Upgrade 98 to XP Is it worth it?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Guest
  • Start date Start date
G

Guest

-Hello
I have been asked by a friend if it is worth upgrading from windows 98 to
windows xp.
I only have experience of xp since I had my first PC in November 2001 just
as xp was being introduced.
My friend is happy with windows 98 and only uses it for essential banking
and communications. However it is thought that 98 will not continue to be
supported by Microsoft for ever and may be it will become essential to
upgrade.
Neither my friend or I are fully confident in carrying out the upgrade but
we could try.
Would it be possible for a comment as to whether XP would be better (I have
heard it said that there are many who have stayed with windows 98.)
If we did decide to risk all and upgrade (may be with a reference back here
if we are in trouble) what are the precautions and considerations that we
should look for?
Quite a lot but we shall be very appreciative of any contributions.
Thank you

-

gel
 
You could try and as a dual boot until you get comfortable with XP and then
go for the gusto.That's what I did when going from 98 to XP. If doing so,
you may want to search google first to get some insight to how dual boots
work and how to set it up. Is actually simpler than it might sound.
 
José;
Not necessarily.
Windows XP performs an upgrade very well.
In either case back-up important data just in case.
Perform the upgrade.
If everything goes OK, the Clean Installation as well as everything
associated will be eliminated and the time saved.
If there is a problem, the Clean Installation would still be a good option.

--
Jupiter Jones [MVP]
http://www3.telus.net/dandemar/


I think it's better a clean install than the upgrade? Do you?
 
Thanks. I thought these upgrades worked bad. I see they are better than I believed.
 
I think it's better a clean install than the upgrade? Do you?
Click to expand...

If you've backed up your data and files, then a clean install is the
proper way to go. While an Upgrade will work, it will leave legacy items
behind that are not needed.

It's kind of like wiping and reinstalling every 16 months and seeing the
dramatic increase in performance.
 
gel said:
-Hello
I have been asked by a friend if it is worth upgrading from windows
98 to windows xp.
I only have experience of xp since I had my first PC in November 2001
just as xp was being introduced.
My friend is happy with windows 98 and only uses it for essential
banking and communications. However it is thought that 98 will not
continue to be supported by Microsoft for ever and may be it will
become essential to upgrade.
Neither my friend or I are fully confident in carrying out the
upgrade but we could try.
Would it be possible for a comment as to whether XP would be better
(I have heard it said that there are many who have stayed with
windows 98.)
If we did decide to risk all and upgrade (may be with a reference
back here if we are in trouble) what are the precautions and
considerations that we should look for?
Quite a lot but we shall be very appreciative of any contributions.
Thank you
Click to expand...


For the uses that you describe, it is not worth it to upgrade. When
your friend wants to buy a new computer, then he can get XP.

Upgrading older computers to XP can be quite difficult for the
technically challenged, and many older computer components don't have
drivers for XP, so you'd have to buy new ones, and install them.

Why mess with something that ain't broken, especially when you admit
that "Neither my friend or I are fully confident in carrying out the
upgrade?"

--
Peace!
Kurt
Self-anointed Moderator
microscum.pubic.windowsexp.gonorrhea
http://microscum.com
"Trustworthy Computing" is only another example of an Oxymoron!
"Produkt-Aktivierung macht frei"
 
Mark G. said:
You could try and as a dual boot until you get comfortable with XP and then
go for the gusto.That's what I did when going from 98 to XP. If doing so,
you may want to search google first to get some insight to how dual boots
work and how to set it up. Is actually simpler than it might sound.
Click to expand...
Thank you very much for all your contributions They will be most helpful.My
friend and I will discuss what you have said and we will decide what to do.
It could be that we will be back for a little more help, but in the meantime
-many thanks
gel
 
gel said:
I have been asked by a friend if it is worth upgrading from
windows
98 to windows xp.
I only have experience of xp since I had my first PC in
November 2001
just as xp was being introduced.
My friend is happy with windows 98 and only uses it for
essential
banking and communications.
Click to expand...


My view is that your friend is going about this backward. A
change of operating system should be driven by need, not just
because there is a new version available. Are you having a
problem with Windows 98 that you expect XP to solve? Do you have
or expect to get new hardware or software that is supported in
XP, but not in 98? Is there some new feature in XP that you need
or yearn for? Does your job require you have skills in XP? Are
you a computer hobbyist who enjoys playing with whatever is
newest?
If the answer to one or more of those questions is yes (and your
hardware is adequate for XP), then you should get XP. Otherwise
most people should stick with what they have. There is *always* a
learning curve and a potential for problems when you take a step
as big as this one, regardless of how wonderful whatever you're
contemplating moving to is. Sooner or later you'll have to
upgrade (to XP or its successor) because you'll want support for
hardware or software that you can't get in 98, but don't rush it.

I say all the above despite the fact that I'm a big XP fan. I
think it's the best and most stable of all versions of Windows.


However it is thought that 98 will not
continue to be supported by Microsoft for ever and may be it
will
become essential to upgrade.
Click to expand...



No operating system is supported forever. But I wouldn't worry
about that until that lack of support becomes a problem.
 
In
José Gallardo said:
I think it's better a clean install than the upgrade? Do you?
Click to expand...


I don't think that at all. Unlike with previous versions of
Windows, an upgrade to XP replaces almost everything, and usually
works very well.

My recommendation is to at least try the upgrade, since it's much
easier than a clean installation. You can always change your mind
and reinstall cleanly if problems develop.
However, don't assume that doing an upgrade relieves you of the
need to backup your data, etc. before beginning. Before starting
to upgrade, it's always prudent to recognize that things like a
sudden power loss can occur in the middle of it and cause the
loss of everything. For that reason you should make sure you have
backups and anything else you need to reinstall if the worst
happens.
 
Leythos said:
If you've backed up your data and files, then a clean install is the
proper way to go. While an Upgrade will work, it will leave legacy items
behind that are not needed.

It's kind of like wiping and reinstalling every 16 months and seeing the
dramatic increase in performance.
Click to expand...

Here we go again with the dramatic increase in performance BS. 16
months? Did you just pull that number out of your rear? On this
particular machine I'm running the original, 3-year-old install, and
there has been *no* difference in performance since day one. On another
two-year-old install that was trashed by an SP2 installation, there was
*no* noticeable increase in performance after a format and clean
install. Encouraging people to do pointless reinstallations in hopes of
mythical performance increases is ignorant and irresponsible.
 
gel said:
-Hello
I have been asked by a friend if it is worth upgrading from windows 98 to
windows xp.
I only have experience of xp since I had my first PC in November 2001 just
as xp was being introduced.
My friend is happy with windows 98 and only uses it for essential banking
and communications. However it is thought that 98 will not continue to be
supported by Microsoft for ever and may be it will become essential to
upgrade.
Neither my friend or I are fully confident in carrying out the upgrade but
we could try.
Would it be possible for a comment as to whether XP would be better (I have
heard it said that there are many who have stayed with windows 98.)
If we did decide to risk all and upgrade (may be with a reference back here
if we are in trouble) what are the precautions and considerations that we
should look for?
Quite a lot but we shall be very appreciative of any contributions.
Thank you

-

gel
Click to expand...



WinXP is certainly the superior operating system, by far.

Compare Windows XP Professional to Prior Versions of Windows
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/evaluation/whyupgrade/default.mspx

However, If Win98 is meeting your friend's needs, and shows no
immediate sign of ceasing to do so, there's no overwhelming "need" to
upgrade. An upgrade is not something to attempt "just because," or
without advance preparation.

Have you made sure that 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) Additionally, run
Microsoft WinXP Upgrade Advisor to see if you have any incompatible
hardware components or applications.

You should, before proceeding, take a few minutes to ensure that
there are WinXP 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
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

Help us help you:



You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don't ever count on having
both at once. - RAH
 
Here we go again with the dramatic increase in performance BS. 16
months? Did you just pull that number out of your rear? On this
particular machine I'm running the original, 3-year-old install, and
there has been *no* difference in performance since day one. On another
two-year-old install that was trashed by an SP2 installation, there was
*no* noticeable increase in performance after a format and clean
install. Encouraging people to do pointless reinstallations in hopes of
mythical performance increases is ignorant and irresponsible.
Click to expand...

Here we go again with someone that doesn't have a vast amount of
experience saying that in their limited scope they know better than others.

We handle over 1000 Windows XP systems and I have many in my home. My
typical XP box is a P4/250GB/512MB RAM machine. I run MS SQL server on it,
Visual Studio 2005, MS Office 2003, any many other development tools.
After about a years use, even with Defragging, the registry bloat, the
extraneous files, the remnants of uninstalled applications, etc... makes
it worth while to wipe and reinstall.

Sure, if you're just surfing and emailing you won't see much in the way of
performance, but if you work with your machines instead of just play with
them, there are some real benefits - and that's from direct personal
experience, not just an uninformed guess like yours.
 
gel said:
I have been asked by a friend if it is worth upgrading from windows 98 to
windows xp.
I only have experience of xp since I had my first PC in November 2001 just
as xp was being introduced.
My friend is happy with windows 98 and only uses it for essential banking
and communications. However it is thought that 98 will not continue to be
supported by Microsoft for ever and may be it will become essential to
upgrade.
Click to expand...

Support for 98 is ending.

Whether it is sensible to upgrade to XP depends on the hardware. You
need *more* than the 'recommended' 128 MB RAM, - 192 will about do, 256
is reasonable, and a CPU at about 400 MHz with at least 5 GB spare Hard
disk space to make it practicable, At worse than that he should
continue with 98 until there is trouble using it, and at that point
should be about due for a new machine anyway
 
José Gallardo said:
Thanks. I thought these upgrades worked bad. I see they are better than I believed.
Click to expand...

They have improved a very great deal in XP. You should do an upgrade
in the first instance. *If* it does not work out you can still clean
install; the converse is not true. Read Gary Woodruff's article on
upgrading to XP at http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/xpupgrad.htm
 
Leythos said:
Here we go again with someone that doesn't have a vast amount of
experience saying that in their limited scope they know better than others.

We handle over 1000 Windows XP systems and I have many in my home. My
typical XP box is a P4/250GB/512MB RAM machine. I run MS SQL server on it,
Visual Studio 2005, MS Office 2003, any many other development tools.
After about a years use, even with Defragging, the registry bloat, the
extraneous files, the remnants of uninstalled applications, etc... makes
it worth while to wipe and reinstall.

Sure, if you're just surfing and emailing you won't see much in the way of
performance, but if you work with your machines instead of just play with
them, there are some real benefits - and that's from direct personal
experience, not just an uninformed guess like yours.
Click to expand...

I said "ignorant" originally, but I apologize--ignorance is just lack of
knowledge. Experience combined with ignorance is stupidity. Why do you
assume that I have less experience than you? Please share the technical
details. What's an "extraneous" file, and how does it contribute to
performance loss, keeping in mind that clean installation is overkill if
disk space is a problem? How *exactly* does "registry bloat" contribute
to poor performance? What's the difference between "registry bloat" and
"remnants of uninstalled applications? Or are those the "extraneous
files" you were referring to? Your response was to an obvious neophyte
who wants to know about moving from 98 to XP. How are remarks about the
mythical benefits of reinstallation relevant to him, since you say
yourself that they don't? Please enlighten us.
 
In my case, perhaps I'm more ignorant than neophytus. Of cousre I'm neophytus on this group but not on Spanish newsgroups. There are several examples on which the clean install is better than upgrading (even from Home to Professional). Moreover in the KB you can find some articles related to this upgrading and problems that appear when upgrading (I know they are little problems but problems in any case). I think (and of course I may be wrong) that if there is a chance to backup (what is always necessary), it's better the clean installation. I only asked to learn. And I'm learning a lot!
 
I have been asked by a friend if it is worth upgrading from windows 98 to
windows xp.
I only have experience of xp since I had my first PC in November 2001 just
as xp was being introduced.
My friend is happy with windows 98 and only uses it for essential banking
and communications. However it is thought that 98 will not continue to be
supported by Microsoft for ever and may be it will become essential to
upgrade.
Neither my friend or I are fully confident in carrying out the upgrade but
we could try.
Would it be possible for a comment as to whether XP would be better (I have
heard it said that there are many who have stayed with windows 98.)
If we did decide to risk all and upgrade (may be with a reference back here
if we are in trouble) what are the precautions and considerations that we
should look for?
Quite a lot but we shall be very appreciative of any contributions.
Thank you
Click to expand...

Yes, you should upgrade, but must bear in mind that Windows XP is
much less secure, in its default state, than Windows 98. You will
need to take security measures to modify the settings in XP, and
you must use a firewall all the time. Upgrading isn't an option,
it's a necessity, and it doesn't matter if we want to upgrade or
not. Microsoft has forced it on us by their planned obsolescence
of Windows 98.
 
Back
Top