I'm having a similar problem. I want to reload xp pro because I believe I have an infection that is slowing my pc to a crawl. When I try to reload using the origional disk it says it is older than the version I am using and stops me. I also have a problem with Office and when I try to reload it it goes aminute or so and then reboots the pc and stops. I need help. I went to the site but could not figure out how to use it. -- David -------------- Original message -------------- From: Thomas Harold <[log in to unmask]> > Donald DeWitt wrote: > > *I have a four year old Dell desktop that was factory equipped with XP Home > > addition. Some time ago I had upgraded to XP Professional. Now I intend to > > give the computer to my grand daughter and I'd like to format the hard > > drive > > and reinstall the original operating system for her. However when I place > > the original CD in the drive and click on the reinstall option, I get a > > "can > > not do" response. Something about cannot downgrade to XP Home. * > > > > *Is there a way around this installation problem?* > > Donald DeWitt > > > > Assuming that you don't want any of the data that was on the drive > already, there are a few options. Most require the ability to create a > bootable CD. > > 1) DBaN the drive (Derik's Boot and Nuke) which will completely > obliterate any data that was on the drive. Windows XP Home will then > see the system as a blank drive. The downside is that you might lose > any hidden volumes that Dell placed on the drive. > > http://dban.sourceforge.net/ > > (If you create a DBaN CD, keep it under lock and key and well away from > any curious users. It won't wipe your disks as soon as you boot, but > it's only a few short keystrokes to get to that point.) > > You can also simply wipe out the partition table using the fdisk command > on a Knoppix or Ubuntu LiveCD. WinXP Home would then see the drive as > being blank. > > 2) The original Dell CDs might have come with an option to reset the > system back to factory defaults? > > OTOH, why not give her WinXP Professional as-is? I don't remember if > the upgrade version will let you install over an existing version and > still offer you the change to format. > > Visit our website regularly for FAQs, > articles, how-to's, tech tips and much more > http://freepctech.com Do you want to signoff PCBUILD or just change to Digest mode - visit our web site: http://freepctech.com/pcbuild.shtml