I just ordered the Win XP upgrade from amazon. Does anyone have any suggestions on whether this was a good idea or not. Do you have any suggestions on installing the upgrade?
My computer has been a bit more “buggy” recently. The main problem seems to be with IE 6.0.
Any hints or warnings are appreciated.
Thanks!
Do it. I migrated to XP from 98SE, and it was the best move I ever made. I did a clean install from a formatted hard drive after backing up all my personal docs, which is the best way to go, but plain upgrade is good too. Definitely get the service udates, particularly Service Pack 1 as soon as you install it.
If your computer has been a bit wonky, a cheaper solution may have been to simply reformat and reinstall your version of Windows 98SE. I’ve always been a bit skeptical of upgrade versions of MS operating systems, and have preferred a clean install of a full version. I have no facts to back this up, though.
XP, however, has been absolutely darling for me. I’m using XP Professional rather than XP Home, so your experiences may vary.
First, make sure your computer will be happy running XP. Among other things, it’s a pretty big memory hog, so you’ll want at least 256 MB of RAM. Remember that the minimum system requirements are just that - the minimum needed to start your computer and play Solitaire.
Even though Amazon.com lists the product as an “upgrade,” I’m pretty sure it’s the whole operating system. If you (or a friend) knows how, it would be best to reformat your hard drive and do a clean install. It gives your new operating system a clean slate to start with.
If what you ordered is actually an upgrade (and requires an existing Windows OS), back up all of your important files to disk before starting. Uninstall every program you can (make a list as you go so you’ll remember what you’ve removed), then reinstall all those programs after upgrading. You’ll have fewer software problems that way, especially with programs that have one version for 95/98/ME and one version for NT/2000/XP.
I expect you’ll be much happier with XP. It’s more stable than previous Windows versions (with the possible exception of Win2k), you’ll have a lot fewer compatibility issues, and it’s easier to use and configure once you get the hang of it.
Thanks to all for the comments.
Although I’m reasonably computer literate, I can’t imagine reformatting my hard drive because I have some old programs which I don’t have the disks for anymore. I guess the old programs can just be copied back, but I am afraid of risking it.
BTW, I have 512 MB of memory, although my processor is just a 600 MHz PIII.
I am mostly a Mac person, but I was able to reformat a used 766 MHz PIII Dell that I got off of eBay and install the XP Pro upgrade without much of a problem. This Dell has 256 megs RAM, and it runs XP just fine. (I don’t run anything to stressful on the PC, though.) I am pretty confident that your 600 MHz PIII with 512 MB of RAM will take XP just fine. Just reformat, don’t install over your current version of Win98. I’ve only heard bad things from people who did it that way.
Funny (maybe this was just me, I don’t know) I never had to “prove” to XP that I qualified for the upgrade. I was expecting that I’d have to provide the serial number of a qualifying program (in my case it would be Win98) or I thought that XP would want me to feed my Win98 CD into the CD drive as proof. But nothing. It didn’t happen. I just installed it, with a few quirky weirdnesses (not XP’s, mine. I do things in a weird way).
And, speaking as a Mac person (but started out as a PC person) I have to say that I like XP much better than Win98. It’s not as nice (IMHO) as OS X, but it’s very nice. I even have an “XP Theme” that makes it look like OS X. I’m happy. 
I would go with everyones valuble suggestions and reccomend you to install XP (Pro if preferable) and like everyone said I would highly reccomend to go for a clean install instead of directly upgrading.
I had once tried it because my older(98SE) was getting “buggy” like you had described, but I felt that my new OS was slower as compared to a clean install.(I have a clean install now and can make out the difference).
If your upgrade does not permit you to do a clean install, I would suggest that you format your hard drive and first install 98SE again and then upgrade it to XP. Dont bother installing Graphics drivers for the clean installed 98SE because the XP wonderfully adjusts according to your motherboard display properties.
I am sure you will be satisfied with the XP experience.
Run the software & hardware compatibility checker first, its on the cd or at MS dot com. Then marvel at how much of the stuff you have isn’t compatible with XP because manf’s never made any XP drivers. That’s what happened to me, so I didn’t change from ME to XP. I have XP on this computer cause I bought it that way where everything was compatible with it
I used an XP upgrade, and I needed the disk for ME (worst OS ever made). W98 isnt’ a bad system, but XP is the best OS I’ve used, and recommend it to anyone. If you don’t play games, XP Pro is good, and I run it downstairs with 256 on a Athlon 500, and it runs well.
I used an XP upgrade, and I needed the disk for ME (worst OS ever made). W98 isnt’ a bad system, but XP is the best OS I’ve used, and recommend it to anyone. If you don’t play games, XP Pro is good, and I run it downstairs with 256 on a Athlon 500, and it runs well.
I used an XP upgrade, and I needed the disk for ME (worst OS ever made). W98 isnt’ a bad system, but XP is the best OS I’ve used, and recommend it to anyone. If you don’t play games, XP Pro is good, and I run it downstairs with 256 on a Athlon 500, and it runs well.
I used an XP upgrade, and I needed the disk for ME (worst OS ever made). W98 isnt’ a bad system, but XP is the best OS I’ve used, and recommend it to anyone. If you don’t play games, XP Pro is good, and I run it downstairs with 256 on a Athlon 500, and it runs well.
oops sorry, had a problem with msn 6, which I don’t recommend yet, which required a few refreshes. sorry for all the posts.
Now IE on the other hand…sorry about all the posts.
As stated prior the absolute best way to have your computer running very well is to reformat and install XP. My experience with using the upgrade option is that it causes more problems and you may not be happy with the install. XP is great. I was pleasantly surprised how stable it has been overall and it is faster than my previous 98. You will have to reinstall all your software apps though so back up any data that you need. You can’t just copy back former programs without re-installing them.