I know there are a few Windows system experts here on Seti.
Got a question.

Is there any simple way to trick Win2K Advanced Server to allow an upgrade directly to XP? Or actually, trick the XP installer?

I tried it, and it's a no go.

I have 3 rigs that need to be upgraded to be able to take advantage of current drivers and opti apps, and it's gonna be a b**** to restart from scratch with a new OS on them all.
I have a 4th rig that is just standard Win2k...I have not tried yet, but I think it will upgrade on that one.

Thanks for any possible solutions.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

I don't think it's a good idea even if there was a hack for it. The Windows Server line of Operating Systems use a completely different kernel from the consumer line; compiled for different purposes.

As far as I know, there is no way to "upgrade" from a server OS to a consumer OS, but you can definitely upgrade from Win2k Pro to WinXP Pro.

I believe you can use a full version to change the O/S to anything you want.
You may lose your data in the process, so back it up first!!

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Janice

0zzF4|\| answer is correct. You cannot upgrade directly from a server os to a standard desktop os without doing a reinstall. You will be able to upgrade your stranded 2k box to XP without issue.

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I always have thought that server-based operating systems software for a given platform was better than client-based operating systems software for the same thing.

Is this not correct when it comes to Windows XP?

How many operating systems (developed by Microsoft) are better than Windows XP?

In one of my drawers stowed away, I have an old installation CD-ROM for Windows 2000 Professional (which I assume is not the same as Windows Advanced Server, by the way). This CD-ROM, now so obsolete it only includes Service Pack 1 on it, I once tried out in the same time period I also went back to Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 (which in fact brings quite much with it - Windows 98 may in some ways be regarded as an upgrade to Windows 95).

Anyway, when installing Windows 2000 Professional on the hardware platform I then was using, I found out that I really was stuck. The relatively good knowledge I already had at that time based on Windows XP which already was available at that time was little or no help when it came to integrating the software drivers towards the little extended hardware platform that was inside my two previous upgraded PC's.

So do we have anything that might be better than Windows XP currently available to us?

Windows 7 (Ultimate in my case, I guess), but then you have to know where to put your files and downloaded software.

This new platform has a directory structure for the Windows-based files which is completely different than the one which should be well known to experienced Windows XP users.

So it goes.

I have used 'PCMover' to upgrade four of my systems.
Two systems from 98 to XP Pro.
Two systems from XP Home to XP Pro.
They also have an inplace upgrade to Win7 from XP.
Perhaps they might have a solution.

I know there are a few Windows system experts here on Seti.
Got a question.

Is there any simple way to trick Win2K Advanced Server to allow an upgrade directly to XP? Or actually, trick the XP installer?

I tried it, and it's a no go.

I have 3 rigs that need to be upgraded to be able to take advantage of current drivers and opti apps, and it's gonna be a b**** to restart from scratch with a new OS on them all.
I have a 4th rig that is just standard Win2k...I have not tried yet, but I think it will upgrade on that one.

Thanks for any possible solutions.

I have a tool that allows the OS Edition to be changed. I used it when testing software installers before the days of using ghost to make system images. For XP I could set to Home, Pro, Tablet, or Media Center. Then for 2000 I could set Pro, Server, Adv. Server, or Datacenter.
It doesn't add things to the OS that are not there. It just changes what the OS reports it is. Also I'm not sure if it changes enough to trick the MS OS install check, but it is an option if you wanted to try it.

You could install XP in a different folder like C:\WinXP if you are already using C:\Windows. Then you would have everything on the system intact. However, software that adds stuff to the registry on installation would need to be reinstalled to work correctly.

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SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours
Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[

I much prefer clean installs rather than upgrades which in my experience often turn out to be buggy or run less efficiently.

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Brian.

I have a tool that allows the OS Edition to be changed. I used it when testing software installers before the days of using ghost to make system images. For XP I could set to Home, Pro, Tablet, or Media Center. Then for 2000 I could set Pro, Server, Adv. Server, or Datacenter.
It doesn't add things to the OS that are not there. It just changes what the OS reports it is. Also I'm not sure if it changes enough to trick the MS OS install check, but it is an option if you wanted to try it.

You could install XP in a different folder like C:\WinXP if you are already using C:\Windows. Then you would have everything on the system intact. However, software that adds stuff to the registry on installation would need to be reinstalled to work correctly.

And where might I find this tool you speak of. I could try it, as there is not much to lose. These are all crunch-only rigs...it's mostly the bother of reinstalling all the tools and such I use to manage them.

If I have enough disc space, the new folder option might work OK too. I'd just have to reinstall the necessary crunching bits from the old folder to the new installation. That actually is probably the best option.

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"Freedom is just Chaos, with better lighting." Alan Dean Foster

I much prefer clean installs rather than upgrades which in my experience often turn out to be buggy or run less efficiently.

amen!

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I much prefer clean installs rather than upgrades which in my experience often turn out to be buggy or run less efficiently.

amen!

+2

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I could try it, as there is not much to lose. These are all crunch-only rigs...it's mostly the bother of reinstalling all the tools and such I use to manage them.

If that are dedicated crunchers... I don't know how many tools we are talking about, but compared with the amount of programs installed on a "normal" PC I would guess it's not that much. And since you probably would have to reinstall few of them anyway for to get them to work properly, I would not spend my time on that, better make a clean install of the OS, drivers and other stuff, that may turn out to be the faster way. The only thing I'd recommend to keep is the BOINC data directory, but backup that somewhere else and format the drive.

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I have a tool that allows the OS Edition to be changed. I used it when testing software installers before the days of using ghost to make system images. For XP I could set to Home, Pro, Tablet, or Media Center. Then for 2000 I could set Pro, Server, Adv. Server, or Datacenter.
It doesn't add things to the OS that are not there. It just changes what the OS reports it is. Also I'm not sure if it changes enough to trick the MS OS install check, but it is an option if you wanted to try it.

You could install XP in a different folder like C:\WinXP if you are already using C:\Windows. Then you would have everything on the system intact. However, software that adds stuff to the registry on installation would need to be reinstalled to work correctly.

And where might I find this tool you speak of. I could try it, as there is not much to lose. These are all crunch-only rigs...it's mostly the bother of reinstalling all the tools and such I use to manage them.

If I have enough disc space, the new folder option might work OK too. I'd just have to reinstall the necessary crunching bits from the old folder to the new installation. That actually is probably the best option.

I sent you a PM with it so you can give it a go. If it buggers something up, which I only had happen a few times, a clean install to a new windows folder is still an option.

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SETI@home classic workunits: 93,865 CPU time: 863,447 hours
Join the [url=http://tinyurl.com/8y46zvu]BP6/VP6 User Group[

I have a tool that allows the OS Edition to be changed. I used it when testing software installers before the days of using ghost to make system images. For XP I could set to Home, Pro, Tablet, or Media Center. Then for 2000 I could set Pro, Server, Adv. Server, or Datacenter.
It doesn't add things to the OS that are not there. It just changes what the OS reports it is. Also I'm not sure if it changes enough to trick the MS OS install check, but it is an option if you wanted to try it.

You could install XP in a different folder like C:\WinXP if you are already using C:\Windows. Then you would have everything on the system intact. However, software that adds stuff to the registry on installation would need to be reinstalled to work correctly.

And where might I find this tool you speak of. I could try it, as there is not much to lose. These are all crunch-only rigs...it's mostly the bother of reinstalling all the tools and such I use to manage them.

If I have enough disc space, the new folder option might work OK too. I'd just have to reinstall the necessary crunching bits from the old folder to the new installation. That actually is probably the best option.

I sent you a PM with it so you can give it a go. If it buggers something up, which I only had happen a few times, a clean install to a new windows folder is still an option.

Mark, on your W2k boxes, a clean install may be the only way. Win2k runs an older version of NTFS (3.0) than XP (3.1). One guy said XP will make the change up for you; I couldn't tell if he meant during a full format or while doing just an in-place upgrade. Also, I've read there is no uninstall available for this combo. Apparently, the newer NTFS isn't backwards compatible, either.

My work laptop had W2k on it and I had to fight IT tooth and nail to keep that when they switched the company to XP, many moons ago...

It's all on the web...

Lt

ps On the server OS drives. Back-up what you want to keep to another physical location, wipe the drive and start clean. "It's the only way to be sure!"...lol

JMO...

I much prefer clean installs rather than upgrades which in my experience often turn out to be buggy or run less efficiently.

amen!

+2

+3

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