Home > Articles

Installation

Upgrading an existing Windows installation to Windows XP Professional is a fairly straightforward and simple task. Windows XP Professional supports upgrades from the following operating systems; this is the first step of the upgrade process: determine upgrade capability.

  • Windows 98

  • Windows 98 Second Edition

  • Windows Millennium Edition

  • Windows NT 4.0 Workstation

  • Windows 2000 Professional

  • Windows XP Home Edition

There are no supported upgrade paths for the following list of operating systems. Installations performed from these operating systems will require a clean installation, as detailed previously in the "Performing a Clean Installation" section of this chapter.

  • Windows 3.x

  • Windows 95

  • Windows NT 3.51 Workstation

  • Windows NT 3.51 Server

  • Windows 2000 Trial Edition

  • BackOffice Small Business Server

If you have an upgrade path available to you, the second step you must complete is preparing for the upgrade. Installation preparation was covered extensively in Chapter 2. If you skipped over it, now would be a good time to go back and make sure you're ready for the upgrade!

Once you are sure you are ready to upgrade, the process is very similar to that of performing a clean installation; the chief difference being that there is no text-mode phase of Setup. The process to perform an upgrade installation is outlined here (in this case from an installation of Windows Millennium Edition operating in a workgroup arrangement).

NOTE

For more information on customizing an installation using Setup switches, see the section "Using Installation Switches," later in this chapter.

  1. Insert your Windows XP Professional Setup CD-ROM into your computer. If it does not auto-start, you can start the Setup program by double-clicking the SETUP.EXE file located in the root directory, or by typing x:\I386\winnt32.exe, where x is the location of your Windows XP Professional Setup CD-ROM.

  2. From the What Do You Want to Do? screen, you should click the Install Windows XP icon to continue on. If you need to verify whether your system is ready to support Windows XP Professional, you can use the Windows Upgrade Advisor by clicking on Check system compatibility. The Windows Upgrade Advisor was discussed in Chapter 2.

  3. When prompted to choose what type of installation you are performing, as shown in Figure 3.15, choose Upgrade (Recommended) and click Next to continue on.

  4. Figure 3.15Figure 3.15 Choosing the installation type.

  5. On the License Agreement page, click to accept the End-User License Agreement and click Next to continue on. If you do not accept the EULA, Setup will not continue.

  6. On the Your Product Key page, enter your 25-digit CD key and click Next to continue on.

  7. On the Upgrade Report page, as seen in Figure 3.16, you have the option to view a limited compatibility report, a full compatibility report, or no compatibility report at all. Make your selection and click Next to continue on. In this example, we are going to get a full compatibility report.

  8. Figure 3.16Figure 3.16 Choosing the compatibility report.

  9. From the Get Updated Setup Files page, shown in Figure 3.17, you will need to make a choice as to whether or not you want Setup to contact the Windows Update Web site and download files that are newer than those on your CD-ROM. In most cases, it's best to let Dynamic Update run unless you don't have an active Internet connection. If you do not let Dynamic Update occur, you can go back later and update your installation manually from the Windows Update Web site. Make your selection and click Next to continue on.

  10. Figure 3.17Figure 3.17 Choosing to Dynamic Update or not to Dynamic Update.

    Defining Dynamic Update

    As we all know, Microsoft regularly updates its products for various reasons, ranging from security fixes to compatibility improvements. These updates are made available from the Windows Update Web site. Dynamic Update queries the Windows Update Web site during setup and downloads new and updated files as required.

  11. Setup will work away for a while, downloading files if you selected Dynamic Update and performing various other tasks such as analyzing your computer and copying the installation files.

  12. After Setup has finished copying the installation files it needs, it will prompt you for a restart.

  13. Figure 3.18 shows the first noticeable change due to our Windows XP Professional upgrade: the Windows XP Professional boot menu. To continue with the installation, press Enter or let the timer time out to force the default selection of Microsoft Windows XP Professional Setup.

  14. Figure 3.18Figure 3.18 A new boot menu appears.

  15. After your computer has restarted, Windows XP Professional Setup continues. You can expect to spend between 15–30 minutes at this step while Setup prepares the installation.

  16. The next phase of the installation involves Setup actually performing the installation.

  17. After a while, you will see your progress bar move all the way to the right during the Finalizing Installation phase of Setup. You're home free now.

  18. After a restart, things are starting to look a lot more like home. The familiar Windows XP Professional splash screen is finally seen.

  19. After Setup completes a few remaining tasks, Windows XP finally comes to life. The Welcome to Microsoft Windows screen appears, prompting you to complete the installation. Click Next to continue on.

  20. From the Ready to Activate Windows? page, seen in Figure 3.19, you will need to decide whether or not you are going to activate your installation at this time via the Internet. This is the easiest option by far, and thus the option we will use here. For more information on Product Activation, see the "Product Activation" section later in this chapter. After making your selection, click Next to continue on.

  21. Figure 3.19Figure 3.19 Preparing to activate Windows XP.

  22. From the Ready to Register with Microsoft page, select either to register or not register your Windows XP Professional software. You do not have to register your software to perform Product Activation. After making your selection, click Next to continue on.

  23. After activation completes, you will be presented with the Who Will Use This Computer? page. Enter at least one user account and click Next to continue on.

  24. When all is said and done you will receive a Thank You! page informing you of what has been accomplished, such as installing Windows XP Profession, activating it, and so on. You've just completed the installation of Windows XP Professional! Click Finish to complete the process.

  25. After a few moments of disk activity, you will be prompted to set a password for all users created on the computer, as seen in Figure 3.20. This will be Administrator and any additional users you configured in Step 18. After entering your password twice, click OK to continue on.

  26. Figure 3.20Figure 3.20 Setting an initial password.

  27. You will (finally) come to the login screen shown in Figure 3.21 if the computer is not part of a domain. If your computer is part of a domain, you will see the standard login dialog box as shown in Figure 3.22. Note that you cannot access the local built-in Administrator account unless you use the standard login box. To bring up the standard login dialog box, simply press the Ctrl+Alt+Del key combination twice.

  28. Figure 3.21Figure 3.21 The "new" Windows XP login screen.

    Figure 3.22Figure 3.22 The old standby login dialog box.

  29. The last step you must perform is to change the user passwords for any users you have created on your computer. The password configured in Step 20 is for all users—not a very secure configuration. User account maintenance can be performed from the User Accounts applet in the Control Panel, shown in Figure 3.23. To change a user's password, click the user from those listed in the User Accounts applet and then click Change the password, which opens the page shown in Figure 3.24. Enter the new password (and hint if desired) and click Change Password to confirm.

  30. Figure 3.23Figure 3.23 The User Accounts applet.

    Figure 3.24Figure 3.24 Changing the password for Will Schmied's user account.

  31. If you have a domain that you would like to join a workgroup computer to, you can do so from the System applet of the Control Panel. Switch to the Computer Name tab and click the Change button to bring up the Computer Name Changes page, shown in Figure 3.25. Enter the domain name information and click OK. You will need to supply the username and password for an account that is authorized to add computers to the domain, as shown in Figure 3.26. The username should be in the user@domain.com format. After you have joined the domain, a restart will be required to complete the process.

  32. Figure 3.25Figure 3.25 Joining a domain.

    Figure 3.26Figure 3.26 Providing the required credentials.

Your computer has now been upgraded from its previous operating system to Windows XP Professional. Before you perform any other actions on your newly upgraded computer, you need to be aware of the uninstall capabilities that are part of Windows XP Professional. The next section of this chapter addresses this new feature.

InformIT Promotional Mailings & Special Offers

I would like to receive exclusive offers and hear about products from InformIT and its family of brands. I can unsubscribe at any time.

Overview


Pearson Education, Inc., 221 River Street, Hoboken, New Jersey 07030, (Pearson) presents this site to provide information about products and services that can be purchased through this site.

This privacy notice provides an overview of our commitment to privacy and describes how we collect, protect, use and share personal information collected through this site. Please note that other Pearson websites and online products and services have their own separate privacy policies.

Collection and Use of Information


To conduct business and deliver products and services, Pearson collects and uses personal information in several ways in connection with this site, including:

Questions and Inquiries

For inquiries and questions, we collect the inquiry or question, together with name, contact details (email address, phone number and mailing address) and any other additional information voluntarily submitted to us through a Contact Us form or an email. We use this information to address the inquiry and respond to the question.

Online Store

For orders and purchases placed through our online store on this site, we collect order details, name, institution name and address (if applicable), email address, phone number, shipping and billing addresses, credit/debit card information, shipping options and any instructions. We use this information to complete transactions, fulfill orders, communicate with individuals placing orders or visiting the online store, and for related purposes.

Surveys

Pearson may offer opportunities to provide feedback or participate in surveys, including surveys evaluating Pearson products, services or sites. Participation is voluntary. Pearson collects information requested in the survey questions and uses the information to evaluate, support, maintain and improve products, services or sites, develop new products and services, conduct educational research and for other purposes specified in the survey.

Contests and Drawings

Occasionally, we may sponsor a contest or drawing. Participation is optional. Pearson collects name, contact information and other information specified on the entry form for the contest or drawing to conduct the contest or drawing. Pearson may collect additional personal information from the winners of a contest or drawing in order to award the prize and for tax reporting purposes, as required by law.

Newsletters

If you have elected to receive email newsletters or promotional mailings and special offers but want to unsubscribe, simply email information@informit.com.

Service Announcements

On rare occasions it is necessary to send out a strictly service related announcement. For instance, if our service is temporarily suspended for maintenance we might send users an email. Generally, users may not opt-out of these communications, though they can deactivate their account information. However, these communications are not promotional in nature.

Customer Service

We communicate with users on a regular basis to provide requested services and in regard to issues relating to their account we reply via email or phone in accordance with the users' wishes when a user submits their information through our Contact Us form.

Other Collection and Use of Information


Application and System Logs

Pearson automatically collects log data to help ensure the delivery, availability and security of this site. Log data may include technical information about how a user or visitor connected to this site, such as browser type, type of computer/device, operating system, internet service provider and IP address. We use this information for support purposes and to monitor the health of the site, identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents and appropriately scale computing resources.

Web Analytics

Pearson may use third party web trend analytical services, including Google Analytics, to collect visitor information, such as IP addresses, browser types, referring pages, pages visited and time spent on a particular site. While these analytical services collect and report information on an anonymous basis, they may use cookies to gather web trend information. The information gathered may enable Pearson (but not the third party web trend services) to link information with application and system log data. Pearson uses this information for system administration and to identify problems, improve service, detect unauthorized access and fraudulent activity, prevent and respond to security incidents, appropriately scale computing resources and otherwise support and deliver this site and its services.

Cookies and Related Technologies

This site uses cookies and similar technologies to personalize content, measure traffic patterns, control security, track use and access of information on this site, and provide interest-based messages and advertising. Users can manage and block the use of cookies through their browser. Disabling or blocking certain cookies may limit the functionality of this site.

Do Not Track

This site currently does not respond to Do Not Track signals.

Security


Pearson uses appropriate physical, administrative and technical security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access, use and disclosure.

Children


This site is not directed to children under the age of 13.

Marketing


Pearson may send or direct marketing communications to users, provided that

  • Pearson will not use personal information collected or processed as a K-12 school service provider for the purpose of directed or targeted advertising.
  • Such marketing is consistent with applicable law and Pearson's legal obligations.
  • Pearson will not knowingly direct or send marketing communications to an individual who has expressed a preference not to receive marketing.
  • Where required by applicable law, express or implied consent to marketing exists and has not been withdrawn.

Pearson may provide personal information to a third party service provider on a restricted basis to provide marketing solely on behalf of Pearson or an affiliate or customer for whom Pearson is a service provider. Marketing preferences may be changed at any time.

Correcting/Updating Personal Information


If a user's personally identifiable information changes (such as your postal address or email address), we provide a way to correct or update that user's personal data provided to us. This can be done on the Account page. If a user no longer desires our service and desires to delete his or her account, please contact us at customer-service@informit.com and we will process the deletion of a user's account.

Choice/Opt-out


Users can always make an informed choice as to whether they should proceed with certain services offered by InformIT. If you choose to remove yourself from our mailing list(s) simply visit the following page and uncheck any communication you no longer want to receive: www.informit.com/u.aspx.

Sale of Personal Information


Pearson does not rent or sell personal information in exchange for any payment of money.

While Pearson does not sell personal information, as defined in Nevada law, Nevada residents may email a request for no sale of their personal information to NevadaDesignatedRequest@pearson.com.

Supplemental Privacy Statement for California Residents


California residents should read our Supplemental privacy statement for California residents in conjunction with this Privacy Notice. The Supplemental privacy statement for California residents explains Pearson's commitment to comply with California law and applies to personal information of California residents collected in connection with this site and the Services.

Sharing and Disclosure


Pearson may disclose personal information, as follows:

  • As required by law.
  • With the consent of the individual (or their parent, if the individual is a minor)
  • In response to a subpoena, court order or legal process, to the extent permitted or required by law
  • To protect the security and safety of individuals, data, assets and systems, consistent with applicable law
  • In connection the sale, joint venture or other transfer of some or all of its company or assets, subject to the provisions of this Privacy Notice
  • To investigate or address actual or suspected fraud or other illegal activities
  • To exercise its legal rights, including enforcement of the Terms of Use for this site or another contract
  • To affiliated Pearson companies and other companies and organizations who perform work for Pearson and are obligated to protect the privacy of personal information consistent with this Privacy Notice
  • To a school, organization, company or government agency, where Pearson collects or processes the personal information in a school setting or on behalf of such organization, company or government agency.

Links


This web site contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of each and every web site that collects Personal Information. This privacy statement applies solely to information collected by this web site.

Requests and Contact


Please contact us about this Privacy Notice or if you have any requests or questions relating to the privacy of your personal information.

Changes to this Privacy Notice


We may revise this Privacy Notice through an updated posting. We will identify the effective date of the revision in the posting. Often, updates are made to provide greater clarity or to comply with changes in regulatory requirements. If the updates involve material changes to the collection, protection, use or disclosure of Personal Information, Pearson will provide notice of the change through a conspicuous notice on this site or other appropriate way. Continued use of the site after the effective date of a posted revision evidences acceptance. Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about the Privacy Notice or any objection to any revisions.

Last Update: November 17, 2020