Upgrading from WinXP to Win7Pro with discs from my other computer?

By StacyG
Jan 17, 2014
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  1. I have 2 computers...the one I use for school is running WinXP, which I recently reinstalled with its factory CDs. The other one I use for work and it runs Win7Pro, which I have all the factory reinstall CDs for as well. I'm taking an online course that requires me to install an academic subscription of Win Office 365 but WinXP does not support that program.

    My question is this: can I use the factory reinstall CDs from the computer with Win7Pro to clean install that OS onto the computer currently running WinXP? If not, why? If so, is there something special I'll need to do? Will I need to use the Win product key from the other computer when installing or will that not work? I would like to use Win7Pro instead of XP anyway, and I don't use the other computer for schoolwork, so I don't want to have to download the Office software on it and use 2 computers to do my coursework.
  2. Cobalt006

    Cobalt006 TS Maniac Posts: 1,996   +215

    No you can not. The reason being . If these are retail computers. They tend to code their os to their product. The only way you could upgrade your computer .With Xp. Is to buy a copy of win 7.
  3. StacyG

    StacyG TS Rookie Topic Starter

    Ok, so that answers that question. Next question: If I'm going to purchase a program, would it be better to get Windows 7 or Windows 8? They're roughly the same price, so should I get the newer version?
  4. Cobalt006

    Cobalt006 TS Maniac Posts: 1,996   +215

    If it were me I would go with Win 7. I have win 8 and am not that crazy about. But its your choice to make.
  5. gbhall

    gbhall TechSpot Chancellor Posts: 2,447   +72

    Or you could use Open Office software instead of MS office. OO is a pretty good clone of Office, certainly able to interchange document files with no problem at all, even though the interface of OO more closely matches slightly earlier versions of MS office (and thank goodness for that in my opinion).

    Maybe the short-sighted course managers will not accept that though, but you could always point out that a lot of businesses much prefer OO over MS office, and not just because it is free !! No, because MS office evolves onto a new planet every 18 months, which costs an absolute bomb and countless millions of wasted training hours.
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2014
    Cobalt006 likes this.

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