I would like to change my operating system from Windows 200 Pro to Windows
XP. I plan on a full install and not an upgrade (probably because there
isn't one),
Not true. The upgrade from Windows 2000 to XP Professional *is* a
valid upgrade path, and the Upgrade version of XP works fine for this.
anyway I've been shopping around and there are so many XP
operating system packages. Which one do I buy?
I have two answers for you:
1. Buy the Retail Upgrade package. There are only two other choices:
Full Retail package and OEM.
The Full Retail package costs significantly more, has no advantages
for you, since you qualify for the Upgrade. I think buying an OEM
version is a very poor choice. An OEM copy comes with several
restrictions, the most severe of which is that its license ties it
permanently to the first computer it's installed on. It can never
legally be moved to another computer,
sold, or given away (except with the original computer).
Instead I recommend a Retail Upgrade copy, which in most cases can be
bought for very close to the same price. And contrary to what many
people think, an Upgrade copy *can* be used to do a clean
installation, as long as you have a copy of a previous qualifying
version of Windows to insert as proof of ownership when prompted to do
so.
However, note that, unlike with previous versions of Windows, an
upgrade to XP replaces almost everything, and usually works very well.
My recommendation is to at least try the upgrade, since it's much
easier than a clean installation. You can always change your mind and
reinstall cleanly if problems develop.
However, don't assume that doing an upgrade relieves you of the need
to backup your data, etc. before beginning. Before starting to
upgrade, it's always prudent to recognize that things like a sudden
power loss can occur in the middle of it and cause the loss of
everything. For that reason you should make sure you have backups and
anything else you need to reinstall if the worst happens.
2. Buy a copy of XP *Home* instead, since it is much less expensive,
and will very likely meet your needs.. XP Home and Professional are
identical except that Professional includes a few features (mostly
related to security and networking) missing from Home? Most home users
don't need and would never use these extra features and will see no
benefits by choosing Professional instead.
For details go to
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/whichxp.asp>
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/howtobuy/choosing2.asp
Also note another point, not included in any of the above:
Professional allows ten concurrent network connections, and Home only
five.
However, note that Windows 2000 to XP Home is *not* a valid upgrade
path and you would need to do a clean installation. However in this
case, I still recommend buying an Upgrade copy. If you don't have a
copy of a previous qualifying version of Windows 9X to insert as proof
of ownership when prompted to do so, you can buy a used copy
of Windows 98 very cheaply someplace like eBay.
Final question is; How do I
save everything else on the computer when I make the switch? I know how to
save files, but how do you save your favorite internet sites index, Microsoft
office, and other software programs? Thanks for the help!
If you do a clean installation, it is not possible to save programs.
All installed programs (except for an occasional very small one) have
files and pointers to them within Windows, in the registry and
elsewhere. So if you aren't running the Windows copy they were
installed under, the pointers and files aren't available and the
programs won't run. Programs have to be reinstalled from the original
media.
