XP Pro Install Question

[k662]

Hello,
I just recently had to purchase a new copy of Windows XP Professional. I ordered an OEM version of it to save money. Now, I dont want to do a clean install of Windows right now because I have some very important things on my HDD right now. However, the OEM version of XP only lets you do a clean install. I have a copy of retail XP from my other computer and was wondering if it was possible to use the retail version to do an install without formatting, but use the CD key from the newly purchased OEM cd, or if the CD-Key is CD specific.

This may be a total n00b question, but I really cant afford to format right now. Thanks!

:t

[bruceb]

Well, first thing you should do is get all your important data files
off your hard drive either onto another drive or to cds

As to your idea, if the retail copy of xp is also the pro version,
you should be ok as long as you do a fresh install or a repair
install from the xp retail cd .. If you try to use the retail cd with
the serial from the OEM version, it will probably not work. In some
cases, the program serial number is embedded in the setup.ini
file. You can browse the cd for that file and check it with a text editor

[k662]

Too backup my stuff, do I just burn the files directly to a CD/DVD?? I do alot of video editing and have alot of a video yearbook I am editing on my machine right now and can't lose the progress I have done on it, or I will not meet my deadline. I know I can burn the videos straight to DVD, but if I burn the project files from Adobe Premiere 6, will they still work when I reinstall windows and adobe??

I have all my videos and projects on a second hard drive, with my OS loaded on the other drive. If I do a clean install can I just format my windows drive, but save my video drive? Thanks.