Upgrade to Windows XP Pro

[xane]

The time has finally come to abandon my trusty super-stable Windows 98SE setup and throw myself into the bug-ridden mercy of Windows XP Pro.

Two questions to those who may have experience of upgrading:

(a) Bizarrely, the cheapest I've seen the "upgrade" edition is £144.52 at Spell Software whereas I can get an OEM of the "full" edition for only £116 at TekHeads, has anyone seen cheaper than these prices ?

(b) If I do go for the "full" edition can it be used to upgrade rather than re-install ?

TIA

 

[Will]

a) I think you should only be able to purchase the OEM version with a complete system.

b) Yes, but I wouldn't.

 

[Testin da Cable]

never "upgrade" when you can format and fully install

 

[xane]

So all the "upgrades" I've been doing the last 10 years are wrong ?

My system was originally Windows 3.1, then Windows 95B, now Windows 98SE, it has proven track record of upgrade stability.

 

[Will]

You are just lucky. But when you upgrade to XP, you can't change your file system from FAT32 to NTFS.

 

[Testin da Cable]

no, you're twisting my words cama. you know of what it is I speak, for it is also in my mind

 

[xane]

Originally posted by Will.
You are just lucky. But when you upgrade to XP, you can't change your file system from FAT32 to NTFS.

I thought that was optional ?

Has TdC been drinking out of that BW cup again ?

 

[Will]

It is optional, but NTFS is a good bit more robust than FAT32, I would recommend doing it.

And yes, I think he has. Upgrade can mean two different things when it comes to M$ produsts, but I know what you are talking about.

 

[xane]

Thanks for the advice.

I have a shiny new HDD as well, so I intend to copy the Windows 98SE system onto it and then upgrade it, in the event of a disaster I can swap it back again.

If the upgrade process gives me the option of NTFS then I may well take it, plenty of spare space for the conversion.

Oh, and Tekheads have confirmed I need to buy hardware to get hold of the OEM, so I am looking at a few more sites, but I still need to utterly confirm that the "full" edition can upgrade from Windows 98SE as well.

I also noticed that often there are separate upgrades to XP Pro from Windows 98/Me and Windows 2000, are these actually any different ?

 

[Testin da Cable]

Originally posted by xane


Has TdC been drinking out of that BW cup again ?

I did last night. tea. was very nice. must get a cam and blag my cup's existence to the world

 

[Will]

Yeah, the 9x and NT are different cores, so it would be a different process. I can say that the full version of 2k allows an upgrade as well as a full install.

You tragically can't convert to NTFS without killing all the files, but you already knew that.

One thing I'm pretty certain applies is that you can install XP to any partition (I was booting 2k from F:\ for a while, with 98 still living on C:\).

I'd recommend the Prof. Edition rather than Home, but since I've never used XP, why am I giving you advice anyway?

 

[legendario]

Originally posted by Will.
I'd recommend the Prof. Edition rather than Home, but since I've never used XP, why am I giving you advice anyway?

because you are one of those rare species around these forums called

"Helpful and all round decent bloke"

 

[Will]

Bah, rumbled. I must practice being nasty.

 

[xane]

Okay I did a bit of searching again, and apparently the "upgrade" process is actually a matter of moving all your personal settings and files around and performing a full install then moving them back again, so I may experience a long-deserved cleaning of my registry after all.

AFAIK you can convert without destroying the files, otherwise it wouldn't be an "upgrade" would it ?

Can you convert afterwards, i.e. upgrade still on FAT32 ?

 

[Testin da Cable]

Originally posted by xane
Okay I did a bit of searching again, and apparently the "upgrade" process is actually a matter of moving all your personal settings and files around and performing a full install then moving them back again, so I may experience a long-deserved cleaning of my registry after all.

AFAIK you can convert without destroying the files, otherwise it wouldn't be an "upgrade" would it ?

Can you convert afterwards, i.e. upgrade still on FAT32 ?

egads! just backup your pr0n bookmarks and do the right thing heh

 

[Will]

You could..but the conversion itself will involve a reformat. I really recommend formatting the new drive under NTFS and installing XP on that, then moving files across, then formatting the old drive once you have moved everything across. From xperience, I'd recommend waiting a few weeks before formatting too, you always forget something essential.

 

[legendario]

Originally posted by Will.
From XPerience

Nice sun-like pun there

 

[Will]

Oh god, it was just a typo, honest. Forgive me, please.

 

[PR.]

<C:\> FORMAT C: /q

Is my recommendation or at least the Windows XP equivalent of it

 

[.cage]

get win2k

 

[Sharma]

Originally posted by .cage
get win2k

Had it, crashed too much, got win XP

 

[Mellow-]

Right, firstly 98SE is not as stable as XP. Due to XP being rather NTish. Secondly, why are you going to copy all your files to another drive and upgrade the old drive when you could just fresh install the new drive and slave your old one to get all your files back?

You tragically can't convert to NTFS without killing all the files

You can convert from FAT to NTFS with a lovely command, but i'm not sure if there's a FAT32 -> NTFS equivalent.

FAT -> NTFS
start > run > cmd
/fs:ntfs /v

Whether there's a similar command for FAT32 I have no idea.

 

[(Shovel)]

You can buy OEMs (without a new PC) from Micro Direct (http://www.microdirect.co.uk). They are Manchester based computery people.

I bought XP Home OEM for the family from them, arrived within a few days. It is for a new computer - by conincidence - but I really don't know that they're supposed to sell it on it's own.

Anyway, that's their problem rather than mine

 

[Miles_Binck]

Originally posted by Mellow-
Whether there's a similar command for FAT32 I have no idea.

Partition Magic 8 ?

 

[Mellow-]

Git

 

[Summo]

FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, MAN! FRESH INSTALL!

XP also has a very nifty 'Transfer Files and Settings' wizard, too.

 

[Testin da Cable]

Originally posted by Testin da Cable
never "upgrade" when you can format and fully install

*cough*

 

[Summo]

Just reiterating.

*choke*

 

[xane]

Originally posted by Summo
XP also has a very nifty 'Transfer Files and Settings' wizard, too.

Explain further my good man, I am interested.

 

[old.milou]

A little while back I upgraded from W98SE and experienced all sorts of horrible things. A fresh install worked wonders. It may be worth getting hold of new drivers etc in advance as, if I remember correctly, quite a bit of my reinstalled stuff wouldn't work correctly in XP without the appropriate software updates etc.