How can I get my old version of windows back?Please Help!

I'm running Windows XP Pro right now(I just upgraded from Home edition yesterday). None of my games will run all have problems with some renderer and opengl. I'd like to go back to home edition, but I don't have the disk because home edition came with my pc when I bought it. How can I get back home edition without using the system restore because that won't work for me?

Also, if I were to format my hd is there any way I could get home edition back since it came with the pc even though I don't have a disk for it? Is that what system save disks are for?

The game problem isn't because my graphic card because it is a gefore 4 ti4200 and has always run games and I do have the latest drivers. Also, another reason I won't to change windows or reformat is because when I try to hook my cable modem straight into my pc I just get a dns error or it will work for a little bit and then say I have a dns error, even though I'm not hooked up to a router. However, when I hook my cable modem straight into my other pc it works fine and doesn't go down. Please help if you can. Thanks a lot!!

There is no way to get back the XP Home edition without using the restore disk, unless your computer manufacturer also gave you a separate XP disk. You can check to see if you can find the i386 directory on the recovery disk or system disk and try installing from there, but you're going to have to reformat to install, since you can't upgrade from Pro to Home. If you don't have the i386 directory, you're pretty much S.O.L. You'll have to use the recovery disk, install everything using that, and then remove what you don't want/need.

To fix your renderer and OpenGL problems, go to the website of your video card manufacturer and download the most recent Windows XP driver for your video card. That should resolve any problems you are having. Many times, the default drivers are installed via the Windows XP, but these often do not support many of the features that come with your video card.

The cable modem problem sounds like a configuration error with your NIC. Check to ensure that all of the TCP/IP settings are set up properly for your NIC. Also, are you using the same cable between the cable modem and each of the computers? It may be that you're using a crossover cable when you need a straight-through cable (or vice versa, depending on what kind of cable modem you have). It may simply be a bad cable. Try using a different network cable and see if that works.

Hope some of that helps.

AJ

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Originally posted here by SolidPez
but I don't have the disk because home edition came with my pc when I bought it.

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You do not have a original restore disk that came with the OS, Utilities, and Drivers for that PC?

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Also, if I were to format my hd is there any way I could get home edition back since it came with the pc even though I don't have a disk for it?

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That would be a negative. If you format your hard drive you will lose everything.



~~~It seems like you have made up your mind about re-formatting your PC. However, if you do not have a system disk, you might want to jot down all your components, you will need a list when you go driver searching after your install. Also if you have a CD-R/CD-RW, I would make back ups of your games, and DATA. That way you won't have to start from scratch. Just some suggestions from a newbie. I hope they help.

Something I thought of later, if you don't have a restore disk that works, you can always call your computer manufacturer, give them your serial number (usually found in back or bottom of your computer) and they will send you another, free of charge. Also, for drivers, as Joey suggested, you're going to want to jot down what you have before you format. You may want to check out the website of your manufacturer as well. I know many manufacturers, you can simply go to the support section and either type in your serial number of look up your specific model, choose the operting system, and download the most recent drivers for your OS. Maybe if you try that (choosing XP Pro as your OS), you may be able to get it working without reverting back to Home.

By the way, why did you switch to Pro in the first place? What was wrong with XP Home? Most users don't have any use for the added features of XP Pro...

AJ

Nowadays most computers can boot from cd. You can check by going into your bios and looking around for the startup order. Maybe if you pop your cd in and reboot from that you could reinstall XP home. Or maybe you could download the files for the restore disk online, from some help site, or the ms site. You should go check around at the ms site, they're organization is shitty but they have tons of info.

If you did an upgrade to XP Pro, not a full install, then you need to look at the very last enty on your 'Add/Remove Programs' list in your control panel. XP Pro, if done as an upgrade, should give you an uninstall option. Good luck.

I'd follow AJ's advice and depending on who made your computer like Compaq have a disk image on your HD. Dell ships a disk image CD with their system but I know Compaq has a restore function to the original mfg config on the HD.

Thanks for the replies. I do have the system save disks(there are like 4 or 5 of them). If I format my hd should I install the system saves afterwards? Is that what they are for? Also, because of my cable internet problems with my pc I can't download the latest xp pro video card or os drivers for it since I can't get online and the one that can doesn't have a burner. The odd thing about the pc is that I have gotten cable working on it alone without the router a few times after I upgraded, but then the internet just goes down(not for cable service reasons but hardware reasons.


Also, about the cable issue, I have a wireless router with correct cables that have worked fine for months and only stopped working well shortly after upgrading to pro after a dhcp(sp?) mishap.

If you're going to format, all you have to do is stick in the first recovery disk and it'll take care of everything for you (reformatting and reinstalling everything). As for the problems with the cable modem, as I suggested, you may want to try another category 5 cable. It may be a bad cable. Also, did you check your NIC settings? I've heard of a lot of cases where people's cards are simply configured wrong...

AJ

Well with the wireless router I have my pc hooked directly up to it and doesn't have nic (but has always worked without one) through a cable and then a pc from another room has a wireless nic that connects to it without a cable. I have multiple cables including the one that has always worked for me, but I still get the same error. The pc in the other room only gets the internet when the one in the same room with the router is getting it(this is the pc with opengl problem as well). I have perused my linksys manual and configed all settings properly on the pc that connects directly to the router to no avail. This why I think reformatting may do me some good with both problems.