Windows Upgrade Key

[Sir Ify]

Does anyone know if a Windows XP Home upgrade key will work with my Home Key? My friend wants to install XP and hes trying to buy it with Circuit city Giftcards and all he can afford is the upgrade... Does anyone who bought the upgrade know if it is specialized for upgrades?

[Panama Red]

You can use the upgrade just like any other version to start the install. When it says no previous version can be found, insert any previous version of Windows (98se, ME, or 2000). It will do the recognition and you can then remove the old version and reinsert the XP disk to continue the install.

[sdkfz]

Originally Posted by Sir Ify Does anyone know if a Windows XP Home upgrade key will work with my Home Key? My friend wants to install XP and hes trying to buy it with Circuit city Giftcards and all he can afford is the upgrade... Does anyone who bought the upgrade know if it is specialized for upgrades?

I cannot tell you if the upgrade key is tied to the upgrade product, though I suspect so.

I know this is a gift card situation - but, you can buy the full version of Windows XP home OEM for a few dollars less than the upgrade. Maybe you can help via an exchange? If all your friend can afford is the gift card purchase then maybe you buy the OEM from newegg and they give you the gift card?

With the upgrade you will need to keep the old OS around so that if and when they need to do another install cause they got a virus/too much spyware etc - they still have the proof they qualify for the upgrade. With the full version they have an available OS license to sell (if not an OEM Compaq / Dell etc), re-use etc. What do you lose with the OEM? The support from Microsoft -come here instead- it is only three phone calls anyway, the fancy retail box (soon in a landfill) and the useless minimal book. With the OEM you still qualify for all updates, service packs etc.

http://www.circuitcity.com/ssm/Micro...oductDetail.do

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16837102059