Getting to XPmode

Ah, the long and torturous path.

I went to the local library to do the upgrade from Home Prem. to Pro, so I could get XPmode.

At least the hook up to the wireless network was painless: three cheers for Unwired!

But the Anytime Upgrade: not. A couple of attempts and finally the message: it can't be done for your version of Windows. "Rubbish!" Check my system details. Check upgrade email from supplier. All OK.

Try again. No good.

Ring Toshiba. Happily I didn't have to give many details and didn't have to pay. They should it should work, but maybe I'd need a CD.

Email to supplier, with screen shots.

Very good service; advice came back that I might need to reboot.

So, ran the upgrade again, typed key in, instead of cut and past.

Then restarted.

Worked!

The validation did its work during the shutdown, and after re-start kept going.

Now XP mode.

Not quite so simple.

First the system frigged about with browsers. IE8 is still way too gluggy, so I installed Firefox.

I seemed to then go around the mulberry bush on Microsoft's website. The little utility that checked compatibility would download, but not run from Firefox. Back to IE8.

Ran OK. Then said everything was hunky dory, and started do all sorts of stuff I didn't want, as though I was a newbie. Wanted to download the Microsoft Security suite; which was OK, until it told me to ditch all the other security crud that came with the laptop; which it itself I was OK with.

I did, but that required another reboot. And so, I lost my place on the XPmode journey. By now it was too late in the day to keep going, so I'll have to run this little circus again later. Pest!