Questions before Upgrading to XP Pro

[Ralph Tomaccio]

I have a Sony laptop, 500 MH, w/256MB RAM running 98SE
that I would like to upgrade to XP Pro. Based on
Microsoft's info, XP should work with this hardware.
Here's my questions:

1. Will it run sluggishly because of the 500MH speed, or
will it run pretty much as 98SE runs as far as speed?

2. If I get the XP Pro Upgrade (versus the full package),
will I have to revert back to the Sony proprietary OS
install disk to install XP Pro, or is the upgrade disk
totally not dependent on previous installs?

3. Similar to the last question, if I wanted to do a
complete reformat of my hard drive and a fresh install,
will the XP Pro Upgrade disk do this without 98SE being
on the disk to install?

4. Besides price, what IS the difference between the full
XP Pro OS and the Upgrade version?

Thank you for your time and responses.

Ralph

 

[Yves Leclerc]

Answers:

1) Might be more sluggish than Windows 98. XP is larger.

2) Sony's Proprietary OS install CD is most likely a Recovery CD. Can not
be used with Upgrade CD since Upgrade CD is not a XP install disk but a
drive image. To use Upgrade CD, Sony's CD must be use to restore 98 then
upgrade the installed 98 from the hard drive to XP.

3) XP Upgrade CDs can do a full install but needs an original Windows 98SE,
2000 or ME CD. This is to check for upgrade rights. Sony's CD is not a
full install CD. (More details see Answer #2.

4) XP Full vs. XP upgrade: The major differences are: Price (Full is more
expensive) and Upgrade requires previous full product installed before
upgrade can go thru.

Y.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

Greetings --

Your CPU, while above WinXP's minimum requirement, is really too
slow to provide decent performance with WinXP. You can improve things
somewhat by disabling all of WinXP's eye-candy:

1) Right-click the Task Bar > Properties > Start Menu, ensure
"Classic Start menu" is selected.

2) Right-click an empty spot on the Desktop > Properties > Themes >
select "Windows Classic."

3) Right-click My Computer > Properties > Performance > Settings >
Visual Effects, ensure "Adjust for best performance" is selected.

It is possible to perform a clean installation using an Upgrade
CD.

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.

Alternatively, or especially if all you have is an OEM Recovery CD
for the earlier OS, you can even start the upgrade from within the
current Win98/Me/NT/2K installation, and still elect to perform a
clean installation, to include formatting the drive. In this case,
there's no further request for the qualifying OS's installation CD,
because the installation routing "remembers" that you started from
within the qualifying OS. This process is more time-consuming, but
you get the same results: a clean installation of WinXP.


Bruce Chambers

--
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[Alex Nichol]

I have a Sony laptop, 500 MH, w/256MB RAM running 98SE
that I would like to upgrade to XP Pro. Based on
Microsoft's info, XP should work with this hardware.
Here's my questions:

1. Will it run sluggishly because of the 500MH speed, or
will it run pretty much as 98SE runs as far as speed?

Rather sluggishly - it will not be good on multimedia things (but then
Win98 would not be either at that speed). Best to turn off most of the
Visual effects at Control Panel - System - Advanced - Performance and
click Settings then turn off the top ten in the Custom pane.

Provided you do not then load it with resident 'run in the background'
things, it will get by - but I would myself leave it at Win98 at that
speed

2. If I get the XP Pro Upgrade (versus the full package),
will I have to revert back to the Sony proprietary OS
install disk to install XP Pro, or is the upgrade disk
totally not dependent on previous installs?

The upgrade will run *from* that system to do an upgrade, or it is
possible to make a new clean install after starting in that way.

3. Similar to the last question, if I wanted to do a
complete reformat of my hard drive and a fresh install,
will the XP Pro Upgrade disk do this without 98SE being
on the disk to install?

You would almost certainly have to restore the 98 - I don't think the
Sony CD has the Win98 folder of .cab files that upgrade looks at as
evidence you own the qualifying product when doing a clean install from
scratch

4. Besides price, what IS the difference between the full
XP Pro OS and the Upgrade version?

That upgrade is going to check that you qualify for that discount by
looking for evidence at setup

 

[Austin Dayton Buck]

Bruce,

You said "especially if all you have is an OEM Recovery CD for the
earlier OS, you can even start the upgrade from within the current
Win98/Me/NT/2K installation, and still elect to perform a clean
installation, to include formatting the drive."

I am in the same boat. I would like to upgrade my Dell desktop
(Dimension XPS) from Win 98SE to WinXP Home. All I have is the Dell
OEM Recovery CD.

Could you explain (again) the method I could (would) use to upgrade
from 98SE to XP Home? From your original answer it appears that I
start my computer first then put the XP Home CD in the CD-ROM drive
and that will do. Or am I missing something?

Also, I was planning to do a full install vice an upgrade, i.e. let XP
clean off the hard drive and then I would reinstall all my programs.
Can I do that with the XP Home upgrade package and is that a better
way of doing the change to XP? I've heard that going the upgrade route
leaves old 98SE files behind and can cause

Your thoughts please.

Best

ADB

 

[Gary Tait]

Bruce,

You said "especially if all you have is an OEM Recovery CD for the
earlier OS, you can even start the upgrade from within the current
Win98/Me/NT/2K installation, and still elect to perform a clean
installation, to include formatting the drive."

I am in the same boat. I would like to upgrade my Dell desktop
(Dimension XPS) from Win 98SE to WinXP Home. All I have is the Dell
OEM Recovery CD.

Could you explain (again) the method I could (would) use to upgrade
from 98SE to XP Home? From your original answer it appears that I
start my computer first then put the XP Home CD in the CD-ROM drive
and that will do. Or am I missing something?

You are mnissing an install CD. Your only option is to restore 98,
then install the XP upgrade.

You MIGHT be able to find the win98 setup files on the restored
system, burn to a CD to make an install CD.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I am in the same boat. I would like to upgrade my Dell desktop
(Dimension XPS) from Win 98SE to WinXP Home. All I have is the Dell
OEM Recovery CD.

Could you explain (again) the method I could (would) use to upgrade
from 98SE to XP Home? From your original answer it appears that I
start my computer first then put the XP Home CD in the CD-ROM drive
and that will do. Or am I missing something?

To do an upgrade (which is what I would do) start with the present Win98
running, put in the XP CD, and from its screen take install; continue,
leaving the next page on the default 'Upgrade'

To clean install, proceed in that way, but change Upgrade to 'New
Install (Advanced)'. When that suggests where it should put the system,
hit ESC. There delete the present partition that the Win98 is on, and
tell it to make a new RAW one (it will format that at the next stage).
By that time the check you are eligible to use an Upgrade CD has been
satisfied