Should I do a fresh WINXP install, or upgrade? HELP!

[acid16]

Hello all,

I just recently purchased Windows XP Professional. I'm wondering if i should do a fresh install, or just upgrade. My current operating system is Windows 98 (1st Edition). I want to upgrade, I would really prefer not to have to wipe my hard drive, cause I dont have a CD/RW, but ive heard that upgrading isnt as good as doing a fresh install, especially since im using Windows 98. So should I do a fresh install? If so could someone please explain to me the differences and the advantages of doing a fresh install? This would be greatly appreciated, I really wanna install it!!!!

Thx a bunch,
Acid

 

[Gooberlx2]

well, i did an upgrade to winxp pro; but that was from win2k pro. I don't think there was much to do to migrate in my case. But if you're going from win98 1st ED to XP then I would do a clean install.

 

[sMashPiranha]

One of my mates upgraded from 98SE to XP. He had all sorts of problems, can't remember any specifically but there where several. Fixed it by doing a clean install.
If you don't have anyway of backing up all you files you could do what I often do when I can't be bothered writing a CD-R before reinstalling. I just make a temporary directory and move all my important stuff into it, then in delete everything that I don't need to run the computer while I'm in windows. Then I boot off a boot floppy or CD and delete everything except for my temporary directory. Then install my OS. If you do try this make sure you don't let the XP install reformat the partition, and you'll have to stick with FAT32. In my case I don't use any of the NTFS stuff since its a single user PC so I can stick with FAT32, your case may be different.

 

[bacillus]

you'll have fewer problems if you start with a clean install!

 

[flippinfleck]

Definately do a clean install. All those bugs you have right now, they will reproduplicate like you wouldn't believe if you just upgrade.

Even if you want to save a few bucks and buy the upgrade cd, your current version (as long as you have the cd) should suffice for the upgrade. Move all your files to another hd, or if that's not an option you could register for a lot of tripod accounts (like, 50mb each or something) and upload all yer files. Not as secure, as they are out on the net for all to see, but it works.

 

[Locut0s]

The differences? Well having allways done a clean install this isn't from my personal experience but I know that many people have horrible nightmares upgrading OS's. Even if the upgrade is 100% clean you might find yourself with a less than stable XP experience while others sale along effortlessly. Bassically the downside to upgrading are:

1. Potential of ending up with an unbootable OS. Not very likely but conflicts can make it happen now and then.

2. Unstablem OS after upgrade, more likely than #1 but not deffinetly.

3. Slow/slugish OS after, at least compared to a clean install, this is probably fairly likely, but I don't know about XP upgrades.

 

[Thorstadt]

Ichk... well when I first got XP Professional, I chose to Upgrade from my Win2k installation. I've been running it OK for the past month, but it's not nearly as stable and is quite a bit more sluggish than 2K was. For the past few days, I have been backing up all of the files I want to keep (a good 3 gb) in preparation for a clean install of XP that I will be doing this week. The easiest way to do this is create a partition on your hard drive that you can keep all the files you want to save on, and then go ahead and let XP setup format the main partition. So much trouble, I wish I had chosen a clean install first time through. It would have spared me all this sluggishness (and this is on a P4 1.7 ghz 256 mb ram system..., and it's still slightly sluggish when I disable all the "eye candy").

 

[Gooberlx2]

Yeah, I'm rethinking my upgrade now because for whatever reason my cpu is at constant 100% and for the life of me i can't figure out why.

 

[Strych9]

<< reproduplicate >>

Learn something new every day .