XP home-XP Pro-Win2k Pro

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I ahve a desktop which had XP home on it.

I upgraded it to XP Pro, but due to license issues it won't elt me boot up and use XP Pro now.

I was suggested to install an earlier OS.I have Windows 2000 Pro, so have booted up with that.

It's now at the partition stage.

Question is will this save my data already on the disk, or will it overwrite it :?:

I need to be sure my data will still be there, so am asking here first.

Thanks

 

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Create a separate parition from your XP install, then stick w2k on the new one. You should then be able to boot into w2k and (hopefully) access your files from there.

 

I checked and I have enoguh free space.I will give it a go now, will report back shortly.
Thanks Jak.

Edit: I click 'C' to create a new partition, but nothing happens

 

correct me if im wrong, but unless you have unpartitioned space or an empty disk, the partition utility inbedded in the setup process will not let you dynamicly change the size of a partition, you would need to delete the partion, and make two, this clearing the partition tables and loosing your data
recommend adjusting partition sizes first with partition magic boot disk, or throwing in a spare hard disk for the interim

 

Yeah, that's what I thought, but couldn't quite recall if that was the case earlier.
I don't have ghost.Ooooh

 

Sorry Flex, I assumed that when you said you were at the partitioning stage, you meant you coud create another partition on free space you had available.

Do you have a second hard drive you could drop into the PC as a workaround ?

 

Don't be sorry mate, it was a good suggestion, just that I hadn't explained myself properly.

Nope

 

If I install on the existing partition, will the data remain or not :?:

 

ive never done a downgrade, data usually remains when u do an upgrade providing u chose 'upgrade' not 'replace' u should get the option to install to a seperate dir rather than overwriting the current windows dir, that should definatly keep ur data

 

I've been reading this thread, and reasonably sure that if it was 2000 you were talking about, a reinstall over the top would keep the data. However it's XP....XP guru please?

 

I have to be absolutely sure about this.I can't abck up my data as I can't access it, and I have some important stuff on there which I can't afford to lose.

I know I should backup data, but I sue the machine mainly as a backup device for my laptop, and have nowhere to put the backup of the desktops data, as the laptops hd is too small.

 

I don't think you will bew able to install W2k over an existing XP install.

Sorry for those unencouraging 2€'s Flex

 

Flex, if you try to install win2k over xp you will probably get a message saying that you cannot do that as the existing os is newer than the one you are trying to install.

Do you have Knoppix??

If so then boot from that, and rescue your data.

 

Ahaaaa


Ok, now what, how do I rescue the data exactly.

 

i think the problem is he would have no where to put the data if he could access it from linux

and i didnt know knoppix had an NTFS module in it

 

Flex, I'm not too sure what issues you are facing with the license problem. If you upgraded then you would have a license key (or not?).

Also, have you tried booting from the xp cd into the recovery console?

If you reinstall xp on the same partition over the existing install then it will keep the data but I'm not too sure about it from an upgrade cd.

With knoppix you should be able to mount the ntfs partition, give yourself r/w permissions and possibly burn the data to cd (from memory).

 

It might work AJ if you get the choice where to install the os which I don't think you get with 2K. I think the folder structure is the same for 2K and xp but is different to nt4.

 

Flex, do you have PartitionQuest PQ Magic ?

How much unpartitioned space do you have, and how much free space is on the partition with the existing XP install ? If you had PQ, you might be able to squeeze down the XP partition, then amalgamate the free unpartitioned space left on your drive into the 2 Gb partition you'd need for the w2k install.

I've heard of Knoppix being used from CD for just this scenario, but not entirely sure how it's achieved. That's assuming it picks up all your hardware before you go any further...

Hope you get this sorted, Flex - you have us all gripped

Mind you, I seem to remember giving you a row way back for not backing-up faithfully, and you promised me you would from then on ...

 

I was using the desktop to place my laptop backups on, but didn't do it vice versa, i.e desktop to laptop.

I ahven't got any partition programs.Maybe somebody knows of some trial software I could get hold of, put onto CD, then use.
I'm not going to spend money I haven't got until all possibilities are exhausted.