Windows 2000 Pro to Windows XP Pro

[PPT Man]

I have a computer with Windows 2000 Professional SP4. The computer is used
at my church to display PowerPoint Presentations. I am planning to buy an
upgrade version of Windows XP Professional SP2. My concern is with the video
cards. This computer has 2 video cards. One card has 2 monitor connections
and the second card has 1 more monitor connection. That's a total of 3
monitor connections. Two of them are used for montiors and the other is for
the projectors. The two video cards are the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 (this
one has two monitor connections) and an NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 4000. I looked
these up and found them in the Hardware Compatibility List online. Does this
mean all the current video settings will remain intact when the upgrade is
performed? The 3 monitors makeup one exteneded desktop.

 

[Shenan Stanley]

I have a computer with Windows 2000 Professional SP4. The computer
is used at my church to display PowerPoint Presentations. I am
planning to buy an upgrade version of Windows XP Professional SP2.
My concern is with the video cards. This computer has 2 video
cards. One card has 2 monitor connections and the second card has
1 more monitor connection. That's a total of 3 monitor
connections. Two of them are used for montiors and the other is
for the projectors. The two video cards are the NVIDIA GeForce FX
5200 (this one has two monitor connections) and an NVIDIA GeForce4
MX 4000. I looked these up and found them in the Hardware
Compatibility List online. Does this mean all the current video
settings will remain intact when the upgrade is performed? The 3
monitors makeup one exteneded desktop.

First - why upgrade versions of Windows XP Professional w/SP2? Why not
w/SP3?

Second - why the upgrade to Windows XP at all - are the machines
specifications good enough to handle some of the excess overhead you may
encounter and are the other applications that are installed Windows XP
compatibile?

Personally - for a Windows XP system I recommend 1GHz or greater with 512MB
memory for minimal performance (although some could get away with as little
as 256MB memory, I have found less people experience problems with
512-1024MB when using Windows XP.) On the processor - I actually prefer
1.5GHz or above.

And what about hard disk drive space? How much free space is on the C
partition?

Do you have a complete image of the system as it is and/or can you make one
before upgrading - so that in case of something going wrong - you can
quickly revert to Windows 2000?

The video settings may be lost, you will likely be installing different
drivers/software (video drivers/software) for Windows XP than you had for
Windows 2000. This does not mean you will not be able to use them in the
same manner - just that you may have configure them again. However - it
could *just work*...

 

[DL]

If the PC is currently functioning why upgrade? (particularly to an o/s that
is about to be withdrawn)
If you upgrade does your hardware and any peripherals have winxp drivers -
e.g. printers/scanners etc
Does your PC have 512mb ram, any less and winxp is slooow.

Typically you would need to install winxp drivers from manufacturers sites,
the FX5200 has winxp drivers, not sure about 400, I suspect not (see Nvidea
site)
And dont forget motherboard/chipset drivers etc
Do NOT use MS Update for drivers

If your PC is from a large OEM, eg Dell/HP check their site for winxp
drivers

 

[Daave]

First - why upgrade versions of Windows XP Professional w/SP2? Why
not w/SP3?

I'm pretty sure that there don't exist any Upgrade versions with SP3
(well, other than homemade slipstreamed ones). I'm pretty sure that the
only versions with SP3 that exist are generic OEM (aka System Builders)
versions.

 

[Don Phillipson]

I have a computer with Windows 2000 Professional SP4. The computer is used
at my church to display PowerPoint Presentations. I am planning to buy an
upgrade version of Windows XP Professional SP2.

The OP did not say what he wants to do that Win2000 does not
permit and an OS upgrade would allow. (The answer may well
suggest an upgrade -- but as likely as of the hardware as well
as the OS.)

 

[Patrick Keenan]

I have a computer with Windows 2000 Professional SP4. The computer is used
at my church to display PowerPoint Presentations. I am planning to buy an
upgrade version of Windows XP Professional SP2. My concern is with the
video
cards. This computer has 2 video cards. One card has 2 monitor
connections
and the second card has 1 more monitor connection. That's a total of 3
monitor connections. Two of them are used for montiors and the other is
for
the projectors. The two video cards are the NVIDIA GeForce FX 5200 (this
one has two monitor connections) and an NVIDIA GeForce4 MX 4000. I looked
these up and found them in the Hardware Compatibility List online. Does
this
mean all the current video settings will remain intact when the upgrade is
performed?

It'd be nice if they do... but there's no guarantee.

I would suggest making a clone or image of the drive before starting, to
another spare drive, just in case things don't work out.

In fact, if your system is running Win2000, its drive is likely 5 years old
or more (it has a date of manufacture on the label). You may find it's
prudent to recognise that this is an older drive, may be approaching the end
of its life, or its MTBF rating.

New 80 gig drives where I am are in the $50 range, and will just bypass the
problem of age.

So what you would do is remove the W2K drive, and attach it and the new
drive to another system that has the free trial version of Acronis True
Image. Simply clone theW2K to the new drive, set the W2K drive aside for
safekeeping, put the new drive in and use that for your upgrade target. If
it doesn't work.... there's been no risk and you can go straight back to
where you were.

The 3 monitors makeup one exteneded desktop.

Where you need to check is with nVidia. They may work with XP, they are in
a better position to answer your questions about the upgrrade implications.

*do* run the XP Upgrade Advisor, which is available as a download, before
you purchase the upgrade disk. Pay attention to what it says will work and
what must be uninstalled. If the video drivers have to be unuinstalled,
for example, it's unlikely the settings will be maintained.

HTH
-pk

 

[PPT Man]

Just to solve everyone's curiosity, I performed the O/S upgrade today and the
video cards worked with no problems. I did not have to reinstall any
drivers. The only thing I had to do is go into the display settings and
change from the cloned desktop back to the extended desktop for monitors 2
and 3.