Upgrading from Win XP Home to Win XP Pro

Here is the scenario:-
- I have a desktop which has Win XP Home installed with SP1, SP2, and SP3, and all the latest XP security updates and patches from Microsoft.
Call this desktop "Target Desktop" for the purpose of this scenario.
- It is running the English version, successfully.
- I want to add another language option so that it can display other languages in addition to English (in e-mails, websites etc).
- But I do not have the original Win XP Home CD (which is required to install additional languages).
- I have an old Win XP Pro CD (on which it says: FOR DISTRIBUTION ONLY WITH A NEW PC). I also have an old XP Pro COA sticker with a Product Key. This CD came with for an old desktop purchased in mid-2002. So, it is unlikely that it contains SP2 and SP3.
- I have also downloaded from the official Microsoft Download Website onto a flash drive SP1, SP2, and SP3 as separate files.

My aims are:
a) upgrade this Target Desktop to Win XP Pro
b) install additional languages

Questions:
1. Can I upgrade the Target Desktop Win XP Home to Win XP Pro using the XP Pro CD?
2. Since the Target Desktop has SP1, SP2, SP3 and latest security updates and patches from Microsoft, if I upgrade this with Win XP Pro, do I have to reinstall SP1, SP2, SP3, etc.
3. After upgrading the Target Desktop, if I use Belarc Advisor to find out what other Microsoft patches are missing, can I get the Target Desktop to search the Microsoft Official Download Website for specific missing patches to install them?
4. What would happen if I - by accident, negligence, or ignorance - install a patch/update which has already been in place?

I appreciate your help. Many thanks!!!

1. You would have to do a clean install not an upgrade.
2. Yes.
3. Can't answer positively on this but probably would work.
4. I would right down their KB number and keep it handy.

And the biggest most important answer of all.

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I also have an old XP Pro COA sticker with a Product Key

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Is the product key for that disc?

The Product Key is on the COA, which is a Windows XP Professional Version.
Also the CD is Windows XP Pro CD (which is not a slipstream version).

You said it (the disc) came with another computer. If this disc and key code are both tied to the OEM XP Pro, then it is not useable on another computer according to Microsoft's EULA. Any disc that says

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FOR DISTRIBUTION ONLY WITH A NEW PC

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Is usually tied to the computer it came from and cannot legally be used on another PC.

Now having said that, if the key code is not tied to that computer, and you actually have another XP Pro key, you can use that disc. However I should warn you, that you cannot use a key code from HE for a XP Pro disc.

Photolady, thanks for your response.

Particular to your second post, you said "you cannot use a key code from HE for a XP Pro disc", who is HE?
Do you mean HP?

In Xp the home version is called Home Edition. In windows 7 it's called Home Premium, thus HE was correct in my writing.

I checked the contents of my XP Pro CD again, it is definitely a XP Professional Edition with SP1 included. It is also printed on the face of the CD too.

Now you know what the cd is, make sure the key is for XP Pro or it will not work.

By the way, a Windows XP PC does not contain SP1, SP2, SP3. It contains EITHER SP1, SP2 OR SP3 (or none). Why are you bothering with Windows XP anyway...UPGRADE!!!

For me, I have switched to Win 8.1, which is not too good of an experience; somehow I managed.

Nem1s1s, if you really want the reason and the background story, here:

I have been asked by someone to help someone who is very skeptical of any change to her desktop computer, especially in software. To give you an example, if the icon of the Internet Explorer had been moved from the sixth place down the first column on her desktop to the seventh, and the icon of Google Chrome takes the sixth place, she would consider her desktop computer not functioning properly.

She has her Hotmail shown as an Internet Explorer icon on her desktop, if this icon is moved to another location (and she would not bother to look through the tons of icons on her desktop), she would consider that Hotmail is not functioning !!!

I am dealing with an IDIOT. But help must I, I was told in no uncertain term.

Now she wanted to read her e-mails and webpages in the Internet which may come in Chinese (and not in English) whereas everything else is in English for her (including her acidic comments). And, her desktop computer has Win XP Home installed, but she lost her Win XP Home CD. Simple enough is to install an additional language in Win XP, nevertheless it requires the Win XP Home CD.

Instead of searching for her around the world for a replacement of the XP Home CD, I would just upgrade her to XP Pro (and fortunately she has a dead desktop computer with XP Pro also with the COA and the Product Key) which would give her what she wants (an additional language support). [Both her living and dead desktop computers are of HP brand - i.e. Hewlett Packard].

To me, the idea of "RE-INSTALLING" Windows for her is extremely scary. I need my sanity too.

So, my tech guy neighbor told me that there COULD BE AN EASIER WAY.
- Since her desktop computer is already up-to-date with the latest Windows XP security patches and with SP3, it is a matter of upgrading her XP Home with XP Pro (using the XP Pro Product Key and her original XP Pro CD, regardless of which SP the CD contains)
- then if there is any missing security patches, or even missing an SP completely, just download and install what is missing. (Do a Windows Update to make sure).
- And before doing any spectacular things of this nature on her computer, do a screen print of her desktop so that in case of any movement in the icons, I can track it down and put them back in their original place before finishing the job for her. Also, this is a protection against any of her unsubstantiated complaints, just in case).
- then use the XP Pro CD to install the additional language support.

Would that suggestion work? I hope so. Please advise.

There you go, the story of "The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly". You figure out which is which (or who is which), LOL.

I knew a person just like this person, if anything moved, she would say her computer was broken.

Now as for what you keep saying about upgrading to XP Pro. You cannot just do an upgrade with that OEM XP Pro. You will need to do a complete wipe and load, which means you'll have to have all her programs, and all the drivers, and save all her documents/pictures, emails, address book, favorites, etc because once you install XP Pro from that disc, all these things will be gone.

To upgrade Windows XP Home Edition to Windows XP Professional you need the Windows XP Professional Upgrade Version CD, you don't have that CD, you have the OEM Disc that was shipped with the HP desktop. I would install Microsoft Security Essentials on her PC so she keeps getting the annoying "End of Support" warnings :-)

I'm curious about how this turned out. Was your friend aware that support for all XPs stopped on the 8th?

Save and Restore Desktop Icon Layout in Windows

http://www.winhelponline.com/blog/sa...p-icon-layout/

This is what I use.

Foxy, my friend knew all along that Windows XP is a discontinued Microsoft product.
I think I shall upgrade the XP Home to XP Pro nevertheless, and to give ultra conservative and protective warning of the risk of having to re-install and thereby incurring risks of 'losing something' in the process.

I have also consulted a local computer guy who used to work as a GeekSquad. He told me that if I have the valid COA and License Key of XP Pro, then I can use an original XP Pro disk to upgrade (not re-install) to XP Pro from XP Home. He told he that when I open the XP Pro disk, the option to upgrade from XP Home to XP Pro is there. And, if there is any missing Microsoft security patches, or even a whole SP, after the upgrade, I could use Belarc to find them. Then I can find the missing ones from the appropriate Microsoft website, download, and install them. He told me that for the time being, all those security patches and upgrading from SP2 to SP3 of Windows XP are still available.

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He told me that if I have the valid COA and License Key of XP Pro, then I can use an original XP Pro disk to upgrade (not re-install) to XP Pro from XP Home

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Only if it is a RETAIL disc. You cannot do upgrades with OEM.