XP - Upgrade or Start Over?

[Rick]

I have an older desktop that was originally loaded with
Windows 95, but was upgraded to W98 several years ago.
With the various problems I have had with W98 (blue
screens, system lockup, etc.), I can't help but wonder if
I would not be better off by reformatting my hard drive
and installing XP from scratch versus buying the upgrade
and installing it on top of W98. Pardon my lack of
understanding, but if I buy the XP upgrade, will it
resolve the problems I have been having with W98?
Upgrading is certainly the least expensive route, but I am
tired of the problems and want to do it right. Appreciate
all guidance/recommendations. Thanks.

 

[Joe727]

You can buy the Retail XP Upgrade and do a clean installation. After you reformat your hard drive and insert the XP CD, at an early point in the installation process, the XP installation wizard will ask you to insert your Windows 98 CD in order to verify that you are eligible for the upgrade.

This is how I upgraded to XP.

Joe

 

[Joe727]

P.S. just make sure your PC hardware is capable of properly running XP.

Joe

You can buy the Retail XP Upgrade and do a clean installation. After you reformat your hard drive and insert the XP CD, at an early point in the installation process, the XP installation wizard will ask you to insert your Windows 98 CD in order to verify that you are eligible for the upgrade.

This is how I upgraded to XP.

Joe

 

[Rick]

Thanks for your help.

-----Original Message-----
You can buy the Retail XP Upgrade and do a clean

installation. After you reformat your hard drive and
insert the XP CD, at an early point in the installation
process, the XP installation wizard will ask you to insert
your Windows 98 CD in order to verify that you are
eligible for the upgrade.

 

[Graham]

I have an older desktop that was originally loaded with
Windows 95, but was upgraded to W98 several years ago.
With the various problems I have had with W98 (blue
screens, system lockup, etc.), I can't help but wonder if
I would not be better off by reformatting my hard drive
and installing XP from scratch versus buying the upgrade
and installing it on top of W98. Pardon my lack of
understanding, but if I buy the XP upgrade, will it
resolve the problems I have been having with W98?
Upgrading is certainly the least expensive route, but I am
tired of the problems and want to do it right. Appreciate
all guidance/recommendations. Thanks.

With what you describe as an older system that had 95 out of the box, I
would not recommend putting XP on it. It is a very intensive OS and needs
faster components to work to its best ability. With the cost of prebuilt
systems inc. XP home being so low right, the money spent on the upgrade XP
would be better spent on a new)er) system. Just MHO. Post back with what you
now have and the regulars here may be better able to help you.

Also, it is better to view this (these) newsgroups using the Newsreader
included in Outlook Express as you can get back much easier. Here are the
details needed to be added to the program. Open OE, click tools, accounts,
add, news, then put your display name in, email if you want to, then add
this as your news server msnews.microsoft.com and click ok.

 

[Danielle]

I have an older desktop that was originally loaded with
Windows 95

Before you do anything with XP check the system
requirements. You didnt post your system's processor or
RAM, so here are the basics needed for running XP...

300 MHz or higher processor
128 MB RAM
1.5 GB free hard drive space (not currently in use)

These are the minimumsreccomended to run windows XP, and
having dealt with people who install programs on systems
with the bare minimums for an O/S before... (thier
programs are slow or even hang, the system locks up
altogether if you like doing anything that uses a fair bit
of RAM)

If your system doesn't at least have these minimums
already, I'd save your money and get the cheapest "new"
system with windows XP already installed. It may cost you
less in the long run.

Danielle

 

[sqr [MVP] [MSFT] etc.]

Normally, my advice is for almost

everyone to at least try the upgrade first.

OH MAN

<shakes head>

always backup your inportant stuff and alway perform a clean install.

if the older os especially ME has something wrong in it this will transfer
during the upgrade to give you grief. Then they will come in here again
stating XP is a complete waste of time.

 

[Malvern]

This has been cussed and discussed about before on other groups... Start
over.
1)Upgrades are problems waiting to happen as they exacerbate those from the
system being upgraded.
2) And I agree with comment that a new PC is probably in order as anything
that had Win 9x will NOT have either HD or RAM capacity required by XP.
(This was definitely true in my case.) Computer prices aren't as high as
back then either.

Malv