Re: Me to XP upgrade - advice/products questions
From: Griff (anonymous_at_discussions.microsoft.com)
Date: 02/14/04
- Next message: Neptoone: "Re: Do I need to partition?"
- Previous message: Arjun: "Re: No Right Click On Start Menu..."
- In reply to: Ken Blake, MVP: "Re: Me to XP upgrade - advice/products questions"
- Next in thread: Ken Blake, MVP: "Re: Me to XP upgrade - advice/products questions"
- Reply: Ken Blake, MVP: "Re: Me to XP upgrade - advice/products questions"
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ]
Date: Sat, 14 Feb 2004 14:49:55 -0800
Ken Blake --
Thanks for your excellent and detailed response.
As it turns out, coinciding with my operating system
malfunctions, there are other reasons why I want to upgrade
to XP (ipod, among them). So, ME's apparent problems
happened at an opportune time.
I do understand the risks and work involved with clean
reinstallation, and have recently backed up all my personal
data to cds in case of emergency.
I will be going the XP upgrade route.
Thanks again.
>-----Original Message-----
>In news:1047501c3f33e$1b512310$a001280a@phx.gbl,
>Griff <gdamfino@optonline.net> typed:
>
>> A two part question:
>
>
>And I've supplied a long multi-part answer.
>
>
>> (I'm on Windows ME with Microsoft Works Suite 2001.)
>>
>> Due to a problem, my computer tech support recommends that
>> I reinstall my Windows ME operating system using the
>> original discs.
>
>
>I wouldn't be quick to believe him. You might want to get a
>second opinion. Tech support people often recommend that you
>reformat and reinstall. That's the perfect solution for
them. It
>gets you off the phone quickly, it almost always works, and it
>doesn't require them to do any real troubleshooting (a
skill that
>most of them obviously don't possess in any great degree).
>
>But it leaves you with all the work and all the problems. You
>have to restore all your data backups, you have to
reinstall all
>your programs, you have to reinstall all the Windows and
>application updates,you have to locate and install all the
needed
>drivers for your system, you have to recustomize Windows
and all
>your apps to work the way you're comfortable with. Besides all
>those things being time-consuming and troublesome, you may
have
>trouble with some of them: can you find all your
application CDs?
>Can you find all the needed installation codes? Do you
have data
>backups to restore? Do you even remember all the
customizations
>and tweaks you may have installed to make everything work
the way
>you like?
>
>Occasionally there are problems that are so difficult to solve
>that Windows should be reinstalled cleanly. But they are
few and
>far between; reinstallation should not a substitute for
>troubleshooting; it should be a last resort, to be done only
>after all other attempts at troubleshooting by a qualified
person
>have failed.
>
>
>
>> Under the circumstances, I'm considering
>> buying Windows XP instead -- either the upgrade or full
>> replacment product.
>>
>> 1) Is it more fool proof to simply invest in the full
>> package Windows XP, rather than reinstalling ME and then
>> upgrading to XP?
>
>
>
>You're making a false assumption. Contrary to what many people
>think, you can do a clean installation with an upgrade
version.
>You don't have to reinstall Me first.
>
>The requirement to use an upgrade version is to *own* a
previous
>qualifying version's installation CD (not an OEM restore
CD), not
>to have it installed. When setup doesn't find a previous
>qualifying version installed, it will prompt you to insert
its CD
>as proof of ownership. Just insert the previous version's
CD, and
>follow the prompts. Everything proceeds quite normally and
quite
>legitimately.
>
>So since you qualify for the upgrade, that's what you
should buy,
>since it's cheaper. The two contain exactly the same software.
>
>Your question really should be, should you do a clean
>installation or an upgrade. Although many people will tell you
>that formatting and installing cleanly is the best way to
go, I
>disagree. Unlike with previous versions of Windows, an
upgrade to
>XP replaces almost everything, and usually works very well.
>
>My recommendation is to at least try the upgrade, since
it's much
>easier than a clean installation. You can always change
your mind
>and reinstall cleanly if problems develop.
>
>However, don't assume that doing an upgrade relieves you
of the
>need to backup your data, etc. before beginning. Before
starting
>to upgrade, it's always prudent to recognize that things
like a
>sudden power loss can occur in eth middle of it and cause the
>loss of everything. For that reason you should make sure
you have
>backups and anything else you need to reinstall if the worst
>happens.
>
>
>> 2) Will the new XP system recognize the previously
>> installed MS Works Suite 2001 software?
>
>
>If you do an upgrade, yes. If you do a clean installation, no.
>
>
>> If I need to
>> reinstall Works Suite 2001, will it be compatible with the
>> XP operating system?
>
>
>Yes.
>
>
>> Is it essential that I upgrade that
>> too -- to either Work Suite 2003 or Office?
>
>
>No.
>
>
>--
>Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
>Please reply to the newsgroup
>
>
>.
>
- Next message: Neptoone: "Re: Do I need to partition?"
- Previous message: Arjun: "Re: No Right Click On Start Menu..."
- In reply to: Ken Blake, MVP: "Re: Me to XP upgrade - advice/products questions"
- Next in thread: Ken Blake, MVP: "Re: Me to XP upgrade - advice/products questions"
- Reply: Ken Blake, MVP: "Re: Me to XP upgrade - advice/products questions"
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ]
Relevant Pages
|
|
