Have anyone upgrade their computer (windows98) to XP? How did it turn out?

Answer 1

I have upgrade seven computers from an older OS to Windows XP professional. It was fairly easy to do and worked out just fine.

Now, to upgrade from Windows 98 to XP, you need to look into a few things first. Do you have enough memory to sustain this upgrade? Is your processor strong enough to handle an increase of RAM? You can't just add RAM any old time you please, you have to be sure your system can handle more, find out exactly what type it uses. Just putting any old RAM into your computer will crash it. It HAS to be exactly they same type as what is currently in it, and it can't exceed the amount it can handle. If it can handle one gig and you put in two gigs you will kill your machine. If it can only handle half a gig and you put in one gig you will kill your machine. If you put in RAM that is not capatable with your system you will kill your machine.

Usually, computers with Windows 98 installed are not equiped to handle an upgrade to Windows XP unless you first increase the amount of RAM. If you do not know for sure how much your system can handle OR what type it is using, you will run into a world of electronic death.

Usually, the best method of discovering what type of RAM your machine is using is to contact the manufacturer. Sadly, most just don't want to give out this vital informaiton unless you have bought an extended warrenty and it is still active. Which is probably not the case with a computer as old as one running Windows 98. Right? Right.

My fiance ran into this problem just a week after his warenty expired. I had tried talking him into purchasing the extended warrenty, but guys just don't listen. lol Anyway, he decided to look into what type of RAM his system uses by looking into the BIOS. It gave him enough informaiton to kill his computer. NO KIDDING!! I am NOT putting you on here!

He learned it took DDR2 and that his system would handle one Gig. He had 512MB and wanted to double it to its full capacity to increase speed and performance. I tried to tell him he also needed to know if the brand he was purchasing would be campatable, and what the Mrz was as well as wether it was buffered or unbuffered. He just refused to listen said he would just take it into the Fry's Electronics store and have the Electronics team determine what he needed. Well, just taking out the existing memory does not tell the whole tale. They did not know certain things like campatability, Mhz and all that stuff. Sure, they were more than happy to sell him memory. Another issue you need to know is whether your system takes memory in pairs or singly. His was single, but they sold him a pair of two 256Mb. He had one stick of memory of 512MB, which he tried adding the two 256 which increased it to a total of one gig. Well, it worked well for about a week, totally fooled us into thinking everything was fine. Then one day he began getting the dreaded BSOD, or Blue Screen of Death. At first I thought it was a new priner we had just hooked up as we did it earlier that day. After all, the memory should have failed right away, right? Wrong.

Well, after several BSOD and my performing repeated CPR on the computer by doing last known good configuration, then a full reconfigure back to the manufacturers settings, it gave up the ghost. One last gasp and it died a horrid death. Before I could at least boot up into the BIOS, but not this time.

We called the printer manufacturer and told them their printer killed our computer. They told us that due to the computer no longer being under warrenty, we were just A.S.S out. lol

So, we went and bought him a new computer at Fry's Electronics, the place we go to make the lion's share of our electronical needs purchases. It is a nice computer, with the newest Windows Media Edition 2005, one gig of RAM, A kickin graphics card, nice audio card, Ethernet 10/1000, Firewire, USB 2.0, a cool 19' monitor, and numerous other features which incluedes a really nice light scribe DVD/CD burner/writer, and great programs half of which I deleted the first day. You know how these things come bundled with all the C.R.A.P. software you never wanted in the first place. lol

So, about a week later I get to thinking about the events which led up to the demise of his old computer. Which by the way was only a week past a year old. Remember I said he was only one week past the experation of the warrenty? Yep, one year old.

So, I am paundering the events and get the odd idea to take out the new memory stick and try booting up with just the old memory. It booted up as if nothing had ever happened!! No I am not kidding, I am seriously serious here. I may be trying to make fun of the situation, but it really did occur exactly as I am explaining it.

The moral of the story is to make darn sure of the memory before putting any in your system. Make sure you have exactly what it requires. It won't do to just remove the old completely and replace with new. You still have to know what type your processor can handle and how much and then make darn sure it is compatable. Otherwise you could be toast. We were very lucky in being able to boot up just by removing the offending RAM. Usually, when you fry a system you will need to wipe the hard drive and then procceed to re-install all software, losing all your data in the process if you haven't faithfully been backing up your system as we or that is I do. lol

So, yes, I have upgraded seven systems to XP. But, the 98 version can be tricky requiring more memory in order to handle the larger OS. Each successive Windows OS requires more RAM to handle it. Due to each successive Windows OS becoming ever larger than the last in order to be compatable with software programs from earlier versions.

This habit of Microsofts of trying to keep each new OS fully backwards compatable is becoming an albatros arounds Microsofts vulnerable neck. It is causing the OS to become just huge. Soon, Microsoft is going to have to make the difficult decision to stop attempting backwards campatability and just come up with a fresh OS that is much less wieldy than they are today. It is rather like each of us trying to carry the last six generations of grandparents on our backs as we live out our daily lives just in order to keep their knowlege with us. After a while somthing has to give.

Listen, buy this book: Windows XP Inside Out. It has everything you may wish for regarding all this and so much more. It costs around fifty bucks but it is really worth the money. It is a wealth of informaiton and when also provides information to more information on any given subject if you need it. It also provides websites to free software like the Microsoft Power Toys, Security Suites, and even has a CD with the entire book in ebook formatt to place on your system for easy referance as needed with really cool tools inside the CD too.

At the back of the book is an entire area devoted to installation of XP, from Upgrade to a Clean Install. It lets you decide which you prefer to do. You can decide to back up all your personal data, wipe your hard drive clean and do a clean installation, which is what I actually reccommend anyway. This way you don't run into the myriad problems an upgrade can create. Especially if you are a novice which it sounds like you are.

Good luck and sorry if I over shared my personal experiances with the memory. I just wanted to really have you fully understand the ramifications of one small mistake in finding the specs on this issues of upgrading hardware which you will need to do on a Windows 98 OS.

Answer 2

First, I would not do this upgrade unless you have at least 256m of ram with 512m being more reasonable. Do not expect to perform the upgrade and keep your old stuff, just let it do a completely new install and use ntfs instead of fat32 formatting. If you do this it should work out ok.

Answer 3

through fact probability is that if your computing device had homestead windows ninety 8 for a solid reason.......It does not have adequate RAM reminiscence! the two your laptop has a slow CPU, it lacks components specifically, so by installation homestead windows XP you have made it worse extremely than to any extent further advantageous. Your computing device won't run speedier by way of installation a "greater advantageous" working gadget. homestead windows XP desires and makes use of alot greater components than homestead windows ninety 8 did, so which you have a slow CPU, no longer adequate reminiscence, a slow video card, and you establish to pass and deploy homestead windows XP.....of direction you will see that computing device is slower, and have self assurance me that's, ...through lack of greater components. Everytime Microsoft creates a clean homestead windows there's a venture, you like greater RAM, you like a speedier processor, you like greater components. - that's the catch, they do no longer care you may desire to pass forward and purchase greater hardware to make the hot toy artwork, yet once you opt to play with the toy, you may desire to pay the end results of having to get greater reminiscence, speedier CPU, greater hard disk area. pass decrease back to homestead windows ninety 8, or get your self a greater modern-day computing device, that's the suitable you're able to do. i desire this helped.

Answer 4

I did. But I did format and install from scratch. I have a Compaq Presario 5151. I only have 224 Mb RAM and it has been working great but I wouldn't do it with the minimum RAM that they say will work because you probably won't be happy with the performance.

Answer 5

Yes I have and you wont have any problems if you know how to do it.
there is no technical problem with it so don't worry go ahead i see no reason for you not to upgrade if your looking forward to it.
And all you data and fies would be stored as they wee on 98 but i would still advice you to take a backup after all its a machine.
Go ahead Upgrade no problem buddy !

Answer 6

Just watch of for system requirements. You will need at least 256MB of RAM to run Windows XP, and to run it comfortably you should have about 512MB. Hope this helps.

Answer 7

Don't even bother unless your pc has the recommended spec for xp.. XP runs very slowly on very old machines.

Answer 8

If it's an old machine, run linux.

Answer 9

great i love it its way faster!

Answer 10

normal and faster. how it should be

Answer 11

i think its better.