Re: How big are Windows OS?

From: Dan Seur (click_at_casta.net)
Date: 02/22/04


Date: Sun, 22 Feb 2004 16:42:02 -0500

RoS - if your only hard drive is 3GB and you repartition for a 2GB
Win2000 partition, then yes, what's left is a 1GB partition. And a 2GB
Win2000 or XP partition will fill up very quickly if you plan to run it
with many applications as a prolonged test.

Be aware also that to get from WinME to Win2000 you cannot simply do an
upgrade that migrates your application settings. That's an invalid
upgrade path. You must do a clean install of Win2000, then reinstall
your apps. (I'm not sure whether this applies to WinXP as well; WinME
was released after Win2000 so its structure is not understood well by
the Win2000 upgrade routines, but the WinXP routines may be able to
handle the upgrade. Check the WinXP upgrade requirements carefully. Be
aware also that the collective wisdom in these newsgroups seems to be
that upgrades in general are too error-prone to be preferable to clean
installs anyhow.)

You should of course back up all your important data files elsewhere
before any partitioning.

You could probably go to a computer store, spend some time fooling with
a Win2000 computer and then with a WinXP machine, and pick your next
move based on that. You could then move your laptop data files to your
new machine across some LAN-equivalent or portable storage medium.

Greg Stiger's response to your query is consistent with many others I've
seen in these newsgroups. Some people prefer one OS, some the other, and
most have good reasons. It's a personal decision depending on many
factors, not all cosmetic and not all technical.

RoS wrote:

> Does this mean that after installation on reformatted 3GB HD there'd be 1 GB
> left for apps? I'm currently running WinME but would like to have a look at
> 2000 before deciding on whether it or XP should be the OS for a replacement
> computer with, of course, a much bigger HD
> RoS
> "Greg Stigers" <gregstigers@spamcop.net> wrote in message
> news:#H2Mhe29DHA.3488@tk2msftngp13.phx.gbl...
>
>>From
>>
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/windows2000/professional/evaluation/sysreqs/default
> .asp:
>
>>Hard Disk 2 GB with 650 MB free space.
>>
>>You do have the option of directory compression, if space is a concern.
>>
>>If you were running 9x on this laptop, and are concerned about space, you
>>almost certainly want to look at the rest of these requirements, and
>>remember that these are minimums, not recommendations.
>>
>>You can download the Readiness Analyzer from
>>
>
> http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=b008d64c-dd8d-4816-
> a3d9-fd2ed787e735&displaylang=en.
>
>>This focuses on compatibility, but is certainly worth running.
>>
>>Be aware that going from XP Pro to 2000 Pro is considered a downgrade. You
>>don't say what it is about XP that you never liked. But if it's a matter
>
> of
>
>>the changes to the interface, well, you can choose the 2000 style
>
> interface,
>
>>but be aware that 2003 has much the same enhancements.
>>
>>Greg Stigers, MCSA
>>this space for rent
>>
>>
>
>
>



Relevant Pages

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