IMO, The best way is a clean install: The first three steps are the most
important, especially the first.
0) Before you start, investigate how to backup your data, including email -
and most important, how to restore it on a new operating system. This might
be difficult with Outlook Express and Windows 2000. Windows XP has a wizard
that helps with this, but I am not sure about Win2000
1) Backup the entire partition, preferably using a disc imaging program. If
the upgrade goes wrong you can easily get back to where you started.
2) Backup all your data, including email, desktop, etc. At the same time
make a note of all installed programs and collect the installation discs for
them.
3) Publish your FrontPage webs to another place - the Internet, another
partition, or to a folder on the hard disc then winzip the folder and burn
to CD. It is easier to restore a FP web this way, than from a conventional
backup, especially if its location and/or the operating system is changed.
3) Format the partition. Win 2000 install will probably offer to do this
for you, Accept this offer rather than upgrade Win98. Did I mention a
backup first? Formatting gets rid of the FP98 PWS, which will not work with
Win2000, and a clean install works much better than upgrading something
bloated with rubbish.
4) Install Windows 2000
5) If required, install IIS and FrontPage extensions from the Windows CD.
4) Install whatever version of MS Office you intend to run
5) Install FP2003 - if this is an upgrade do NOT install FP98 first - just
swap the CDs over when FP2003 asks for a qualifying Office product.
6) Install all other programs
7) Go to Windows update and update the OS and Office
8) Repeat 7, continue repeating until there are no more updates.
9) Restore all data except FrontPage webs
10) Copy the zipped FP webs onto the hard disc, then extract them into a
(temporary) folder. Use FrontPAge to open the webs and publish them to
their final location - either
http://localhost/webname if you are running
IIS, or to a permanent folder. The temporary folder can be deleted.
