Before upgrading any existing Windows installation, it would be prudent to
run the Upgrade Advisor for Windows XP. This tool will report what hardware
or software may be incompatible with Windows XP. If you follow the Upgrade
Advisor's recommendations, you should not have any problem upgrading to
Windows XP.
If you fail to utilize the Upgrade Advisor, you may run into incompatibility issues.
Just inserting the Windows XP Upgrade CD in the CD Drive and selecting
"upgrade" is not going to give you the desired result. You must "prepare and
plan" your computer before beginning the upgrade process.
It is imperative that you have the latest BIOS update installed. Visit the support
website of the manufacturer of your computer or motherboard for instructions
on updating your computer's BIOS.
Also, physically disconnect all your peripheral hardware devices,
especially USB devices (not including your mouse, keyboard or
monitor). Uninstall any antivirus program, too!
Did you disable all running programs, and in particular your antivirus
software? If not, you should. See this page on more upgrade advice: http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpupgrad.htm
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Best of Luck,
Rick Rogers aka "Nutcase" MS-MVP - Win9x
Windows isn't rocket science! That's my other hobby!