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Windows Upgrade Suggestions

TARPSBird

TARPSBird

Moderator
Staff member
I have finally decided to improve my old Compaq coal-burner just a bit by upgrading from Windows ME to Windows XP Home Edition. ME has worked great for me ever since I got the pooter but it's time to dump it. I'm thinking it would be preferable (and less dangerous) to do an XP upgrade vice a clean install so my personal documents, pics and preferences don't get wiped off my HD. I am pretty good at routine computer maintenance and procedures but kinda nervous about changing Windows versions. Any guidance or suggestions would be greatly appreciated, I want to do it right the first time.
 
FWIW, I'd be inclined to back up everything of importance to DVD.
I can't say for sure as I avoided ME but I doubt you can retain your settings (and I'll stand corrected on that one) upgrading from it to XP.
My approach would be a serious DVD backup, reformat and a clean XP install.
:ernae:
 
Tarps, do the back up of everything you want to make sure you keep to DVDs. CDs only if it's a must do.

You'll love XP even more than ME. I was like you and didn't want to upgrade but was force to due to a motherboard crapping out. Make sure you get all the Service Packs installed too.... 2 and 3. Then go with MS Security Essentials.... less bloat, quicker loading times, and not the resourse hog these antivirus/spyware software packages are that cost you money.... it's free.
 
Yes always important back it all up. Play it safe.

New hard drives are cheap. Buy a new hard drive and a cheap hard drive USB encloser. Copy all needed files to the usb drive.

A couple of months ago I bought a new IDE laptop drive of 320 GB for $89.00 when the laptop blew the mother board three months later I bought a $10 hard drive encloser to recover my work related information. Works like a charm you can never have too much room.

That said I prefer a fresh install over an upgrade any day.

Especially since it is ME we are talking about. ME was poor code. I know it has served you well or you would not still be running it but its best to leave it all behind.
 
Going from the old 95/98/ME code OS to the XP OS (which is based on the WinNT code), I would do a clean install. As already mentioned, it's a good idea to backup your important stuff to external media before an upgrade anyway so might as well go all out and do a clean install

I've done a few XP upgrades over 98 and ME and it frequently causes a few little hiccups that might not show up right away but you'll probably have a few annoying little crashes sometime from that install.

I agree with Dave's suggestion of grabbing a new hard-drive for the upgrade. I would use the new drive for your clean install though and keep the original as your "storage" disk until you get everything migrated into place and running.
If you need to, run your Compaq recovery disks (assuming you've got the CD media for it and not just a recovery partition on the original HDD) to get enough of the ME OS on-board so that the XP upgrade CD can recognize the old OS and then do a clean install from there.
 
Agree, with this one I would do a clean install...and definitely back it up.

I just purchased a SEAGATE external for $70, which came with the necessary software, and it works like a champ. Too easy.

Now, having just told you to do a clean install, I myself violated that by doing a Vista to Win7 Upgarde...which incidentally worked out fine (actually violated two of my own rules by doing the upgrade, and by not waiting until SP 1), but I did have a complete backup prior.
 
Thank you gents for your replies. I will go with your recommendations to do a clean install vice an upgrade. Will probably get the XP software off eBay, prices are about the same for upgrade or full install.
Dave, can you pls tell me more about the hard drive and USB enclosure assembly vs. a regular external HD such as WD or Rosewill. I'm thinking your suggestion would maybe cost less and accomplish the same thing (backing up my stuff).
Moparmike, a while back I attempted a re-install of Windows ME using my Compaq OEM CD just to start over clean. The re-install hung up so I abandoned the idea. Messing with partitions on the C: drive is above my level of expertise.
If I decide to back up my files using DVD's, is it necessary to have DVD-burning software or can I use my regular CD drive? And what type of DVD's do I use, DVD-R or DVD-R/W?
 
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