fresh install of windows xp upgrade cd

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crud_tud

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Could someone verify that this is all I need to install a full version of windows xp on a new build that I am planning?

I have the following:

1. Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade CD

2. "Gateway System Restoration CD" -- it states on the cd label "to reinstall system software and drivers, insert this CD while PC is on. For help reinstalling the Windows 98 or Windows 95 operating system or reinstalling Windows NT hardware drivers, start PC with this CD inserted"

I'm pretty sure (but hope to verify) that all I need to do to install a full version of Windows XP on a brand new computer is to boot up the Windows XP upgrade disk, and at some point I may (or may not) be prompted to insert an earlier version of windows, which the gateway system restoration cd will satisfy.

Is this right? In other words, is my Windows XP upgrade cd actually a FULL version that simply requires proof of ownership of an earlier version in order to install?
 
yes, everything is on the upgrade CD. I'm not to sure if XP will except the restore disk as a valid OS for an upgrade but i guess it should. Give it a try and if it doesn't work jmust borrow a 98 cd from a friend.

Josh
 
Thanks. I'm pretty confident that the system restoration disk was the only extra disk used (if anything was in fact needed) for the windows xp "upgrade". I'm the one who installed it, but it was a couple years ago and I don't remember the details.

One more question -- I have the product key for windows xp inside the cd folder, but can't find anything like that for the older gateway restoration cd with windows 98, and don't remember if it existed in the first place. Did they even have product keys back then? If so, will I need it to install the windows xp upgrade as a fresh install?
 
yes win98 had product keys, but they were not on the cd covers. it was either a sticker on the side or back of the computer itself or it was a sticker on the win98 manual. somtimes it would be a holographic sticker.

I am not sure if what you want to do would work. to do a full fresh install of winXP with your winXP upgrade CD you would backup your files first, than boot with the winXP upgrade CD and choose to do a full (fresh) installation. it would prompt you to insert a valid full version of windows, in this case your win98 CD. I think all computers manufacturers like Dell, compaq, gateway, etc are forced to give customers REAL upgrade CD's since it was deemed illegal to load hard disk images on all their machines with generic user accounts labeled "valued customer", "gateway user", and such.
 
crud_tud said:
2. "Gateway System Restoration CD" -- it states on the cd label "to reinstall system software and drivers, insert this CD while PC is on. For help reinstalling the Windows 98 or Windows 95 operating system or reinstalling Windows NT hardware drivers, start PC with this CD inserted"

I think the reason why you had this CD and also the winXP home upgrade CD is because you are supposed to use the Gateway System Restoration CD first. that CD installs probably win98se with all the programs and drivers. this would be done as a hard disk image restoration, probably using norton ghost. you would boot with this CD first, not the winxp upgrade CD. the winXP home upgrade CD would than be used after the restoration to upgrade win98se to winXP home.
 
ekÆsine said:
I am not sure if what you want to do would work. to do a full fresh install of winXP with your winXP upgrade CD you would backup your files first, than boot with the winXP upgrade CD and choose to do a full (fresh) installation. it would prompt you to insert a valid full version of windows, in this case your win98 CD. I think all computers manufacturers like Dell, compaq, gateway, etc are forced to give customers REAL upgrade CD's since it was deemed illegal to load hard disk images on all their machines with generic user accounts labeled "valued customer", "gateway user", and such.

Thanks for the reply. I'm not sure I understand the last sentence of this quote. The system restoration CD came with the computer. I bought the XP upgrade at a store for like $90.

The Windows XP upgrade CD can be used entirely by itself to install Windows XP in full, but requires proof of ownership of a prior version. So I think that means that if the system restoration CD counts as a "prior version" (which I think it does), then I don't ever need to install it at all, and can simply install Windows XP fresh, using the old system restoration disk merely as proof of ownership of a prior version.

If I'm wrong though, I'm screwed!!!!!
 
oh, I though it was strange that they would give you a hard disk image of win98 but also include winXP home upgrade. To answer your question no, the restoration CD is simply an image of your hard disk partition (operating system and programs and drivers on drive C: ). it is not valid proof that you own a full version of win98. that also explains why you cannot find a product key for win98 because they most likely used a corporate key (generic) for all of the models in that series (example gateway XT3500 series).

so what i am saying is since you do not have a previous full version of windows you need to buy/ use a full version of winXP, not the upgrade version
 
ekÆsine said:
oh, I though it was strange that they would give you a hard disk image of win98 but also include winXP home upgrade. To answer your question no, the restoration CD is simply an image of your hard disk partition (operating system and programs and drivers on drive C: ). it is not valid proof that you own a full version of win98. that also explains why you cannot find a product key for win98 because they most likely used a corporate key (generic) for all of the models in that series (example gateway XT3500 series).

so what i am saying is since you do not have a previous full version of windows you need to buy/ use a full version of winXP, not the upgrade version

But then how was I able to install Windows XP two years ago when all I had was the XP upgrade CD and the system restoration for windows 98?
 
I think what you did back then was you had win98 on that computer and used winXP upgrade after. So in your case you could use the win98 restore CD first to bring your computer's win98 back to factory default with all the original drivers and pprograms installed then use the winXP home upgrade CD to upgrade win98 to winXP home.


what I was trying to say is that you should not be able to just use the winXP home upgrade CD alone to do a fresh full installation of winXP home. meaning a fresh format and full installation of winXP home. I think that is what you were asking originally right?

What you did 2 years ago was an upgrade installation not a full installation. I assume when you did an upgrade on top of your existing win98 the winXP upgrade CD recognised your corporate product key as valid and allowed you to upgrade in that way since you have a valid installation of win98. however the win98 restore CD is not a valid full version of windows.

"I'm pretty sure (but hope to verify) that all I need to do to install a full version of Windows XP on a brand new computer is to boot up the Windows XP upgrade disk, and at some point I may (or may not) be prompted to insert an earlier version of windows, which the gateway system restoration cd will satisfy."
 
So perhaps a surefire solution would be to buy a copy of windows 98 on ebay? Gotta look into that.
 
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