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j adams said:
do i need to buy a windows xp upgrade or brand new xp? i
installed
windows 98 on this machine from a windows 98SE cd right out of
a blue
box. as far as i know, that version of win 98 was not an
upgrade, it
was a new system.
that said, i think i'm going to get a new computer?
i've heard the windows xp upgrader can be quite finicky and i
want to
be sure i have the right stuff before purchasing.
There are two different issues here. Please don't confuse them.
First, the Full and Upgrade versions contain exactly the same
software. One is not better than the other. Only the rules for
the circumstances under which you can use them differ.
The second issue is whether to do a clean installation or an
upgrade. However, note that you do eiether a clean installation
or an upgrade with either version. The only difference is that to
do a clean installation with the Upgrade version, you have to
have a CD of a previous qualifying to insert as proof of
ownership.
So, if you qualify for an Upgrade version, that's what you should
buy, since it's cheaper.
Now, regarding whether to do a clean installation or an upgrade:
although many people will tell you that formatting and installing
cleanly is the best way to go, I disagree. 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.
