing the bad stuff
(e.g. the loop problem). Perhaps it will but it's just as likely that it
won't.

- Installing any version of Windows without first backing up all important
files is risky. One wrong step and you lose the lot.

My preference would be to go for a new installation onto a freshly formatted
disk.

On Jan 19, 9:56*am, george wrote:
Can I install retail version of xp over top of an existing oem version
of XP without losing my data, documents and programs okay? If so will I
encounter any problems at all? I assume that I don't select the initial
'r' for repair option but chose to install and then select the repair
option when it's found the existing install?

I'm doing the over-install because I cannot resolve the boot-up loop
its got into (I get the safe mode and last good..options but
selecting any of them just leads to a reboot to the same screen) by
using various commands under the recovery console. TIA

Yes, you "can" install a Retail version on top of OEM version, thus
converting the XP to "Retail."

HOWEVER, there is always a chance that the repair install will fail.
Also, you MUST uninstall IE 8 / 7 and Widows Media Player 11 before
doing this. And you must use a Retail CD with SP3 integrated onto the
CD.

BUT, this "probably" will NOT fix the boot loop problem