Re: Me to XP Pro: NTFS v FAT32, SP1/SP2, Network
From: Pegasus \(MVP\) (I.can_at_fly.com)
Date: 08/28/04
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Date: Sat, 28 Aug 2004 13:03:30 +1000
See below.
"Jane Crystal" <utopianseamaid@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:u5FXomJjEHA.1184@TK2MSFTNGP12.phx.gbl...
> My situation is complicated, and I felt it better to start a new post
rather
> than to attach this into someone else's. Before any one says I have not
done
> research, I have spent days and hours on the knowledge base and
newsgroups.
>
> I'm terrified to upgrade to Windows XP because of all the things I've read
> that can go wrong with it, but an upgrade is the next logical step. I'm
> getting frustrated with Windows Me crashing all the time. Supposedly, XP
is
> more secure and more stable. Since I'm not an expert, I hope some of you
> that are can advise me and help me find the answers I couldn't find on my
> own. Sometimes it's hard picking the right key words for searches.
>
> I'm planning to upgrade from Me to XP Pro. Regarding your advice in
another
> thread that NTFS should be chosen as the file system, I have a few
> questions about that.
>
> 1. There are 2 hard drives on my computer. One has the operating system,
> Drive C, the other has all my files, Drive D. First, will XP setup offer
me
> the choice between NTFS or FAT32? I'm hoping yes.
*** Having the OS on drive C: and your data on drive D: is an excellent
*** idea. And yes, you do get the choice of converting any drive to NTFS.
*** You can do it at any time: Running the command convert c: /fs:ntfs
*** will do it for drive C:.
> 2. If I select NTFS during XP setup, that will format Drive C to NTFS,
but
> Drive D will still be FAT32. Won't that cause a problem? Will I be able to
> "see" and work with the files on the D drive even though they are FAT32?
> What about when I try to save changes to them. Will it save as FAT32 or
> NTFS?
*** WinXP can read both file systems with equal ease. The two drives
*** can use different files systems - it does not matter. If C: is NTFS and
*** D: is FAT32 then all files on drive C: are saved in NTFS format, those
*** on D: in FAT32 format.
> 3. This computer is connected via ethernet to 3 other computers, all of
> which use legacy operating systems: Windows 95a, Windows 98SE, Windows Me.
> If I use NTFS, those other computers might not be able to "see" my
computer
> or read its data. I heard that a Windows 9x/Me computer cannot read NTFS
> data. Windows XP Home, I was told, could not support a network to a
Windows
> 95 computer -- only Windows XP Pro can.
*** The file system is irrelevant for networking. The so-called "redirector"
handles
*** all such issues. A networked Win95 machine will not be "aware" that the
*** remote file system is NFTS. It will simply see files and folders.
> 4. The ethernet network uses 3 protocols: TCP/IP, NetBEUI, and IPX/SPX. I
> was told that Windows XP does not support the NetBEUI protocol. Does that
> mean my network will not work when I upgrade to XP?
*** I don't know about WinXP and NetBEUI but I wonder why you bother with
*** all these protocols. I like to apply the KISS principle and use one
single
*** universal protocol: TCP/IP.
> 5. I also have a USB DSL 2Wire Home Portal modem attached. In a sense,
that
> is like a second network. The ISP is SBC Yahoo! DSL. Some of you in this
> forum have stated that SP2 is incompatible with that. Is the
incompatibility
> due to the firewall, or something else? If it's the firewall, then I could
> just either deactivate the 2 wire firewall or the XP firewall. That way
only
> one firewall would be active.
*** The WinXP firewall is very basic. If your USB firewall is more advanced
*** then you should use it and disable the WinXP firewall.
> 6. Given the above, should I format to FAT32 when I upgrade to XP? I think
> yes. Once it is installed, I should have the option to convert BOTH drive
C
> and D to NTFS at a later date -- AFTER both hard drives have been backed
up.
> Right now, I have no back ups. In case XP does not work out, I do NOT want
> to convert my D drive to NTFS -- because there is no backup. I don't care
> about backing up C. It can always be reformatted and repartitioned. D
drive
> cannot. D has all the important stuff on it.
*** Load WinXP first, wait a week, then convert to NTFS.
> 7. A new hard drive the size I'll need will cost at least $100. I intend
to
> buy one eventually, but right now it's more important to replace the
> motherboard, memory and processor (and other hardware, so my machine is XP
> compatible). The next expense after that will either be XP Pro or the
extra
> hard drive(s). Which do you think is more important to do first, the hard
> drives or XP?
*** See below.
> 8. Given the above, should I try to purchase an upgrade version of XP Pro
or
> a Full Version? Why?
*** See below.
> 9. Should I get an OEM or Retail Version? Why?
*** See below.
> 10. How high a service pack, if any, can I use, due to the network
> configuration and the fact that SBC Yahoo! DSL is incompatible with SP2.
Can
> I at least use SP1a, or not? Do you have to have NTFS to use SP2?
*** Don't know.
> Thanks for your patience. If I think of any more questions that are
related
> to this, I'll follow up with them here in this thread.
Here are some additional comments.
- WinME and WinXP are completely different beasts. One is based on
DOS, the other on WinNT. While you can convert from ME to XP,
the end result will be the sum of many compromises. If your ME
installation
is unstable then you risk that WinXP will be unstable too. If this was my
PC then I would start from scratch like so:
1. Buy a small hard disk. 10 GBytes will do. You might even get a
second hand one from a dealer - it's likely to be from a PC that needed
a larger disk.
2. Buy WinXP Professional Upgrade. The installation program will prompt
you for your WinME CD. If you still decide to upgrade your WinME
installation then you can use the same CD. If you buy an OEM version
then you cannot use it for an upgrade.
3. Install WinXP on the new disk, then re-install all your programs.
4. If you don't like the result, re-install your old disk.
5. If you decide to upgrade instead, use a cloning program to copy your
existing drive C: to the new disk, then upgrade the new disk to WinXP.
If you don't like the result, re-install your old disk!
- WinXP Pro or Home? WinXP Home Edition lacks the following features:
* Remote desktop (very nice when accessing your PC from somewhere else)
* Domain validation (only useful in a server environment)
* EFS (Encryption File System) (useful if you have very sensitive stuff)
* Device driver rollback, last known configuration, system rollback
* IIS
* Multiple CPUs
* Multiple language support
See also http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/whichxp.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/home/evaluation/features.asp
http://www.winsupersite.com/showcase/windowsxp_home_pro.asp
- Hardware or XP first? Definitely the hardware. If you install WinXP
on your current hardware then you will have to re-install it for the
new motherboard. You will also face a battle with Microsoft because
XP won't re-register.
- Next message: Glenn: "Blue Screen c0000135"
- Previous message: adam: "Re: upgrading from 98 to XP"
- In reply to: Jane Crystal: "Me to XP Pro: NTFS v FAT32, SP1/SP2, Network"
- Next in thread: Tim: "Re: Me to XP Pro: NTFS v FAT32, SP1/SP2, Network"
- Reply: Tim: "Re: Me to XP Pro: NTFS v FAT32, SP1/SP2, Network"
- Reply: Hans-Georg Michna: "Re: Me to XP Pro: NTFS v FAT32, SP1/SP2, Network"
- Messages sorted by: [ date ] [ thread ]
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