Install Windows XP

[Guest]

I am installing Windows XP Home Edition on my Dell. The old system is
Windows 98 ME. Can I clean install the Upgrade Version? Or do I need to
purchase the Full version in order to clean install?

 

[Harry Ohrn]

If you still have a copy of the Windows Me installation CD you can easily do
a clean install with an XP Upgrade version. Just boot he computer with the
XP CD and select the option to Install Windows. After pressing F8 to accept
the license agreement you can repartition and reformat the drive. XP will
begin to install it's setup files and will ask for a qualifying product.
Remove the XP CD and pop the Windows Me CD in to the drive for a few
moments. You will then be prompted fro the XP CD and setup will continue.

See here if you need step by step
http://www.theeldergeek.com/xp_home_install_-_graphic.htm

 

[Ken Blake, MVP]

I am installing Windows XP Home Edition on my Dell. The old system is
Windows 98 ME. Can I clean install the Upgrade Version? Or do I need to
purchase the Full version in order to clean install?

Yes, you can do a clean installation.

The requirement to use an upgrade version is to *own* a previous
qualifying version's installation CD (with an OEM restore CD, see
below), not to have it installed. When setup doesn't find a previous
qualifying version installed, it will prompt you to insert its CD as
proof of ownership. Just insert the previous version's CD, and follow
the prompts. Everything proceeds quite normally and quite
legitimately.

You can also do a clean installation if you have an OEM restore CD of
a previous qualifying version. It's more complicated, but it *can* be
done. First restore from the Restore CD. Then run the XP upgrade CD
from within that restored system, and change from Upgrade to New
Install. When it asks where, press Esc to delete the partition and
start over.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I am installing Windows XP Home Edition on my Dell. The old system is
Windows 98 ME. Can I clean install the Upgrade Version? Or do I need to
purchase the Full version in order to clean install?

It's quite possible to perform a clean installation using the
Upgrade CD, provided you have the true installation CD for the earlier
OS.

Simply boot from the WinXP Upgrade CD. You'll be offered the
opportunity to delete, create, and format partitions as part of the
installation process. The Upgrade CD checks to see if a qualifying OS
is installed, and, if it finds none, it asks you to insert the
installation media (CD) of that OS. Unfortunately, an OEM
"Recovery/Restore" CD will not work for this purpose; you must have a
true installation CD, complete with the "\Win98" folder and *.cab
files, or the "\i386" folder of WinNT/2K.

Before starting, however, have you verified that all of your PC's
hardware components are capable of supporting WinXP? This information
will be found at the PC's manufacturer's web site, and on Microsoft's
Windows Catalog: (http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hcl/default.mspx)

You should also take a few minutes to ensure that there are
WinXP-specific device drivers available for all of the machine's
components. There may not be, if the PC was specifically designed for
Win98/Me. Also bear in mind that PCs designed for, sold and run fine
with Win9x/Me very often do not meet WinXP's much more stringent
hardware quality requirements. This is particularly true of many early
models in Compaq's consumer-class Presario product line or HP's
consumer-class Pavilion product line. WinXP, like WinNT and Win2K
before it, is quite sensitive to borderline defective or substandard
hardware (particularly motherboards, RAM and hard drives) that will
still support Win9x.

HOW TO Prepare to Upgrade Win98 or WinMe
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q316639

Upgrading to Windows XP
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpupgrad.htm


--

Bruce Chambers

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