Re: Upgradeing from 98SE to XP

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Ken Blake, MVP wrote:
sharonf wrote:

A few months ago I tried upgrading from Windows 98Se to XP but did it
over XP and had lots of problems. After a lot of work I finally
reverted back to 98 and got everything working right again. Now I
want to try a clean install of XP but am a little afraid of not being
able to revert back to 98 if something goes wrong again.


That's correct. If you do a clean installation, you will not be able to go back to 98, short of clean installing it again.


I already
ran the Upgrade adviser and have downloaded the new drivers that I
will need. I'm wondering if I should update my bios first but I don't
have a clue how to do that.


No, do not do that--not unless you are aware of a problem that the BIOS upgrade is known to fix. Although a BIOS upgrade normally goes well, it is not without danger. If something goes wrong while the upgrade is an progress (for example, a lapse in power) you can be left with no BIOS at all, and an unbootable computer.


Can anyone give me any suggestions as to
the most trouble free method of doing a clean install?


It's not really a matter of "the most trouble free method." There's essentially only one way to do it. Just boot from the Windows XP CD (change the BIOS boot order if necessary to accomplish this) and follow the prompts for a clean installation (delete the existing partition by pressing "D" when prompted, then create a new one).

You can find detailed instructions here: http://michaelstevenstech.com/cleanxpinstall.html

or here http://xphelpandsupport.mvps.org/how_do_i_install_windows_xp.htm

or here http://windowsxp.mvps.org/XPClean.htm

or here http://www.webtree.ca/windowsxp/clean_install.htm

Thanks for the advise and the links. I am not aware of any problems with the bios on my computer. A few upgrading sites had suggested doing that before installing XP. If I don't need to do it that I'll skip that step.
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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Upgradeing from 98SE to XP
    ... want to try a clean install of XP but am a little afraid of not being ... able to revert back to 98 if something goes wrong again. ... ran the Upgrade adviser and have downloaded the new drivers that I ... do not do that--not unless you are aware of a problem that the BIOS ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: CD / DVD doesnt appear in device manager
    ... Umm I dont think he changed anything in the BIOS, ... both cds were working BEFORE the upgrade. ... Which is why he upgraded instead of doing a clean install (which didnt ... Windows 2000 is not Windows XP. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)
  • Re: Upgradeing from 98SE to XP
    ... want to try a clean install of XP but am a little afraid of not being ... able to revert back to 98 if something goes wrong again. ... I'm wondering if I should update my bios first but I don't ... I can find suggestions about upgrading the bios but so far ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: Upgradeing from 98SE to XP
    ... clean install of XP but am a little afraid of not being able to revert ... information on upgrading the bios that would be great too. ... Repartition your HD using some 3rd party utility such as partition magic. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.help_and_support)
  • Re: CD / DVD doesnt appear in device manager
    ... both cds were working BEFORE the upgrade. ... The BIOS knows theyre ... Which is why he upgraded instead of doing a clean install (which didnt ... Windows 2000 is not Windows XP. ...
    (microsoft.public.windowsxp.general)