XP Service Pack 1 problem

If you are getting error messages along the lines that your Operating System in invalid or unsupported this probably means that the Windows Genuine Advantage validation tool either hasn’t ‘validated’ your Operating System, ot that you haven’t run this tool prior to attempting to download and install Microfoft softewar / upgrades.

For example, Internet Explorer 7.0 will only install successfully on correctly ‘validated’ Operating Systems. If the validation process hasn’t been correctly done, the system will revert to the previous Internet Explorer installation – i.e. version 6.0.

Error messages (such as the one you first reported) relating to ”permissions” usually refer to the status of the logged in user. If you are logged in as a ”Guest” for example then you will have a strictly limited range of options. You HAVE to be logged in with FULL Administrator permissions in order to mess around with either the Operating System or with upgrades to Internet Explorer etc.

I am not familiar with the inside of XP Home but my guess is that you are logged in with only limited permissions and not as THE Administrator. To check this do the following:

This works with XP Pro (but might not be available with the Home edition). Go to Control Panel …… then select ”Administrative Tools” …… then select from the list ”Computer Management”……. from the drop down menu select ”Users” and you will see a list of Users that are ‘authorised to logon to your computer.

You can right click any one of them….. seletc ”Properties” from the drop down menu and you will see a tab marked ”Groups”. This will display the group that the particular user is a member of. you will be able to verify the permission level that you have on the computer.