Should I move from 2K to XP ?

[Gary Watson]

I have a P4, 1.4MHZ, 60 GB (2-partitions 20GB,40GB), CDRW, USB hub, Webcam,
AgfaE20 Scanner. Olympus Smart reader (for my diital camera).
I did a new/clean install of W2K Pro when i got the machine 2 yrs ago. Have
installed Office 2K, Visual Studio6, and a bunch of other software. I am an
application/website devloper. I have installed SP3 for W2K.
I installed IE6.... several times.... but when it is installed, I frequently
get my windows explorer (not IE), abending on an addresing exception. The
only solution for this is to revert back to previous version of IE (5.5).
But now my on-line banking institution has implemented new software, and
will not let me in unless I have IE6. So I have installed it (again!!!!),
and have to live with my windows explorer abending 50% of the time.
I also have a couple of helpful applications I run, not sure what they are
written in. But 2 of these apps, when started, don't even show a window, but
just go into a cpu run-away... between 95-100%. I can see this with Task
Manager. But that's as far as they go. Then of course, my machine is very
sluggish, and I can't really do anything. I try to shut them down via Task
Manager, it says it does it, but it doesn't. Then I get an error message if
I try to shut them down again. My ONLY recourse is to "trip over the power
cord" (power-off/on hard boot).

When I try to run SP4 for W2K, I get the first screen up, then it does
exactly the same thing. Just does a cpu runaway.

So I can't install SP4, I can't run these 2 very helpful apps, and my
WinExplorer abends 50% of the time.

No-one has been able to help me at all... even from JSI (which is a very
good site).

So... my Question.... sorry to take so long....

What do you think about me installing WinXP Pro?????? to try to solve my
problems????

(Don't email me to the address I have specified....it is fake, because of
all the virus spam I receive when I used my correct EMail address)

 

[BT]

Well, Gary, if you can afford it, why not? It appears your current operating system has been corrupted somehow, i.e.: buggy
hardware, buggy software (including 3rd party). If I were experiencing your problems I'd format a partition and reinstall Windows.
Your system specs do show a newer system that may benefit from having XP Pro, too. But I would avoid upgrading (FYI, XP Home is not
an upgrade path). I'd install clean on a freshly formatted partition.

 

[Gary Watson]

Hey Bob, thanks for the reply.
I forgot to mention, I did a re-install of Win2K Pro last week, to try to
solve any of my problems.
Not a "Repair", but a whole new Install over the top. Still the same
results. Of course, I had to download IE6 and install it, and download and
install SP3, etc., etc., etc.

Hmmmm.... re-partition my 40 GB D: drive into D: and E:, then install win2K
Pro into that partition (E ????
Never thought of that. Is this easy to do? Would I be able to run from
either partition?
Sorry... I know buckets full about application software, development tools
and languages, and building websites, but only a little about hardware and
Operating Systems.

I was actually thinking of XP Pro... not XP Home.

Anyone else got any opinions?

Well, Gary, if you can afford it, why not? It appears your current

operating system has been corrupted somehow, i.e.: buggy

hardware, buggy software (including 3rd party). If I were experiencing

your problems I'd format a partition and reinstall Windows.

Your system specs do show a newer system that may benefit from having XP

Pro, too. But I would avoid upgrading (FYI, XP Home is not

 

[BT]

I run Windows from F: right now, which is the third of three partitions on the second physical drive (total 13.8 GB, the partition
starts at about 10.5 GB in). Had trouble with uninstalling SP3 and blew out the OS on E: and E: is just a storage partition now.
Have WinMe on C: and an emergency virgin 2K no SP's, no apps on D: just to get into the NTFS partitions should the OS crash and
burn. With a 40 GB, I would avoid going past the first partition if you go half and half. Installing over the top like you said is
kind of like putting a band-aid on a severed carotid artery, especially if the OS is a previous SP slipstream or no service pack.
When I reinstall, I start from scratch. Less headaches, but a test of patience.