Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade with Service Pack 2

Manufacturer:	Microsoft Software
Release date:	28 September, 2004

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade with Service Pack 2

Average rating: Stars

Poor man's new PC

I am extremely pleased with this upgrade. Best $95 I've spent to morph my tired 5 yo system into a new one.

Installation was a breeze. I recommend you back up important file on the intended system drive (or partition), reformat it with NTSF and do a clean install. The upgrade set up will ask you what you want during the upgrade process. This give you a clean slate and won't carry over problems from the old system. Remember to have the previous system CD ready though to qualify for the upgrade. After that, XP upgrade will handle the rest. Activation on line is easy. With all the complaints flowing around on the internet I thought I have to surrender personal info. Not the case. All I had to do was hit the activation button. It was done before I knew it.

XP is definitely better than previous versions. I had USB device problems and virus/spyware programs interfering issues causing frequent blue screen of death. Not anymore. XP handles them beautifully. Plug in a wireless mouse, beep, it works. USB micro drives? Beep, it finds and installs the driver in a few nanoseconds. Hotswap devices (I have only one USB port)? No problem. It manages virus and spyware/adware scanners transparently and efficiently. Nobody is tumbling over nobody like when it was in 98 SE. All those previous issues all of sudden just GONE! I no longer worry when I have to add new software or hardware. The machine just handles them silently and smoothly.

Like all system building, high tech or otherwise, steep climb and rocky road precede smoothing sailing. Windows has reached that goal finally. Thank you folks at Microsoft for keep hacking at it. Good job.

Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade with Service Pack 2 - Microsoft Software

Microsoft Upgrade Review

I attempted to install on one of my computers that was operating on windows 98. It would not install and kept giving me errors. I then installed it on my other computer that was running off of windows ME and it installed just fine. When I went to activate the software, it would not let me. I spent three nights on the phone with customer service for a total of six hours and finally ended up uninstalling and getting product replacement. Good luck with your purchase! Hopefully it works better than mine did.

Microsoft Software - Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition Upgrade with Service Pack 2

CAUTION!

July 2005
I finally got fed up with issues relating to processor speed, gaming card viability, etc., even after upgrades, and was told by a tecchie that I needed to abandon Windows 98SE in favour of an XP upgrade. (I never upgraded from Win 98 SE because I never wanted to spend the money for what I had perceived as being only marginal benefit!). I have yet to load the software as I am having some hardware upgrades done beforehand. But........
BEWARE! The Win XP Home Edition version offered by Amazon, which I bought, is a SINGLE MACHINE LOADING version only.... I have been assured by other retail vendors since my Amazon purchase, that there are versions of this Win XP Home package that allow loading onto TWO PCs.....Nothing on the Amazon site states that this is a sinlge PC loading version. If you have several computers in your family (who doesn't?), the Amazon offer will be an expensive purchase.