Definitely run the Upgrade Advisor, free from Microsoft ! It helped me
upgrade an ancient Pentium II 450MHz box to XP. Take very seriously all
things that it flags as potential problems.
Some general things to do/consider:
Plan on uninstalling all antivirus and near-system-level software, such as
all Norton, McAfee, etc. Then, plan on installing XP compatible versions.
Even if you already have XP compatible version, you have to do the
uninstall/re-install, since such software senses the operating system and
installs different DLLs and EXEs.
Plan on uninstall all CD/DVD writing software, then installing an XP
compatible version. Again, plan on the uninstall/reinstall, even if the
current version is supposed to be XP compatible. Install only one CD/DVD
writing software.
If possible, add RAM. XP loves RAM, and runs much better with more. I have
run XP on as little as 128 Meg, but have found that 256 Meg works a lot
better, and even 1Gig is not too much, if you intend to do digital image
processing or video processing. One caution: 98 has issues with 512 Meg or
more, although there is a work-around:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/253912
Alternatively, you can always add RAM after installing XP, but before
activation, since changing RAM counts against you in the activation scheme.
Also, be sure to check the PC/motherboard limitations on RAM. Many have
limits well below what XP can handle. My old PC could only handle 386 Meg.
If you have Office 97, at least SP-2, then it will work with XP. However,
the associated Outlook 97 will no longer work, and there is no patch. XP
does come with Outlook Express, and that may serve your needs (if you use
Outlook at all). Or, you can buy Office XP or 2003, which come with the
full Outlook, and which work with XP.
As for hard drive space, XP uses a lot more than 98. My C:\Windows
directory is now over 4.5 Gig. And, that does not include any pagefile or
hiberfil or Documents and Settings. If you do not have at least 8 Gig free,
upgrade your hard drive before installing XP. Note that upgrading a hard
drive under 98 is somewhat simpler than under XP, since there is no product
activation under 98, and 98 uses FAT32, which is supported by more cloning
software. However, the maximum hard drive that 98 can handle is about 127
Gig, assuming that the PC's BIOS can handle even that.
If you currently have one big C: drive, containing 98, programs, and
personal data, consider taking this opportunity to separate the data from
the operating system and programs. This can easily be done as part of a
hard drive upgrade. Just make two partitions on the new drive, then clone
the old C: to the first partition. Remove old drive, place new drive on
master position on cable (and set jumpers to master), then boot into 98.
From within 98 cut&past personal file to the second partition. When you
upgrade to XP it should only change things on the first partition, the one
with 98 on it.
Assuming that you install from an XP CD with SP-2 already included, this
will give you the XP firewall. While not the world's best, it is much
better than nothing. Do not turn it off until after you have installed a
better firewall (e.g., Zone Alarm free version).
If you have any encrypted files or directories, un-encrypt them before
upgrading, or they may be unreadable after the upgrade.
Ditto for compressed files and directories, unless they are simple WINZIP
type archives.
Download XP-compatible drivers for all hardware. Save them in some
easy-to-access place on your hard drive, like C:\new_drivers. If you are
lucky, the XP default drivers will work for everything, or at least provide
minimal function. You can then decide whether you need/want to upgrade for
more/better functionality. See note on automatic updates, next.
XP has a feature to automatically find and install updates. I recommend
changing this to find and notify, but not auto-install. However, soon after
installing XP you will want to perform a manual update. At first, just get
the "critical" updates. Then, think about the others, which often include
newer drivers. While nothing is 100% safe, getting drivers via XP update is
often less risky than getting them by other means.
When you are ready to upgrade to XP, power off and disconnect all optional
peripherals, such as printers, scanners, cameras, pen drives, USB drives,
etc. After a successfully installation of XP, re-connect these devices one
at a time. XP should sense new hardware, identify it, install drivers, and
say that the new hardware is ready to use. If you get an error, then you
probably need XP-compatible drivers. If none exist, then you need to get
new hardware (mostly a problem with very old printers). Unlike 98, XP does
not usually need any drivers for simple USB devices like hard drives or pen
drives.
Scanners require both drivers and scanning software. In the case of my
HP6200C, the default drivers seemed to work, but I needed to get new
software. Fortunately HP offered such software as a free update.
Backup all personal files off of the PC, just in case something goes wrong !
Note: The PC will run a bit slower with XP than with 98, but it should be
more stable and will be able to handle more modern software and hardware.
Good luck.
