Upgrade from 98SE to XP

[~ narnia ~]

I would like to upgrade my Dell Dimension XPS T500 from Windows 98SE
to XP Pro. I have 256MB of RAM and a 20GB hard drive. Do you think my
computer will be able to handle XP Pro?

If I do install XP (clean install, not upgrade), do I have to unplug
all my USB devices first or can I leave them plugged in?

Thanks.

 

[LAB4]

I would like to upgrade my Dell Dimension XPS T500 from Windows 98SE
to XP Pro. I have 256MB of RAM and a 20GB hard drive. Do you think my
computer will be able to handle XP Pro?

If I do install XP (clean install, not upgrade), do I have to unplug
all my USB devices first or can I leave them plugged in?

Thanks.

1. What are the CPU (Pentium II, III, etc.) and speed?

2. The memory and disk should be fine. Check with Dell's website to see if
there are any issues with this particular model and XP. I upgraded a
Pentium III and had some driver and BIOS problems. (Resolvable, but a
nuisance.)

 

[Neo Anderson]

I'd unplug/uninstall every hardware item I have first. Install the OS and
them begin installing them one at a time.

Have your 98 drivers handy in case an item on the Dell needs drivers that
are not on the OS CD. I have an older Micron that came with 98 and when I
install xp I have to use the 98 video drivers first and then XP will
recognize the video card.

 

[~ narnia ~]

1. What are the CPU (Pentium II, III, etc.) and speed?

2. The memory and disk should be fine. Check with Dell's website to see if
there are any issues with this particular model and XP. I upgraded a
Pentium III and had some driver and BIOS problems. (Resolvable, but a
nuisance.)

It's a Pentium III/500.

Would you care to share the driver and BIOS problems you had to deal
with? I'd like to know what I'm in for before I start this project to
see if it's worth it. I might just reinstall 98SE if this is going to
be a big headache!

 

[Paul S.]

I honestly wouldn't worry about it. It might lag some,
but there are great programs, etc. that take care of it.
I'm guessing by the specs you're running between a p2 and
a p3. Yeah, you should be fine. I'd recommend getting
Game XP which can speed up everything about XP pretty
much and is free. Do a search on google for it when you
install XP and you should be ok .
Paul.

 

[LAB4]

Would you care to share the driver and BIOS problems you had to deal
with? I'd like to know what I'm in for before I start this project to
see if it's worth it. I might just reinstall 98SE if this is going to
be a big headache!

Okay, sure. FYI, my machine is a 600MHz Micron P3 and I brought it from 98
to XP. So, similar.

BIOS problem: Automatic power down didn't work. This would have been a
problem in Win2000 also, which is actually a good thing, because the BIOS
patch existed. (There haven't been any newer BIOS patches since 8/2000.)
Micron said that my machine was out of warranty and they were reluctant to
give me instructions on how to update the BIOS.

Drivers:
1. Do you know how Windows XP dims the background from color to black and
white when it shows the "Power Off" window? The latest XP display driver
for my nVidia card just made a mess of that screen. I could use it anyway,
but it was ugly. I ended up needing to download a "less than latest"
driver, because my machine wasn't fast enough.

2. Needed to download all new Zip drive software. Worked the first time,
and pretty straightforward.
-------
My advice: If you don't have a compelling reason to spend time and money
upgrading to XP, wait for your next machine. If you have to reload an OS
anyway, tougher call.

Hope this helps.

LB

 

[~ narnia ~]

I'd unplug/uninstall every hardware item I have first. Install the OS and
them begin installing them one at a time.

I was afraid I'd have to do that. Oh well, now I'll be forced to
neaten up all those wires under my desk while I'm down there
unplugging.

Have your 98 drivers handy in case an item on the Dell needs drivers that
are not on the OS CD. I have an older Micron that came with 98 and when I
install xp I have to use the 98 video drivers first and then XP will
recognize the video card.

Good to know the 98 drivers are compatible with XP.

Thanks to everyone for the quick responses.

 

[~ narnia ~]

Okay, sure. FYI, my machine is a 600MHz Micron P3 and I brought it from 98
to XP. So, similar.

BIOS problem: Automatic power down didn't work. This would have been a
problem in Win2000 also, which is actually a good thing, because the BIOS
patch existed. (There haven't been any newer BIOS patches since 8/2000.)
Micron said that my machine was out of warranty and they were reluctant to
give me instructions on how to update the BIOS.

Drivers:
1. Do you know how Windows XP dims the background from color to black and
white when it shows the "Power Off" window? The latest XP display driver
for my nVidia card just made a mess of that screen. I could use it anyway,
but it was ugly. I ended up needing to download a "less than latest"
driver, because my machine wasn't fast enough.

2. Needed to download all new Zip drive software. Worked the first time,
and pretty straightforward.

-------
My advice: If you don't have a compelling reason to spend time and money
upgrading to XP, wait for your next machine. If you have to reload an OS
anyway, tougher call.

Hope this helps.

LB

I'm sure there will be issues to deal with, but at this point I have
to go ahead and do a clean install of 98SE (which has never been done
in 5 years!) or XP. I figured since I've already got an XP Pro CD I
might as well go with that.

I thought of getting a new PC but this one still works fine for my
needs. And since I don't have to buy XP I can use the money I've saved
for a totally unneccessary but coveted Ipod.

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ca...ryl3&pgn=fc0317ea-3e8d-4ac8-916a-9f745e9982c6

The URL is a comprehensive list of machines that are known to be compatible.

 

[~ narnia ~]

You're welcome. Good luck, and say hello to Aslan for me.

I will - one of my cats is named Aslan!

 

[LAB4]

Thanks!

You're welcome. Good luck, and say hello to Aslan for me.

 

[Andy]

While running W98, put the xp cd in and select check
compatibilty without unplugging anything. It will give
you a report as to what works and what does not under xp.

Hope this info is useful.

 

[Bruce Chambers]

I would like to upgrade my Dell Dimension XPS T500 from Windows 98SE
to XP Pro. I have 256MB of RAM and a 20GB hard drive. Do you think
my
computer will be able to handle XP Pro?

If I do install XP (clean install, not upgrade), do I have to unplug
all my USB devices first or can I leave them plugged in?

Thanks.

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

HOW TO Troubleshoot Windows XP Problems During Installation When You
Upgrade from Windows 98 or Windows Me
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;en-us;q310064

--

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

 

[Bob Knowlden]

I hope that I'm mistaken in a concern, but it's a bit unusual to have a
never-activated copy of XP around.

Are you aware that XP can only be activated on one machine at a time?
(Retail licenses can be transferred to new machines, but the basic principle
is: one license, one machine. Activation enforces this. Things are more
complex for OEM licenses, I've read.) There are ways to cheat on this (for
example, the activation database is supposed to reset after 120 days), but I
can't recommend them.

My first XP installation was on a PIII machine. I had ACPI turned off in the
machine's BIOS, so XP couldn't shut down properly without switching on some
legacy APM stuff in Device Manager. (I hope I've gotten that right; it has
been a few years, and a few rebuilds.) I eventually turned ACPI on and
re-installed XP, and everything was normal in XP.

If you wish to check hardware compatibility before running the XP CD,
download the Upgrade Advisor:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/upgrading/advisor.mspx

(32 MB, so I hope you're not on dialup.)

I recommend XP over 98. It's more complex to set up, if only because XP has
many configuration options, but crashed programs usually don't require a
reboot to recover from.

Bob Knowlden

Address may be scrambled. Replace nkbob with bobkn.

 

[Alex Nichol]

I would like to upgrade my Dell Dimension XPS T500 from Windows 98SE
to XP Pro. I have 256MB of RAM and a 20GB hard drive. Do you think my
computer will be able to handle XP Pro?

If I do install XP (clean install, not upgrade), do I have to unplug
all my USB devices first or can I leave them plugged in?

Should be able to, if you have say 4 GB free on the disk. Not a ball of
fire, but quite usable. I would do an Upgrade in the first instance; if
it does not work out you can still go back and clean install; other way
burns boats. Read Gary Woodruff's article on upgrading to XP at
http://www.aumha.org/win5/a/xpupgrad.htm