XP Upgrade Clean Install

Well, my suggestion is just to wipe the harddrive clean and then install XP Home. I'm not sure how possible this is... but once you have all the files you want to use backed up, pop in the XP Home CD and it should guide you through the process of setting up, partitioning, or formatting... with the options it gives you.

That's how I did mine, but I never had any other OSes on this current system except XP, so give it a try, and if it doesn't work, someone else can help

Is this possible even with the Upgrade version?

That I do not know, sorry. I use XP Professional. I'm afraid someone else may have to help you. Sorry for not being able to help

I thought XP Home is an Operating System by itself?

I believe it gives you the option to replace '98 or to dual boot with it, as does XP Pro...

Thanks Jafo. I am beginning to lean towards XP, but I'm afraid that it will only be a little while until a new version comes out. (The never ending problem with software and electronics) *sigh*

Do what I do. Find one you like and stick with it for a while. Once you bought it, don't look back at what new ones that may have just been released. Enjoyment is the key

Note : You can upgrade on a blank system if You have the old Win 98 CD handy. XP will ask for that CD during setup and check it.

Or install 98 then upgrade to XP.(Have all your XP drivers ready) Go to Add/Remove and delete the old OS. Tried the old CD upgrade as c242 suggested but I've always bought the upgrade disks or CD, going back to Win 3.0.

I had the same questions before I upgraded to XP not too long ago. I went with XP Pro full version. I did a clean install and everything went very smoothly. I waited for about a month before I finally made my decision becuase I wanted to be sure before I spent the money. I did a lot of research and got lots of opinions, so I say go with XP Pro and do a clean install. You can get the OEM of XP Pro Full verion at VioSoftware.com for $153. That's where I ordered and they were really good. Hope this helps!

In answer to your original question, you need to do a clean install of 98 and then upgrade it to XP.
That is the best way. I wouldn't bother with a dual boot. I did that at first and found I never used
anything but XP once I had it.

The XP Home upgrade works just fine on a blank HD, actually - as c242 stated, just have your ol' Win98 CD handy.

Installing Windows onto a blank HD is always preferable to 'upgrading' a copy of it. While the vast majority of people have no problems upgrading 98-XP, I've still seen some scary things happen.

Besides, in true Microsoft fashion, upgrading causes tons of crap you don't need to be left over.

For some reason, my XP upgrade disk would not work on a blank HD...
It made me install ME first and then upgrade that.
Urrrgghhh...

David my notebook came with 98. I used an update disk to ME. Then I went out and bought an update disk to XP. I didn't do a clean install just an upgrade. It completely over wrote my ME os, but it kept all my files and programs uneffected.In the Add & Remove it put XP uninstall. In case I wanted revert back to ME. It's been about 2 years now and I haven't had a crash or a frozen screen and I'm running WB,DesktopX,Iconpackager(complete Object Desktop). It does ask you if you want a clean install or upgrade.

Oh yea I'm running a Gateway 700mhz with 224mb ram Pentium 3

I forgot to add if you do a disk clean it removes all traces of the last OS. The only thing that was left was My Briefcase.

Upgrade is fine just as MontyXP points out, though you might get some messages that the software might not function under XP, thats ok, you can set it so it runs in a compatible wrapper for 98/ME/2000 whichever you might need.

If your wanting to dual boot that is something else, if your wanting to recover your old OS afterwards, I think there is an option to keep a copy on the drive. Though I have never reverted back so never took that option. I would ghost my drive fist before upgrading just in case, then if things go blewy on you it can be burned back to the drive with the cd(s) and the floppy...

Jam, it demands a functioning registered ( with the registration key set in the registry on the drive to registered [1] and a valid key also registered in there ) before it will agree to install.

For the most part...

98 and such just wanted you to pop a valid install floppy or CD to prove you had the medium, now they want to know you own it as much as they can know atleast.

Bad thing about always using upgrades is I tried to reinstall ME(upgrade) and had to borrow a 98 anything to reinstall my ME. When I sold the old PC they wanted the os too. SO I weas stuck. AS soon as I get this 3rd pc going I'll have to borrow a 98 again to install my ME.

IPlural, I used the ME recovery disc that came with my computer, I've reinstalled XP a couple of times and it won't install on my nice, blank hard drive. It always requires that ME be already installed on it before it will install. It's a pain but
not really that bad. The worst part is re-installing ME....

actually if you have to boodisks for the install for 98 (if you created them) that might be enough to get ME-Upgrade to pass through. Biggest thing they were looking for was that you own/owned 98-98se. Though I am not really sure exactly what the trasnfer of license is worded as in the EULA, might want to check that also...

I still have 95 install on 1.44's somewhere around here

and I used 95 CD's with cork dots glued to the bottom as coasters in the office

Jam

Ghost, ghost, ghos gho gh g ..

My computer came with ME installed on it, not 98...
I do have a 98 emergency boot disk from a previous computer...
What are you saying, to boot it up with the 98 disk and then run the XP upgrade disk?

Thats how I slam network installs...

Slap a ghosted cd in the box, setup the stattions with boot floppies and run
windows net in dose, connect to the share and zing...

Stand around, drink some coffee, hang out, listen to people bitch about paying for it and then wrap it up and setup the odd grouups and such, mostly done on the server before even walking through the door, do the odd app, get paid and leave unless there are other things needing to be done. Or I should say that is how I used to do it...

It is also the best way to have your server setup with a basic install and then do the grunt work with the apps needed for each specific install ready to go after the burn.

Clients also on an active Network, IT should have the basic setup for all desktops in a ghost image stored on the drive and also for each departments needed install base apps.

Then you can recover fast, add the backup data, wipe a system and move it to another dept, and burn it so it fits in, etc...

No, EMR disk probably wouldn't work... On Windows platters there is an option to create installation boot disks. Mostly people did it with NT4.0, but they all come with it. Anyway, that initial bootdisk should show up as being enough to run the upgrade install with for 2000 and down. XP I am pretty sure wants it installed because when you install it, you registry it and that is tracked in the registry as MS looking at the number and adding your infor to their database. meaning you registered it...

XP looks in the registry, sees that and say ok..

If you just stick the platter in, it has nothing to check it against, it could be any old CD that you picked up anywhere and never registered which is your proof to them that you actually own it...

Which would explain why I can't install the XP upgrade disc without first having ME installed....

yep...

I'd do a ghost Image next time you have it installe, and then all you have to do is incert the cd bootup and start the restore and go do something else for a little bit...

I would also, once XP is back on and ready, Ghost that also, then just burn back ups of your data perodically and if you have a RW format a rw-cd as a drive and back up to that, your edited graphics, new graphics ect...

then recovery is a snap...