# Installing Windows XP **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 9, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-windows-xp/325451 "2005-10-09T22:06:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 10:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-windows-xp/325451/1 "2005-10-09T22:06:25Z")
Sorry if this has been answered. I’m sure it has at some point, I tried searching, but couldn’t find it. I would like to upgrade my Win2K desktop to XP. However, I do not relish the idea of reformatting my drive. I know it would be “better” to reformat - but I don’ wanna. What specific problems might I run into if I install over Win2k? ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-windows-xp/325451/2 "2005-10-09T22:16:01Z")
You don’t have to choose just between reformatting and upgrading. There is a third option called a “new install” that will put a fresh install of XP on your computer, Just select it when you run the CD. Any of the options should work Ok. An ugrade path might leave some misc. problems but it is hard to say what they will be before you do it. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-windows-xp/325451/3 "2005-10-09T22:17:09Z")
> [@CynicalGabe](#): > > Sorry if this has been answered. I’m sure it has at some point, I tried searching, but couldn’t find it. > I would like to upgrade my Win2K desktop to XP. However, I do not relish the idea of reformatting my drive. > > I know it would be “better” to reformat - but I don’ wanna. > > What specific problems might I run into if I install over Win2k? Microsoft has a compatibility checker, ensure you run it first. If all the hardware is not compatible it could be bad. Other than that, the reason to load fresh is it extends the life of the XP Kernel. Any instability in your Win2000 Kernel may carry over to XP. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-windows-xp/325451/4 "2005-10-09T23:50:05Z")
The only reason you would have to reformat your HD on a W2K to XP upgrade would be if your W2K file system was formatted as FAT32. If it is formated as NTFS you should not have to reformat anything. Use the “Fresh install” option that **Shagnasty** recommended and you should be ok. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2005, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/installing-windows-xp/325451/5 "2005-10-09T23:55:18Z")
> [@Dragwyr](#): > > The only reason you would have to reformat your HD on a W2K to XP upgrade would be if your W2K file system was formatted as FAT32. No, you don’t. You can install XP to a FAT32 volume and then XP’s file system converter can convert to NTFS on the fly with no loss of data. It may take a while to run, depending upon the size of your HDD, but you don’t need to do it right away anyhow. XP runs on FAT32 with few problems, if any.