Upgrading Windows ME To Windows XP Pro

  • Thread starter Thread starter Valjean
  • Start date Start date
Valjean said:
Is there an upgrade route that avoids having to do a fresh install?
Click to expand...

Absolutely. You need to some preparation first, and if you're smart
you'll do two things: 1) run the Upgrade Advisor to make sure your
computer can run XP; 2) back up all your data.

Here are some links to help you:

http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/xpupgdissues.html - Upgrade Issues
Upgrade Advisor -
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/advisor.asp
Qualifying Media -
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/upgrading/matrix.mspx

Also, if you have an OEM machine make sure your hardware is supported by
XP by going to the OEM's support website for your specific model
machine to see if they have drivers for XP.

Here's another link to general stuff about installing Windows. If you
scroll down, I've got info about backing up and what you need when you
install Windows:
http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Upgrading

Malke
 
Is there an upgrade route that avoids having to do a fresh install?


yes...you can upgrade without a fresh install...
but I'd highly recommend that you back up all your data and perform a fresh
installation
 
Valjean said:
Is there an upgrade route that avoids having to do a fresh install?
Click to expand...

Certainly. Just purchase the Retail Upgrade version of XP Pro.

Make certain your hardware, especially the quantity of RAM, is fully
adequate for Windows XP. If your machine has less than 256 mb of RAM
give some serious thought to increasing this to at least 512 mb.
Otherwise the performance from Windows XP will likely be disappointing
compared to that of Windows Me.

And make sure you read MVP Gary Woodruff's article on upgrading to XP:
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpupgrad.htm before you begin.

Upgrade installs of Windows XP generally go well, especially if there
has been planning and preparation done first. Do not pay attention
to those who advocate doing a clean install as preferable to doing an
upgrade. On a number of occasions, and especially when doing beta
testing of Windows XP, I have done clean installs and upgrade installs
on the same hardware. The only substantive difference that I have
ever found is that a clean install is an absolute p.i.t.a. due to the
hours and hours and hours of work that it can take to reinstall all of
the application software, download and install all of the necessary
software updates and driver patches, reconfigure the applications, and
restore the data files from backups.

Good luck

Ron Martell Duncan B.C. Canada
--
Microsoft MVP (1997 - 2006)
On-Line Help Computer Service
http://onlinehelp.bc.ca

"Anyone who thinks that they are too small to make a difference
has never been in bed with a mosquito."
 
Valjean said:
Is there an upgrade route that avoids having to do a fresh install?
Click to expand...


Certainly. WinXP (the full and upgrade retail versions, that is; OEM
CDs cannot perform upgrades) is designed to install and upgrade the
existing operating system while simultaneously preserving your
applications and data, and translating as many personalized settings as
possible. The process is designed to be, and normally is, quite
painless. That said, things can go wrong, in a small number of cases.
If your data is at all important to you, back it up before proceeding.

Have you made sure that your PC's hardware components are capable of
supporting WinXP? This information will be found at the PC's
manufacturer's web site, and on Microsoft's Windows Catalog:
(http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/hcl/default.mspx) Additionally, run
Microsoft WinXP Upgrade Advisor to see if you have any incompatible
hardware components or applications.

You should, before proceeding, take a few minutes to ensure that
there are WinXP device drivers available for all of the machine's
components. There may not be, if the PC was specifically designed for
Win98/Me. Also bear in mind that PCs designed for, sold and run fine
with Win9x/Me very often do not meet WinXP's much more stringent
hardware quality requirements. This is particularly true of many models
in Compaq's consumer-class Presario product line or HP's consumer-class
Pavilion product line. WinXP, like WinNT and Win2K before it, is quite
sensitive to borderline defective or substandard hardware (particularly
motherboards, RAM and hard drives) that will still support Win9x.

HOW TO Prepare to Upgrade Win98 or WinMe
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;Q316639

Upgrading to Windows XP
http://aumha.org/win5/a/xpupgrad.htm


--

Bruce Chambers

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for me, give me liberty, or give me death! -Patrick Henry
 
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