Re: Upgrade to XP

Ted Zieglar wrote:

"Chacun sont gout" as the French say, so permit me to disagree.

There's a cost for all this: It's a good way to kill a weekend. But if
you're particular about your system, or just an aficionado, a clean
install is the way to go.


I agree with Rick and Michael. An upgrade is for most people the best
choice. 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.

The one time I agree with your point of view is if the existing system is
experiencing problems. Some people upgrade in that situation in the hope
that the new operating system will fix the problems. But it's more likely
that upgrading an existing problem-ridden computer will exacerbate the
existing problems. But if the computer is working well with the old
operating system, trying the upgrade makes sense. If it works well (and it
probably will) you've saved a lot of time. If it doesn't work well and you
then decide to reinstall cleanly, you're out only the short time it took for
the upgrade.

Michael's point "Prep the system as if you were doing a clean install before
running the upgrade" is a key one. That means, for example, be sure you have
a backup of any data you can't afford to lose. That way if the upgrade
doesn't go well and you decide to reinstall cleanly, you're ready for that
eventuality.

--
Ken Blake - Microsoft MVP Windows: Shell/User
Please reply to the newsgroup



Michael Stevens wrote:
Rick Rogers wrote:
I'll disagree with the clean install advocates. First, the XP
install will be replacing the entire operating system file set as
well as the registry. The only "leftovers" will be entries that
exist for your personal settings and installed software (these are
imported into the new registry files during setup). Problems with
the operating system will not be carried over (though any
malevolent spyware and adware will be, you do want to make sure the
system is clear and free of these first).
Also, XP does not suffer from registry bloat as did Win98, if there
are dead entries that get through the upgrade they will simply be
meaningless in the new system and have zero effect on performance.
Try it, as you can always go back and do a clean install if the
results are not to your liking (but you can't do a clean install,
then decide to go back and do an upgrade instead). This will
preserve your user settings, programs, and data (though there is
still no excuse for not backing up to guard against disaster).

"Sailor" <Sailor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:DC3F028B-8AF5-4D46-87A1-D1DDF468F5A1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
If I upgrade to Windows XP from 98se, will the 98se registry (which
is bloated) be carried over into XP intact, or will a new registry
be installed
with XP? Is there any way to clean the registry of the many
uninstalled or unused programs in it? I've had to reinstall 98se
recently and it is now shown on Explorer as 'Windows.000'. I'm
concerened that some of my past problems with 98se will be carried
over to XP.

Absolutely agree with you, the upgrade should be the first choice
when it is an option. Prep the system as if you were doing a clean
install before running the upgrade.


.

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