"The Language of This Installation of Windows Differs from the One You Are Installing" Error Message

If you try to upgrade or install Windows on a computer that is running a different language version of Windows, you receive the following error message: You cannot upgrade or install a different language version of Windows.

This behavior occurs because you cannot run Windows Setup to upgrade one language version of Windows to a different language version of Windows. When you try to do so, the Setup program of the language version of Windows that you are currently installing displays the error message that is described in the "Symptoms" section of this article.

To resolve this issue, use one of the following methods:

• Determine if the language version of Windows that you want to install is already supported by Windows. For additional information about the languages that are supported in Windows XP and Windows 2000, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  292246 List of languages supported in Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003
• Use a multiple-boot configuration to install the other language version of Windows on a separate partition on your hard disk. For additional information about how to create a multiple-boot configuration on a Windows XP-based computer, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  306559 HOW TO: Create a Multiple-Boot System in Windows XP
  For additional information about how to configure a multiple-boot configuration in Windows XP and Windows 2000, visit the following Microsoft Web site:
  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306559

This behavior is by design.

For more information about multilingual options in Windows XP Professional, visit the following Microsoft Web site: