Uninstalling ME and installing Xp...

[It'sasecret]

Any tips? Do you think a laymen can handle it? I am sick of ME and was told it was better to do a full install rather then a upgrade.

 

[~photoguy~]

yup, a "layperson" can handle it .. as long as your machine is fairly new ...
when you put in the XP disk and re-boot ... XP will ask if you want to do a complete install .. this will involve re-formating your hard disk ... which means *everything* thats on there now will be erased ... the XP disk should handle all this for you ... as long as your computer can boot from the CD Drive ..

 

[It'sasecret]

Shouldn't I uninstall ME first though? Just using the XP disk would only do an upgrade correct?

 

[ReadyOne]

You can also install XP into a different directory than your current ME installation. Then you should be able to dual boot between the two.

Programs will need to be reinstalled into XP -- use the same instal directory as you did for ME ("c:\Program Files"). This will stop proliferation of duplicate files. Effectively, the XP install will share the existing program files and add the necessary system stuff to the XP registery, etc.

I do advise that you not upgrade if you can avoid it. There are definatly know problems where an upgraded system doesn't work right compared to a fresh install.

 

[ReadyOne]

Shouldn't I uninstall ME first though? Just using the XP disk would only do an upgrade correct?

You can't just "uninstall" ME. You either totally wipe it out by formatting the hard disk (which wipes your data files too), or you "ignore it" by installing into a new directory, or you upgrade it by installing into the existing ME windows directory.

The default is upgrade. When XP install asks for advanced settings, you can pick a new directory (say WinXP) to substitute for the ME directory (say WINDOWS). It will warn you that you will have to reinstall all your programs.

 

[Succulent-one]

You can't just "uninstall" ME. You either totally wipe it out by formatting the hard disk (which wipes your data files too), or you "ignore it" by installing into a new directory, or you upgrade it by installing into the existing ME windows directory.

The default is upgrade. When XP install asks for advanced settings, you can pick a new directory (say WinXP) to substitute for the ME directory (say WINDOWS). It will warn you that you will have to reinstall all your programs.

Would you come to Portland Oregon and fix my Windows XP professional, or maybe the prblem in explorer. Either way I am having fits! ~sigh~ It is a new Dell 4600 and it came installed. I am very smart about some things, but computers aren't one of them. LOL

 

[JJ Ligier]

Hi Its'A

...So ya want to install XP do you?? Do you use your computer for anything else other than work applications? XP isn't everything it was cracked up to be - hence the lack lustre sales that microsoft has been experiencing with this operating system.

But if you're convinced that this is the way to go, you're correct in your assumption that a fresh install is far better than the upgrade. Make sure you back up all your important data to some other medium (cd-r, tape, etc.) because you should do a hard format against your hard drive. Also, prior to doing this, make sure your computer boots up from your cd drive before it looks to your hard drive - this can be determined, or set up, in your bios setup - which isn't that hard to do.

After that, it's just a matter of placing the XP disc into your cd drive and rebooting. Unless you get into removing and replacing partitions - and I could help you with that if you run into problems.

I might offer that before you go to this length, you look at Windows 2000 as an alternative, as it's a far superior, and stable operating system over XP.

 

[ReadyOne]

Would you come to Portland Oregon and fix my Windows XP professional, or maybe the prblem in explorer. Either way I am having fits! ~sigh~ It is a new Dell 4600 and it came installed. I am very smart about some things, but computers aren't one of them. LOL

You tempt me. Very much. But I'd hope you get things fixed in the 4-5 days taht it would take me to get out to the coast.

 

[ReadyOne]

Would you come to Portland Oregon and fix my Windows XP professional, or maybe the prblem in explorer. Either way I am having fits! ~sigh~ It is a new Dell 4600 and it came installed. I am very smart about some things, but computers aren't one of them. LOL

You say it's a new Dell?
Then Dell should have given you some restore CDs that would make putting it back into a factory shipped configuration very easy. Back up your data first, of course...

 

[MagicFingers]

Dual Boot?

You can also install XP into a different directory than your current ME installation. Then you should be able to dual boot between the two.

Programs will need to be reinstalled into XP -- use the same instal directory as you did for ME ("c:\Program Files"). This will stop proliferation of duplicate files. Effectively, the XP install will share the existing program files and add the necessary system stuff to the XP registery, etc.

I do advise that you not upgrade if you can avoid it. There are definatly know problems where an upgraded system doesn't work right compared to a fresh install.

I thought ME was still FAT32 file system, and am pretty sure XP is NTFS. If so, you will not be able to load them on the same partition nor do a dual boot.
Yes, you COULD do a dual boot between Win2000 and '98, for example, but only if the W2K was installed on a FAT32 file system.
Is this right. (Still forever learning this stuff)
MF

 

[Succulent-one]

You tempt me. Very much. But I'd hope you get things fixed in the 4-5 days taht it would take me to get out to the coast.

~grins~ I would make it well worth your while!

 

[JJ Ligier]

Re: Dual Boot?

Win XP can be loaded, err, I mean, installed either as NTFS or FAT32 (but not both) - that's your choice when installing; the same is true for Win 2k also.

 

[ReadyOne]

~grins~ I would make it well worth your while!

You know.... doing an install involves a lot of "hurry up and wait". We could just sit there looking at each other while the progress bar slowly creeps across the screen, or we could really look at each up, up close and see everything there is to see. Of course, "look don't touch" won't last for more than a minute. Then you can bloom for me, baby!

It could be fun to try and time the orgasms so that the computer keeps humping away at full speed. Or, I do think I have the humping thing backwards? We'll have to try it forward and backwards...

And a good installation verification test would be to browse some famous Literotica threads and then verify that we get the same fantastic results that our fellow posters report.

 

[Succulent-one]

You know.... doing an install involves a lot of "hurry up and wait". We could just sit there looking at each other while the progress bar slowly creeps across the screen, or we could really look at each up, up close and see everything there is to see. Of course, "look don't touch" won't last for more than a minute. Then you can bloom for me, baby!

It could be fun to try and time the orgasms so that the computer keeps humping away at full speed. Or, I do think I have the humping thing backwards? We'll have to try it forward and backwards...

And a good installation verification test would be to browse some famous Literotica threads and then verify that we get the same fantastic results that our fellow posters report.

Sounds like a good time to me Indianaplois?....Gentleman start your engine....oh I think yours might already be reved up!

 

[rafikki34]

Don't do it!!

Oh ew, personal opinion, but i would not recommend Windows XP to my worst enemy. My best friend, mother & sister all have XP & it is nothing but problems. Their computers are forever performing automatic upgrades that take forever. The entire setup is so dramatically different from any other Windows. I love ME & have vowed to never purchase a computer with XP for as long as i live...

 

[The_old_man]

My son gave me his old BB system with dual hard drives and twin processors! One drive has win98se on 32bit. The other drive has XP Pro set up 64 bit.

Win98se runs on only one processor and drive.

XP uses BOTH processors and both drives. You think you have problems?

I never use XP for anything but graphics. 98se the rest of the time.

 

[Carnus]

To give you a little background, this is part of what I do for a livng, I design, implement and manage support systems for small to medium sized companies. The easiest and most trouble free way to do tihis is to back up everything you want to keep (documents, email, porn, etc) onto a cd or disks and then format the machine using the XP installation CD. change the drive type to NTFS and you will have a faster more efficient and less troubesome system than if you stay with FAT32, You really don't uninstall an old operating system, you just upgrade or install over the top of it. XP is based on Windows NT and so provides a lot more stable environment, but the trade off is that you have to deal with a network operating system and so it has a little more security to deal with that 98SE. Also it is much harder to pirate than 98 was (notice I said harder, not impossible ) due to the way its serial number system works. Biggest advantage, it has all the new hardware drivers and so yu don't have to spend forever looking up and downloading drivers. It will also autoupdate itself as new security patches come out and that kind of thing. With all that said, I am typing this on a linux computer which has cost me nothing for the operating system, office compatible software, runs my printers, camera and other periphrials and has yet to crash (unless it has been my fault) and has as large a freeware base as windows has ever dreamed about..

Carnus

 

[midwestyankee]

To give you a little background, this is part of what I do for a livng, I design, implement and manage support systems for small to medium sized companies. The easiest and most trouble free way to do tihis is to back up everything you want to keep (documents, email, porn, etc) onto a cd or disks and then format the machine using the XP installation CD. change the drive type to NTFS and you will have a faster more efficient and less troubesome system than if you stay with FAT32, You really don't uninstall an old operating system, you just upgrade or install over the top of it. XP is based on Windows NT and so provides a lot more stable environment, but the trade off is that you have to deal with a network operating system and so it has a little more security to deal with that 98SE. Also it is much harder to pirate than 98 was (notice I said harder, not impossible ) due to the way its serial number system works. Biggest advantage, it has all the new hardware drivers and so yu don't have to spend forever looking up and downloading drivers. It will also autoupdate itself as new security patches come out and that kind of thing. With all that said, I am typing this on a linux computer which has cost me nothing for the operating system, office compatible software, runs my printers, camera and other periphrials and has yet to crash (unless it has been my fault) and has as large a freeware base as windows has ever dreamed about..

Carnus

Would you mind commenting on the earlier comment that Win2000 is a more stable os than XP? I just ordered a new computer with XP and could make a change to Win2K if it's advisable. Thanks.

 

[ReadyOne]

It's a bit subjective to me, but I just brought up another personal computer in the bedroom and I chose to install 2K instead of XP Pro like I have on my old machine.

I wouldn't run XP Home Edition because the security is too screwed up ("simple" file sharing locks down too many files).

A lot of hardware companies never put out drivers for 2K (excuse: 2K is an industrial system and we market to home/small office) but I did some hardware swapping and don't buy certain brands anymore.

XP lost a few features that 2K has, the Web Server (IIS) being a noteable one.

And... the XP user interface took a lot of time to dismantle so I could find things like control panel applets and missing menu options, etc.

Plus all my backup software, etc. wanted me to buy $60 upgrades for XP flavor NTFS support. I've used the 2K SP4 NTFS drivers (which recognize the XP NTFS signature) and so far have no problems with the older programs.

Then there's product activation for XP, which I won't get into.

 

[midwestyankee]

It's a bit subjective to me, but I just brought up another personal computer in the bedroom and I chose to install 2K instead of XP Pro like I have on my old machine.

I wouldn't run XP Home Edition because the security is too screwed up ("simple" file sharing locks down too many files).

A lot of hardware companies never put out drivers for 2K (excuse: 2K is an industrial system and we market to home/small office) but I did some hardware swapping and don't buy certain brands anymore.

XP lost a few features that 2K has, the Web Server (IIS) being a noteable one.

And... the XP user interface took a lot of time to dismantle so I could find things like control panel applets and missing menu options, etc.

Plus all my backup software, etc. wanted me to buy $60 upgrades for XP flavor NTFS support. I've used the 2K SP4 NTFS drivers (which recognize the XP NTFS signature) and so far have no problems with the older programs.

Then there's product activation for XP, which I won't get into.

Crap! I'm beginning to feel like I've just signed up for the Bill Gates Autograph Edition Torture Machine.

 

[ReadyOne]

I'm glad you're never more than a few steps away from a bottle of scotch... it can be most useful after dealing with Micro$oft!

 

[lena]

There is no upgrade from ME to XP, as far as I know. XP and ME are two different lines of systems. The evolution of Windows systems sort of go like this ....

95 --> 98 --> ME

NT --> 2000 --> XP

So all you can do, is a full (clean) install of XP. Not sure how Microsoft made the installer but I think it should remove all data from the hard disk and format it. So back up whatever important data you have.

Usually when I install a new system cold turkey .. such as from ME to 2000, I format the hard disk first in DOS .. then only install the OS so there won't be any issues in the future.

I've been using XP Pro so far and there are no problems at all. I turn down lots of the non-essential things so it won't slow my system. But the PC in the office is just bogged down though with 4 different users so ....

I'd recommend you to get XP Pro though and steer clear of XP Home. There are a lot of functionalities that are not included in XP Home. Just my opinion Btw I don't think you can run away from using XP .. any new PC/laptop you buy will be fitted with it. Unless you want to switch to a Mac.

 

[midwestyankee]

I've been using XP Pro so far and there are no problems at all. I turn down lots of the non-essential things so it won't slow my system. But the PC in the office is just bogged down though with 4 different users so ....

I'd recommend you to get XP Pro though and steer clear of XP Home. There are a lot of functionalities that are not included in XP Home. Just my opinion Btw I don't think you can run away from using XP .. any new PC/laptop you buy will be fitted with it. Unless you want to switch to a Mac.

Lena, thanks much. I was able to call the mfr. and get them to switch to XP Pro before shipping the new notebook. And with Wi-Fi, I'll get to read Lit with my Charbucks. Life is good!

 

[ReadyOne]

There is no upgrade from ME to XP, as far as I know. XP and ME are two different lines of systems. The evolution of Windows systems sort of go like this ....

95 --> 98 --> ME

NT --> 2000 --> XP

So all you can do, is a full (clean) install of XP. Not sure how Microsoft made the installer but I think it should remove all data from the hard disk and format it. So back up whatever important data you have.

{snip}

XP install is aware of an existing Windows 9x/ME system, and will take a lot of information from the registry, etc. Remember that MS says XP is the official upgrade path from ME, and they have made an heroic effort to make 9x stuff work on XP.