How does Windows XP "Upgrade" version work?

[DocHeb]

How does Windows XP \"Upgrade\" version work?

I have finally decided to upgrade one of my old computers. I am updating an 8 year-old Pentium II-350 by installing a new Biostar Motherboard with an AMD Sempron processor.

My old system ran on Windows 98 SE. I would like to use Windows XP Professional. The question: How does the Windows Setup authenticate my prior Windows 98 SE ownership? I am changing out the hard drive so it won't be there. Does the Upgade Install Setup ask me to insert the Windows 98 SE CD at some time of the install process?

I would hate to have to install Windows 98 SE on my new hard drive and then install Windows XP over it. The Windows Website is vague about how this is done (or I'm not looking at the right place.)

I am willing to give Bill his money for the XP discs, but I want to make sure they will work as I cannot return them.

Thanks for your help.

 

[Glenn9643]

Re: How does Windows XP \"Upgrade\" version work?

If you're starting with a "clean slate" you'll be prompted to insert your Win98 or whatever CD to verify you're eligible for the upgrade.

 

[DocHeb]

Re: How does Windows XP \"Upgrade\" version work?

Thank you for your speedy reply.

Do you (or anyone else) know the difference between the "Retail" and the "OEM" Versions? The only difference I know is $50 from Newegg.com. Are there other differences?

 

[ByronBob]

Re: How does Windows XP \"Upgrade\" version work?

If I'm reading you correctly your going with a new hard drive? If you have no operating system then you need to start with one. So the XP version is just the upgrade or is it a full version. If it's full you don't need 98.

If the XP is an upgrade then you need to install 98 then upgrade to XP. It won't ask for anything from you after an operating system is installed.

 

[MossRoad]

Re: How does Windows XP \"Upgrade\" version work?

I'm not trying to discourage you or anthything, but after you spend money on a board, chip, hard drive and OS, how much will your have in it? Also, will you need different memory?

The reason I ask is because there are lots of deals out there right now for complete name brand PCs with the OS already installed. 40 to 80 G hard drives, memory, 7-in-one media readers for memory cards, CD burner, printer and CRT monitor included and some even come with speakers, too. All for $300.00. Why upgrade when you can buy new for just about the same?

Make that P-II 350 into a MAME machine and play arcade games on it. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[EdKing]

Re: How does Windows XP \"Upgrade\" version work?

I just finished installing XP upgrade on my wife's computer after I had to replace the hard drive. Just boot off the XP cd, and it will ask you to put your old Windows cd (95, 98, NT, etc.) in to verify you qualify for the upgrade, it will then install XP without having to install the old operating system.

 

[Glenn9643]

Re: How does Windows XP \"Upgrade\" version work?

Doc,
I don't have a clue regarding the difference between retail and oem versions. You might suspect that the OEM came preloaded on a computer, with the original installation files in a folder on the HD instead of on a CD????
I bought the upgrade CD at Sam's, and due to motherboard and memory problems had to reinstall several times. Before I finally worked the system out it was requiring me to make a phone call to register the XP operating system. Bill is tying us down tighter with every revision!

 

[DocHeb]

Re: How does Windows XP \"Upgrade\" version work?

Most of the bargian units have AOL subscriptions and "rebates" associated - I would really have to pay out front for things I don't need. I run a small home network through a Linksys Router, and I already have a nice HP 7310 printer on the network.

Here's what I have into it so far:

$70 Biostar Socket 754 Motherboard (On-board Video, LAN and Sound)
$60 AMD Sempron 1.4GHz Processor (overclocked to 2.0 GHz without heat problems)
$35 NEC 16xDVD/48xCD Optical Drive
$70 1Gb DDR3200 RAM (two 512 Mb sticks)
$19 100 Gb Maxtor PATA Hard Drive (CompUSA super-special with rebate)
$60 450W Cooler Master Power Supply (8 y/o 250W PS = untrustworthy)
$20 Removable Hard Drive Tray to receive 300Gb HDD for backups.
$0 1.44Mb Floppy (re-used) - not really sure why I reinstalled this.
$0 Case (re-used)
$0 17" flatscreen monitor (re-used)
$150 Microsoft XP Professional Upgrade

For ~$490 I get a smokin' desktop with components that are relatively up-to-date and will be usable for another 8 years. No rebates, no unwanted AOL, no cheap printer laying around. This system is QUIET! Easy total-system backups to the removable Hard Disc Drive, quick data backups to the DVD/CD. The XP OS has been rock solid on my other machines, runs a pretty good firewall, pop-up blockers and automatic updates to the software, and there are no software compatibility issues.

I thought about building a Linux box since the payment to Bill is pretty high for XP, but I'm not really interested in having to learn anything new about keeping another computer running with a different operating system.

 

[Soundguy]

Re: How does Windows XP \"Upgrade\" version work?

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( (On-board Video, LAN and Sound)
)</font>
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( For ~$490 I get a smokin' desktop w )</font>

I'm not sure I would rate most onboard video setups as 'smokin'... More like .. on a smoke break...

At work when we need a new pc, due to our lack of a decent budget.. we get whatever the cheapest pc on the market currently is, that mmets the minimum requirements of our software and hardware... ( bad idea I tell them.. but anyway.. ).. the bulk of the onboard video graphics are intel extrem(ly slow) accelerators. I've seen these on the low end dells, compaqs, and e-machines. The dell intel chipset is a tad proprietary and has to use a dell provided driver.. but it is the intel chip.. in any case... the graphics are so slow that on a good day I might be able to out draw them using a set of crayons and notebook paper when compairing screen refresh times.

I ran a couple video diag tools.. and the speed performance tests drag... also, even thought he intel extreme 9xxx models do support opengl, and dd/d3d, if you load a high end software n there, most default to using the dd vs d3d due to speed limitations on the d3d implementation.

Next move up to the sis chipsets. They are still a tad slow.. but make intel eg chipsets look like molasis on a cold day... you can at least get a good game to run in d3d mode on the new sis chips.. ( older sis chipsets.. like in the old aurora cards would choose dd vs d3d.. so sis has been improving.. )

SIS and IEG seem to be the 2 most common chipsets used in the 'onboard' stuff.

In compairing them to other chipsets, I have a couple pcs that are higher end at work.. one is a p4.. the other is an athlon.. they both have 1g ram, and clock out near identical on benchmarks, one is an emcahine.(p4 ). the other is a compaq..(athlon) the compaq has an ati radeon chipset, and the emachine has IEG... the video test is.. well... alsmost sad... the ati rates 22-30% higher on most of the tests on the util I used..... so chipset has a huge amount to do with qwuality of a system.

The onboard networking and that sort of thing is pretty bullit proof.. same for the sound, unless you are trying to do some pro work.. then the inputs are just a tad noisy and latent..

No knocking your choice.. but inthe 499$ you can get a decent premade system, that will in all likelyhood have the same stats. A quick search on the internet yeilds a 399$ everex pc that has a 1.8 or 2.0 semprom, and 512mb ram.. sis grachics, dvd/cdr and 120gb hdd... chuck in another 50$ for the other 512mb ram and you are under your target number. This machine will have xp home on it... and unless you get into some heavy networking.. xphome is as bullit proof as pro imho. We run home, pro, and media edition at work... have actually had the most problems with pro.. and a few with media edition, and -0- issues with home. ( fyi.. our expensive corporate networked accounting software reports media edition as being pro, though having a different ( higher ) build number... etc..

Soundguy

 

[DocHeb]

Re: How does Windows XP \"Upgrade\" version work?

Maybe "smokin" was the wrong adjective, but remember I'm comparing this to my old system which was a PII-350 with the first-generation AGP video. Never been much of a gamer - just doesn't intrigue me and seems like a waste of time. Everthing else besides the video is pretty fast for day-to-day work.

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( No knocking your choice.. but inthe 499$ you can get a decent premade system, that will in all likelyhood have the same stats. )</font>

I guess this process also falls within the same type of behavior as "tractoring" - I'm sure if you look at the cost of tractors/implements/etc., they may not be cost effective for all of us, but doing it yourself is part of the fun.

A recent PC Magazine article described a $159 computer - basically a throw-away. Doesn't sound like something I want.

I now have a machine that runs what I want, runs it well, and doesn't have all the pre-loaded manure that comes with an OEM machine. If it crashes, I'm not stuck with a rescue disc that reinstalls all the manure on restore. I built it without becoming a software pirate. It was fun to put together, I can tweak it, and can add-on if I want. A fun weekend project. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif