How to remove bootleg copy without format

[panget]

I know somebody who works on a bootleg copy of XP professional edition. He decides to use an original software instead but due to budget constraints, bought XP Home instead. How does he uninstall XP professional edition and then install XP Home?

[Leonardo]

Unfortunately, to my knowledge, you can't install Home edition over the top of Pro. To save his settings, email folders, profiles, and other unique information, he should use Files and Settings Transfer (FAST) Wizard. It works quite well. It's located in System Tools. Look it up and study the procedure. If you have questions, pop back in and we'll answer. FAST will take the files and settings that you wish to keep, store them on a drive or folder, and then retrieve them after a fresh installation of Windows.

[primesuspect]

Leo's exactly right. I just recently helped a client "legitimize" and there is just no "family cross-grades" - you have to backup, reformat, and reinstall the legit edition. I broke one PC pretty badly with the activation wizard and a keychanger thing. We tried to change the key to a legit one, but it backfired. We had to reformat and reinstall all of them.

[Shorty]

As both of these knowledgable gentlemen said, it's a full format required here :(

Leo, nice suggestion on using the FAST wizard. That's pretty funky as I have discovered :D

[QCH]

Re-install.... sorry. :rolleyes:

[profdlp]

FAST is a wonderful suggestion, Leonardo. Sometimes when I'm working on someone else's machine it seems like I spend twice as much time tweaking the appearance of the OS after a format than it took me to do the original backup/format/reinstall.

Tweaking my own computer is a never-ending process, though. :p