Hi, Amit.
There are generally three ways to transition from Win98 to WinXP. You can
"upgrade", or "clean install", or "dual-boot". Each way has its
advantages - and disadvantages.
1. Upgrade - WinXP replaces Win98, "migrating" all your hardware device
drivers from the DOS/Win9x/ME versions to the WinXP versions, and also
migrating the settings for your installed applications, leaving your data in
place. This is the quickest way - in the short run. But the migration is
not always fully successful and many upgraders have reported that they did a
clean install later to get rid of many annoyances - and all that accumulated
garbage on their hard drive that they had been meaning to clear out anyhow.
2. Clean install - WinXP Setup reformats (after repartitioning, if you
choose) your hard drive and installs WinXP from scratch. You must reinstall
all your applications from their original media. You should backup your
data before you begin and restore it after WinXP and your apps are
installed. This method assures that you have only WinXP-compatible drivers
installed for all your hardware, and that your applications are optimized
for WinXP.
3. Dual-boot - WinXP detects that Win98 is already installed and clean
installs WinXP into the separate volume of your choice, reformatting that
volume if you choose, and creating a menu from which you can choose Win98 or
WinXP each time you reboot. You must install your applications again from
WinXP so that the proper entries can be made in the WinXP Registry. When
you are comfortable with WinXP, you can remove Win98 from the opening menu
and delete its boot folder to recover that disk space. For details, see the
URL that Wim provided.
Upgrading is quickest. Clean install usually produces the best WinXP
performance and nearly everyone agrees that it is best in the long run.
Dual-boot lets you be sure WinXP is working before you abandon Win98. The
choice is yours. ;<}
RC
