Chapter 3. Upgrading to Windows XP Professional

Objectives

This chapter helps you to prepare for the exam by covering the following Microsoft-specified objectives for the Installing Windows XP Professional section of the Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional exam:

Upgrade from a previous version of Windows to Windows XP Professional.

• Prepare a computer to meet upgrade requirements.

• Migrate existing user environments to a new installation.

• Microsoft provides several upgrade paths for computers running recent versions of Windows. This objective is included to ensure that you know how and when to upgrade these versions of Windows to Windows XP Professional.

Perform post-installation updates and product activation.

• After you have installed Windows XP Professional, you need to know how to activate the product with the Microsoft Clearing House. This objective also ensures that you know how to perform various types of updates to Windows XP, including Service Pack 2.

Outline

Introduction	112
Upgrading from a Previous Version of Windows to Windows XP Professional	112
Preparing a Computer to Meet Upgrade Requirements	112
Testing System Compatibility	113
Additional Preparatory Tasks	114
Upgrading the Computer to Windows XP Professional	115
Uninstalling Windows XP Professional	117
Migrating Existing User Environments to a New Installation	120
User State Migration Tool	120
Files and Settings Transfer Wizard	123
Deploying Service Pack 2 (SP2)	125
Preparation for Installing SP2	125
Slipstreaming SP2 Pre-Installation	126
Using Group Policy to Deploy SP2 Post-Installation	128
Applying Service Packs and Updates Manually	130
Using Software Update Services (SUS)	131
Performing Post-Installation Updates and Product Activation	132
Installing Updates and Hotfixes	133
Managing Automatic Updates	133
Chapter Summary	136
Apply Your Knowledge	136

Study Strategies

When studying the contents of this chapter, pay attention to the various methods of upgrading older Windows computers to Windows XP, and of upgrading Windows XP to include software updates, such as Service Pack 2, patches, and hotfixes. You should practice the various procedures several times, including updates from various older Windows operating systems and different means of installing Service Pack 2. Be sure you know when you can upgrade directly to Windows XP and when you can install the various post-installation upgrades.