XP update?

[Lie-in King]

I hope this makes sense!..

Assuming my PC is up to it & if I can borrow the discs to install XP (I've got 2000), will sites such as Microsoft Update get antsy because of the Product Code having previously been used on a different PC?

If that's ok, is it then an easy job? Do I just "Insert Disc" & follow instructions? Does it automatically hold the stuff I've got on my PC & then allow me to carry on as normal after installation, or do I have to whack the lot onto an external drive & then reload it?

I haven't even asked to borrow the discs yet, so this isn't urgent, but I'd be grateful for any advance assistance!

Thank you for your time & attention :-)

[vehelpfulguy]

If you are running Windows 2000 Professional you can only upgrade to XP Professional (not XP Home).

If the product code has been used before you may have problems activating the software. If you cant activate it then it stops working after a short while.

If it thinks you have a dodgy copy of XP then Updates will not work.

While a Windows upgrade is fairly easy, if you have never done it before you may well hit problems and not be aware of how to get round them.

It is a bit like saying is it easy to change the engine in a car. It may be easy if you work in a garage and have done it before, if you have never done it before it may prove very difficult.

While an upgrade "should" work you may well find yourself at the end with an unusable computer so make sure you back everything up first.

And before you start make sure you get XP drivers for all the hardware in your computer.

[ACtheTROLL]

at christmas do you generally nip down to tesco and "borrow" a turkey and a couple of boxes of chocies?

So If we ignore the fact that it sounds like you are asking for advice on pirating software - unless of course the disc you are going to borrow isn't installed elsewhere -

as VHG says if the software is installed on a pc already - it won't activate on yours as well

point and shoot won't work either - you won't have the drivers required by XP.

[terambulan]

When a problem occurs a window pops up advising reporting to Microsoft.....have learned to refuse these by closing the window as Ms dowload too many fixes and mess up my set-ups.

[Lie-in King]

Thank you for the great answers! In order then...

vehelpfulguy - probably more than I'd like to try without an expert sitting here with me, but well worth knowing! :-)

ACtheTROLL - well I will be dipped...! Never occurred to me! Doh! Quite right for pointing it out, too! (Might give the Tesco idea a bit more thought...) :-)

terambulan - thank you, but as you'll probably have gathered, I'm now thinking "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"... :-)

Once again, thanks to you all for taking the time to answer.

[ChuckFickens]

you've already quoted what my answer would have been if I'd spotted this earlier..

I'm now thinking "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"... :-)

[Lie-in King]

Hi Chuck - it's a case of want, not need! Just thought (or not, as the case may be!) it might be nice to move up a step...

...there's always the lottery!.. :-))