How do I replace Windows XP Spanish version with Windows XP English version ?

Question

I'm passing my old laptop down to my niece and I have to handle a few difficulties:

1) the version of XP on the laptop is in Spanish and I want to change it to English.

2) it has MS Office and a wireless network card driver for which I don't have orignal disks.

End goal: Change the OS version to XP English(I've just bought the Windows XPSP3 English) while keeping Office and the network card driver in tact.

Is there a way to do an uninstall of only the Spanish Windows OS? or should I be taking an entirely different route?

Answer 1

You can not change the windows just with a program. you must make format to your pc and them place the new english version. Before the format don't  forget to save what you want in a disk of flash.. In order to setup the SP2 and especially the SP3 you need to have the original windows. then download them from microsoft..

  

Answer 2

On your current XP installation, if you go into Start -> Control Panel -> Regional and Language settings and change your settings in the various tabs to English(United States) (or whatever version of English you want) under all three tabs, how close does that get you to what you want? You will have to make that change several places and on each tab. The Details ... button on the Languages tab will let you add and choose a new default language for example.

If that is insufficient to get you an English version of Windows XP, you will have to reformat and reinstall. That will wipe the registry and require all the software including MS Office be reinstalled. You could use something like http://magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/ to get the key for MS Office, but you'd still need to borrow the CDs for the *exact* *same* version of MS Office. There are at least two versions of MS Office 2003 for example. You would use your key during the installation. The wireless network interface card driver is most likely available from the manufacturer's web site. You could download that beforehand. You would want to get the drivers for (at least) the wired cards, too.