How to move from Linux host to local WinXP PC?

I'm brand new here -- this is my first post, so thanks for your patience with me.

I recently started playing around with Zen Cart on a hosted Linux server, but I now want to continue customization on my Windows PC and upload only after I've made all my changes. I found this posting: http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=61069&highlight=xampp
detailing how to set up Zen Cart on WinXP, but rather than install a brand new version of Zen Cart on my PC, I'd like to keep all the changes that I've already made to Zen Cart.

So, should I follow the directions in the link above, or should I follow directions more like these http://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Server_Admin_-_Switch_Servers which detail how to switch servers?

I know I'll need to insall xampp on my PC using the instructions in the first link, but I am not sure what to do when it comes to installing the Zen Cart files and database.

In other news, I just ordered the book by Goh Koon Hoek and am anxiously awaiting its arrival, but want to get going in the interim.

It's quite simple if you have XP Home, but more difficult if you have XP Pro - because XP Pro comes with Windows IIS Server installed, which will interfere with XAMPP running.

Assuming you have XP Home, just download XAMPP from http://www.apachefriends.org/en

It's a 1-click install so once it is downloaded all you have to do is to click on the download link to let it install itself. If you have Skype installed on your PC then go into Skype's setting and tell it not to use Port 80. There is a Skype setting which covers this.

Once XAMPP is installed go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin and create a blank database.

Download a backup of your online database and use the Import tab on local phpmyadmin to import that into the blank db you created.

Download a copy of your online Zen Cart folders and files and place them inside the XAMPP 'webpages' or 'htdocs' folder (they keep changing the name of the root folder). It's best if you create a folder in there first and then put your XAMPP folders/files inside that folder - this will allow you to set up more than one test website using XAMPP.

Assuming you call the folder 'zen' then you need to edit the following files:
zen/includes/configure.php
zen/admin/includes/configure.php

For the http address use: http://localhost/zen

The full DIR_FS pathway will be something like c:/apachefriends/xampp/htdocs/zen/ - but check on your system because, as I said, XAMPP keeps changing this.

Vger