Improving PC Performance

Bird · Jan 4, 2002

<font color=blue>Good luck with your upgrade Bird!</font color=blue>

Thanks, Billboe. I've been sitting here procrastinatin' 'cause the instructions say upgrading to XP takes at least 90 minutes. Allow enough time to perform the upgrade in its entirety. Interrupting the upgrade process can render your operating system - old or new - unusable. Now I figure if it takes them 90 minutes, I'll be lucky if it doesn't take me all day.

Oh well, I've got a day off today from taking my wife to the doctor nearly every day, so I guess I'll get started after another cup of coffee.

TerryinMD · Jan 4, 2002

Bird,

Prior to performing your upgrade, run the Microsoft compatibility checker. It's worth the time and effort. If the utility suggests that you shoudl deinstall something, do it. It will save you time and effort later on.

Also, check your printer manufacturers website for any XP updates.

Make sure that you let the install process get an updates, just let it do it's job.

I think you mentioned that you're using Norton Antivirus. If you are, good. If not, deinstall the other and buy Norton.

I'd suggest that you begin your install very early in the morning. This may speed up the file downloads from Microsoft. Not as many people hitting the Internet - ie kids not playing games. /w3tcompact/icons/eyes.gif

Terry

MikePA · Jan 4, 2002

Also, if you are subject to the occasional power blips, make sure you're plugged into a UPS. It wouldn't be good if the PC loses power in the midst of the upgrade.

Devildog · Jan 4, 2002

Mike, Thats what I thought was causing all my problems cause we have a lot of power glitches here. We got one finally and and my CPU still does it but I think that might be what started everything.
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Take care, Jim

MikePA · Jan 4, 2002

Once or twice a week we lose power for just a second, enough to get the VCRs to blink 12:00 and knock the PCs down. I finally got UPSs for each PC as well as the TVs so they can ride through intermittant outages. The outages were independant of the weather and happened with equal irritation when it was sunny or thunderstorms in the area.

The other benefit of a UPS is it will smooth out the power. I use <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.apc.com>APC</A> UPSs but I'm sure there are other brands out there.

Not only don't the electronics like power outages, when not shut down properly, operating systems can get all messed up. When we really do have a power outage, the UPSs give me time to visit each PC and shut them down normally.

glennmac · Jan 4, 2002

egon, i dont even ski, but i'd rather do that, or almost anything, rather than try to install xp.

Egon · Jan 4, 2002

Okay you don't ski. Then how about class 5 in an open canoe.

Egon

Bird · Jan 4, 2002

Well guys, I started at 9:30 a.m.; WHAT A NIGHTMARE!!!!! Been working on it all day (hey, it's the first day I haven't had to take my wife to the doctor since the day after Christmas) and I'm no where near finished! The whole thing crashed (even though I followed Dell's instructions very carefully), had to spend some time on the phone with them. Finally had to just wipe out everything and start from scratch. I had made copies of all my data files and photos, but lost all my "Favorites" list and e-mail addresses (you might think of them if you try to upgrade, which unfortunately, I didn't/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif) Then had to also call my ISP. I've finally got it working, sorta, still haven't gotten the flashpath floppy adapter and the Iomega backup, and goodness knows what else, fixed. Just finally decided I had to take a break and look at TBN. I'll have another go at the other stuff when I get my wife back from the doctor tomorrow.

And I'd get arrested if I told you what I think of Bill Gates and Microshaft!/w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

GlueGuy · Jan 4, 2002

May be wanting to call those guys in South California doing Lindows /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gif

TerryinMD · Jan 4, 2002

Bird,

All day... and it crashed! Yikes!! Sorry to hear about your problems.

This is very interesting. When I upgraded my machines from Windows ME I had some minor problems, but not an all day affair with the install crashing. I was up and running in less than two hours in both instances with all of the downloads, registration and activation, and restarts.

Is the disk a Microsoft product or is it from Dell? Maybe that might be the difference. Oh wait, let me ask you a question. Did you get the XP Home edition? If you did, did the PC hang upon restarts after installing? My wife's PC does hang on some installs when you are forced to do a restart. We typically have to power down the machine (a West Virginia restart in my neck of the woods) and then restart. No problems after a powerdown.

Terry