I am an idiot... (OS Related)

There's not a whole ton of differences between the two OS's, to my knowledge. I don't understand why XP home is so bad.

Here's a link comparing the two:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/p...choosing2.mspx

Basically if you want to do stuff with servers or access your computer from somewhere else than you need professional, but other than that, I don't see why you would need professional. My school told me both would work fine when I asked at orientation.

There were a lot of coding differences between the two; the Home edition is more of a hybrid between Windows 2000 and Windows 9x, whereas the Professional edition is literally Windows 2000 with a few tweaks.

I thought when you install XP Pro, it installs over whatever was there before. So if you had XP Home, it no longer exists and you can't have any remaining issues from before because it is wiped out when you installed the new Xp Pro. Am I missing something?

True, you CAN install _over_ XP Home, but you'll erase your current registry; so any installed programs (or anything that uses the registry) will be defunct. Its usually better to just reformat anyways...

So, then yes, right?

If you're trying to "upgrade" from XP Home to XP pro, I have no idea... another thread answered "yes," but I have no personal experience with which to back that up.

No... from what I remember reading, I'm pretty sure the Win XP Home and Pro are built off the same kernel or w/e. No more difference between 98 for the home and NT/2000 for the professional user. The only differences are the features that come with Pro (admin tools, domain connectivity, remote desktop, and HD file encryption, basically).

Don't try and install over the current version. Back everything up and then re-format and re-install. That seems to be the sure way of not having any issues (or at least as few as possible).

True dat. Best bet when changing OSs of any caliber is to reformat and reinstall, IMHO.

The shouldn't be much a difference, compatibility wise, between the OS Dell sent you and a "boxed" Win XP. If there's any difference, it's going to be in any of the pre-installed software (if there is any, I can't remember from my install) Dell puts in the OS install. And if you're really, really missing that stuff, it's either on Dell's website or should've come on a CD with your machine.

You will not be able to watch DVDs once you re-install unless you get a third party decoder, just remember that (if you didn't get a power DVD CD from Dell). I used the nVidia purevideo one, but I don't know that it's any better. You can request the Power DVD from Dell. That is the only thing from Dell that I missed (other than drivers of course), I left of the NSS stuff and the Quickset software. I'm not even running the Alps drivers for the touchpad (just one more thing starting up). The buttons on the fromt will just work so don't think that you have to install the Dell crap to get all your buttons working. Even the function shortcuts still work. The dell stuff is useless (In my opinion).

If you have problems getting things you need, just post here and someone will help. Just remember to download the chipset, video, and ethernet drivers so you can get on-line and actually get what yop might end up needing.

Well, considering Windows XP Pro is basically a repackaged Windows 2000 with a few changes, but the jump from 98/ME to XP Home is fairly large, there seem to be a few differences. Either that, or whatever they added into Windows XP Home is pretty buggy compared to XP Pro. Also, its odd that you can upgrade from 98/ME to XP Home, but you can't upgrade to XP Pro unless you use Windows 2000.

Home = SUCKS A$$ for networking....

Pro= awesome

Just run the upgrade, and everything will stay the way it is, except you will have XP Pro. It won't erase your registry, as you are UPGRADING not installing it over the top.

I would suggest that you reformat your system and install XP Pro from scratch. That ensures the best operation out of it.

They probably did this because XP Pro has many features that businesses would need, but home users wouldn't. I suppose that is their way of directing it to its target market.

XP Pro has some functionality that Home does not have. Other than that, it is the same - ignore anyone who claims that one is a tweaked 2k OS and the other is a hybrid.

That said, Home is great if you don't need the networking stuff (and a few other little tools, see the microsoft comparison page for the full list). For a student or a business, XP Pro is most likely the way to go.

Matt
System Administrator
UC Riverside

Is it true that the Dell OEM version of windows xp, you don't need to enter a key to install? It will just search for the dell bios?

Correct, you wont need a key if you install it on the Dell. However, if you use the Dell OEM cd on say...a Compaq, then you will need to call up microsoft to get a key (i know this from experience...installed the dell oem xp on a compaq comp, had to call the microsoft number, i just told them i was reinstalling xp on my computer aftera complete reformat, and i got a new serial key :-D )

I'd like to know how you did this. I had a hard drive in an HP die and after I replaced it and tried to use the HP CDs, they wouldn't run because it was a different hard drive. I figured I could use the Dell installation CD since I have a legitimate OEM key for the HP. But booting to the Dell OEM CD immediately displays a message that it won't run on a non-Dell PC. I never got anywhere near anything I could have used an alternate key on.

XP Home and XP Pro use an identical kernel. XP could be technically said to be a "tweaked" 2000 kernel, but then any software that's been upgraded from a previous version without starting with an entirely new codebase could be called a "tweak" of the earlier version.
What's different between Home and Pro is some of the non-core OS features. XP Home can't join a Windows domain, but other than that I have zero problems with networking it. I use XP Home on my notebook as my work PC and have never had any problems hooking into a client network to do what I needed to. I don't have any problems at LAN parties either. XP Home also doesn't have group policy, which usually isn't a big deal. The only user account types available on XP Home are Administrator and Limited, but that's rarely a problem either. The security settings available on XP Home are very simplistic, but again it shouldn't make a difference to a home user.

Huh? Upgrade Matrix Linkage.