Err Msg: Windows 2000 Setup Could Not Detect the Version of Windows You Are Currently Running (220143)

IMPORTANT: This article contains information about modifying the registry. Before you modify the registry, make sure to back it up and make sure that you understand how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For information about how to back up, restore, and edit the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows Registry

SYMPTOMS

When you attempt to run Windows 2000 Setup from within Microsoft Windows 95 or Microsoft Windows 98 or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, you may receive the following error message:

Windows 2000 Setup could not detect the version of Windows you are currently running. Setup cannot continue.

CAUSE

This behavior can occur if the version of Microsoft Windows 95, Microsoft Windows 98, or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 you are running does not contain a product ID (PID).

RESOLUTION

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.
To resolve this behavior, add the ProductID string value with a value data of the PID included with your version of Windows to the following registry key:

On a computer running Windows 9X,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/ProductID

-OR-

On a computer running Windows NT,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/Software/Microsoft/WindowsNT/CurrentVersion/ProductID

If you do not know your PID, you can reinstall your current version of Windows to cause the PID to be added to the registry.

MORE INFORMATION

The PID is a licensing feature of Windows products. It should not be defeated or circumvented, however, some cloning software clones operating system images and can remove the operating system's PID. In this situation, Microsoft does not provide support for your current operating system or any upgrades to it. You must add correct, valid, and unique PIDs for each affected computer. Note that you should contact your system administrator for a PID if you do not know what it is.

NOTE: This behavior can also occur when you are installing over beta versions of previous products. The beta version needs to be updated to a relase version in order to be upgraded.