XP Install Worries

[Jim Wood]

I've inherited a Compaq laptop running Win 98... very
slowly. I'd like to reformat the hard drive and install
XP. Should I wipe the drive and restore the Compaq OEM
version of Win 98, or can I simply blast ahead and slip in
an XP disk? Also, do I buy a copy of XP home at Costco
for $99, or is there an ea$ier way? Many thanks.

 

[Valjean]

Best Buy. You'd better be certain that Compaq meets the system requirements
for XP, first.

 

[Rock]

I've inherited a Compaq laptop running Win 98... very
slowly. I'd like to reformat the hard drive and install
XP. Should I wipe the drive and restore the Compaq OEM
version of Win 98, or can I simply blast ahead and slip in
an XP disk? Also, do I buy a copy of XP home at Costco
for $99, or is there an ea$ier way? Many thanks.

Laptops use proprietary drivers. Check with compaq for any XP
compatible drivers. And run the upgarde advisor first to see if there
are any incompatibilities. Here are two good references for doing an
upgrade:

http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpupgrad.htm

 

[Bob I]

XP requires significantly more computer than 98 does. Wipe and reinstall
Win98 or buy new hardware.