Basic XP Install Questions

Okay, I've got two reasonably simple questions about XP.

It seems to me that the Professional version mainly adds a lot of stuff for networking computers. If I am a home user on a single computer is there something else that I should be aware of? For example, my wife speaks and writes in Spanish and I work in English--can the profilles be set up to do this on the Home version?

Also, I live in the third world I have a version of "XP Professional" already installed on the computer, but I am purchasing a legal, upgradable version. Can I just install my new version over the version I already have? What complications would arise?

Thanks for all your help.

 

I've read that XP Home Edition only supports one installed language, so you'd need XP Professional Edition for that.

Although XP Home can be upgraded to XP Professional, you cannot downgrade from Professional to Home. You could, of course, format the computer and install XP Home as long as you have a cd of Windows 98 or Windows Me to put into the cdrom drive when your new upgrade edition of Windows XP Home asks for proof of eligibility during XP's setup.

It looks to me like you'd be better off with Windows XP Professional Edition. Especially since you want the operating system to function in two languages.

 

My XP Home supports many languages. see the pic from a menu.

 

Ah, well, I read that somewhere. I guess I was just misinterpreting what I was reading!

I'm pretty certain about the other stuff though. Can't downgrade and keep the currently running system. Gotta format and install fresh and have a qualifying cd of a supported OS to upgrade from.

 

thescribe--Perhaps of help
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.mspx

 

Multi-lingual User Interface (MUI) add-on - change the user interface language to get localized dialog boxes, menus, help files, dictionaries, and proofing tools etc.

That's listed as an add-on for Professional but not for Home.

I don't know if that's something you'd need. Are you using that now? If so, perhaps Home Edition has some things that will appear in different languages but not the whole interface.

It's something for you to consider.

 

Thanks for the responses. It looks like Professional would be the way for me to go. Now when I install a legal version of Professional over the not so legal version on my computer, so I have to run a clean install and wipe all the applications and files off my hard drive (not too many as I just got the computer, but still several hours of work to reinstall stuff), or can I load professional without damaging the files.

Alternatively, is there some way I could puchase a registration key from microsoft?

 

If you buy a licensed copy you can simply call Microsoft and update yours to the new license key then register your copy. No reinstall or extensive modification needed.

 

Cool, thanks. Now, if I were to buy a version here in Colombia it would be in Spanish, but can a full English language pack be downloaded?