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This is the new computers that came out on
September 25, 2001 They have Windows XP in
them.They are crash proof but look out that
just might hurt you. OOOCH OOOCH That hurts

A Little note about Windows XP. From what I heard is that you have to call and register it with in 30 days of Installing it on your PC and if you don't then they shut it down on you, then you have to call them to activate Windows XP again. Also with Windows XP they control what you load on your PC say like you might want to use lets say Ultra Player as your sound recorder and they want you to use Windows Media Player then they shut off the Ultra Plays so you have to use the Windows Media Player. From what I heard they are all ready in court over this right now. I think this is very unfair to us as the users and the Owner of the PC. We should be aloud to have what we want on our PC and we paid for our PC and not Microsoft

No1- - Give us XP Professional for professionals By Jason BrookseWEEK November 19, 2001 5:34 AM PT COMMENTARY-- The thrilling reign of Windows XP is barely a month old, so why am I spending all my time fiddling with a desktop box running Red Hat 7.2? For one thing, the launch of Redmond's newest PC conquistador just happened to coincide with an initiative here at Ziff Davis to provide server-based access to messaging and network resources via a Citrix client. As a result, my key applications now work identically under Windows, Linuxor, for that matter, pretty much any operating system. With those interoperability factors resolved, I suppose I just prefer the, if you will, Linux and KDE eXPerience. Multitasking with a windowing operating system is a much less cluttered affair with multiple virtual desktops, a Linux standby not found in Windows. And while the GUI was a great usability advance, the trusty command line is, in some cases, the best place to get things done. In Linux, the command line is nearer the surface and much more tightly tied to the interface than it is in Windows. Now, the best thing I can say about Windows XP is that it works, and while this may sound like a backhanded compliment, "just working" is the single most important feature of a mass-market product. In its quest to place a licensed copy of Windows into the hands of every man, woman and child in the world, Microsoft has pushed a consistent, hand-holding interface across all its products. The trouble with this appliancelike, "McOperating System" approach is that it leaves the hackers and tweakers of the world looking elsewhere for their OS. These are the people who are socked away inventing the next generation of killer applications, which, through the process of tech-world trickledown, will end up making money for big companies. Windows has a hammerlock on today's most relied-upon applications, but troll the Web, and the ambition and inventiveness now at work in the open-source developer community is palpable. Microsoft has been working to capture the enthusiasm of the world's developers. I suggest that the best way to evangelize to these budding innovators is to put a version of Windows on their desks that doesn't belong alongside a Happy Meal.

No2- -Standby Mode Defined
Two tips back, we showed you how to adjust the delay before Windows XP automatically shuts off your monitor and hard disks (to save power). There may be a number of other power-saving options available to you (depending on your system), including standby and hibernate mode. Over the next two tips, we'll discuss standby mode.
When you place your computer on standby, the entire system switches to a low-power state, making it a great way to conserve battery power on a portable computer. The nice thing about standby is that you can come out of it quickly--move the mouse or press a key, and you're back to your desktop the way you left it. The downside is that standby mode does not save your current desktop to disk. So in the event of a power failure, you could lose any unsaved information. To be safe, if possible, save your work before using standby mode.

- Valerie Ryan

No3- -
Q: Is Windows XP something that I should consider upgrading to? - Jon
A: Windows XP (XP stands for "Experience") is based on the Windows 2000 platform, which has been proven to be substantially more stable than Windows 98 and ME. XP integrates the stability of 2000 with the flexibility that 98 and ME had when working with older hardware and software, especially gaming programs. One of the biggest improvements in Windows XP is protection against what I call "self-inflicted gunshot wounds". Most computer problems are created when a user attempts to install programs or drivers (software that controls hardware) that are incompatible with their version of Windows. Windows XP can actually block the installation of incompatible device drivers before they are installed and will actually allow different versions of the same "DLL" (Dynamic Link Library,) file to co-exist in the same system, which was another common source of problems in older versions of Windows. Windows XP comes in two flavors: Home Edition and Professional Edition. Both of them contain the same basic feature upgrades but the Pro Edition is more suited to corporate networking environments. It includes many administration tools that are unnecessary for the average home user and costs more per machine. The first upgrade question is "Do I have enough hardware"? XP requires at least 128MB of RAM, a 300MHz or faster processor and a minimum of 1.5GB of free disk space. This pretty much eliminates upgrading systems that are more than a couple of years old. The real question is not "whether you should upgrade", but "when should you upgrade" since at some point in the future you will likely be running Windows XP. I have always contended that upgrading for the sake of upgrading is not a good approach for the average user. Your current situation and what you need your computer to do will play the biggest role in determining whether you should upgrade now or wait. My advice has always been "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" so if your computer is working just fine, I find little reason for you to run out and upgrade to Windows XP. There are three main approaches to moving to Windows XP: Buy a new system pre-loaded with XP, install it from scratch on an older system or perform an in-place upgrade. If you were in the market for a new system your best bet would be to simply buy a new system with XP pre-loaded on it. If you have older programs or hardware that is not supported by XP, you may want to keep your old system around to run those items if they are still important to you. Integration of older programs and hardware has always been one of the biggest problems in upgrading to a new Operating System, so try and avoid it for the best results. If you want to upgrade an existing system, it is always "cleaner" to install if from scratch because any of the existing issues are not carried forward. This means getting rid of the old version of Windows first and re-installing all of your programs after the Windows XP installation is complete. This is the most time consuming method of upgrading but the one preferred by the tech savvy user. The in-place upgrade of an older version of Windows has the most potential to cause you grief because of all of the potential variables that it brings. Microsoft has done much in XP to minimize the problems associated with in-place upgrades, but if your system has an existing problem you should get the problem fixed before attempting to upgrade to XP. Windows XP is capable of being what Microsoft calls "the most significant upgrade since Windows 95" if it does everything that they say it will, but remember that "Pioneers get arrows"!

No4- -25 Things You Didn't Know About XP
1. You can rename several files at one time within Explorer. A long overdue feature, in my opinion. (See before and after screen shots.) 2. The tiles view is there for getting quick picture dimensions -- a wonderful thing for those of us who work with the Web. When you select an image, its dimensions will also be displayed in the Status bar (if it's turned on). (See a screen shot.) 3. Check out the Details view if you have a ton of similar files in the folder. In one glance, you can view the number of pages, bitrate, details, and so on. Of course, it depends on what it is you're trying to view. ). (See a screen shot.)
4. ClearType is a great reason to upgrade to XP. While it does have a noticeable impact on 2D performance, the view is spectacular. It's not just for LCD screens, contrary to popular belief. Font smoothing is so 20th century. (See before ClearType and after ClearType screen shots.) 5. Your removable drives are automatically added to the SendTo menu. I can't figure out how to get them out of there, as I never really use my floppy or Zip drives. (See a screen shot.) 6. EXIF support is built into the Explorer shell. This allows you to see embedded information from untouched digital photos. This is another awesome feature for shutterbugs. 7. Details view in MP3 folders is a must. It's very much like WiMP in the sense that you can view all sorts of song details from within the Explorer window. (See a screen shot.) 8. Being a neat freak, I appreciated the new Align to Grid feature for the Windows desktop. Now I don't have to right-click and Arrange every time I move a stupid icon. Try as you might, you can't drag desktop icons off of the screen with this option turned on. (See a screen shot.) 9. Man, you've got to play with the Show in Groups Arrange option. It's neat, and depending on how you have the folder set up, it will provide different sorting options (alphabetically by file type, general file type, and so on). Very, very cool. (See a screen shot.) 10. When you see the shutdown dialog pop up, hold onto the Shift key if you want to flip energy saving modes (from Stand By to Hibernate). 11. WiMP will now grab cover shots and detailed information for your DVDs. 12. When you put in a CD with MP3s on it, XP asks you what you want to do with it. It does the same basic thing when you insert a picture CD or plug in a digital camera. Very friendly. (See a screen shot.) 13. Icons in the System Tray are now displayed in high color. It's about time! Oddly enough, when you configure the System Tray (by right-clicking on the Taskbar and selecting Properties), in the Notification area, someone forgot to update the old icons for Paint, Network, Calculator, and so on. I get paid to notice these things, you know. 14. Zip file support is finally built into the OS. Yes, I know Me had it, too, but I hate that OS. 15. No powertoys ship with the Windows XP CD, although they will be available from Microsoft's site after October 25. They are a must for any user, experienced or not. Super Fast User Switcher, PowerToy Calculator, Alt-Tab replacement, Virtual Desktop Manager, Photo Toys, TweakUI, Command Window Here, Slideshow generator, Magnifier, HTML Generator, and TimerShot. 16. D3v2 is supported throughout the OS (in WiMP 8.0 as well as in the Explorer shell). To edit an MP3's information, pull up its properties and flip to the Summary tab. (See a screen shot.) 17. You can store/save your current Theme to the My Documents folder. On the surface, this feature appears to be backwards compatible with classic Desktop Themes. 18. I think I've rebooted this computer less than 10 times, yet XP's boot process (from BIOS to desktop) is faster than it's ever been. Let me time the sucker. Hold on -- this should only take a minute. I take that back! It took me 45 seconds to get back up and running again. 19. MSConfig is back, baby. Windows 2000 users will appreciate its return. Of course, X-Setup works just fine on XP, too. (See a screen shot.) 20. In folders designated for pictures, the Tasks pane will give you an option to print them. Choose your images, layout, printer, and so on. If you have a photo printer, this is a spectacular feature. If you choose not to work with the Tasks pane, you can simply open an image in the Windows Viewer and print from there to get to the same wizard. (See a screen shot.)21. You'd be surprised at how much alpha blending of icons improves the experience. No matter what wallpaper or background color you're using, they will always look smooth. (See a screen shot.) 22. SNTP/NTP time synchronization is now built into the Date and Time applet. With it, you can connect to any Internet time-server. Never miss a meeting again! (See a screen shot.) 23. When Explorer crashes, the icons are restored in the System Tray. Finally. I verified this the other day when I ran into that weird gray screen problem. 24. XP comes with a basic slideshow screen saver -- perfect for showing off your recent vacation photos. (See a screen shot.) 25. The Task Manager now has Networking performance indicators. Right-click on the Taskbar and select Task Manager for more.

No5- -25 More Things You Didn't Know About XP
1. You can now turn off thumbnail caching to save disk space (via Folder Options). With TweakUI, you can change the default dimensions of the thumbnail images. 2. Internet Explorer now has built-in support for Google (as long as you're using the search assistant). 3. They finally updated the card backs in Solitaire. Considering how many people play it on a regular basis, it's a notable improvement. 4. Go directly to the Start Menu properties by right-clicking on the Start Button. Switch to the "classic" Start Menu if the new one annoys you. The "Highlight newly installed programs" feature is nice for download maniacs.
5. XP's movie maker truly sucks; you can't do ANYTHING with it. No transitions beyond a simple fade, no export options other than Windows Media, and so on. Save your money and get a true video editor. Better yet -- use iMovie on the Mac. Just don't think you're gonna film a businessman flying around your neighborhood and wind up producing an award-winning film using Windows XP. It ain't gonna happen with this crapplet. 6. Microsoft's marketing campaign is a bit misleading; you can't play DVD movies without purchasing a third-party decoder first. While MP3s can be played out of the box, ripping music into this audio format is possible only through (again) third-party software.
7. Even with XP's built-in Internet Connection Firewall features, I still recommend Tiny Personal Firewall (freeware). 8. Most of you have heard about the automatic grouping of open applications in the Taskbar (when you have several instances running, Windows will put them under the same Taskbar button). Here's something else I discovered: open Internet Explorer, then Notepad, then Internet Explorer again. Look at that. It puts the same apps next to each other, no matter the order in which they were opened. 9. Someone at Microsoft forgot to update the individual Administrative Tools and Offline webpages folder icons. They're still ugly. Under the "Customize" tab of the folder properties dialog, you can assign a different icon for each and every folder. Sweet! 10. The Windows help system has a wealth of new features. In one swoop, you can perform queries against the local database as well as the Microsoft Knowledge Base. However, I don't think the MSKB integration is working yet. For one, it doesn't return any results on basic terms. Plus, it defaults to searching for Windows 2000 specific issues. Anyway, click the last icon in the toolbar (the document with a red checkmark in it). Tweak away! 11. The OS only comes with three Visual Styles -- which are lame to begin with. The Plus! site may have more available in time, but who really knows? 12. I thought it was rather shortsighted that XP doesn't allow you to associate WMA sounds to your events. I mean, they're shoving the format down your throat in every other application. Why not here, too? Anyway, system (default) sounds have received a much-needed upgrade 13. In Windows 2000, you really couldn't make a boot disk. Sure, you could create a set of setup disks, but nothing like a simple boot floppy. Right-click on the Floppy drive icon, select format, then place a checkmark in the "Create an MS-DOS startup disk." The MSDOS.SYS file contains W98EBD -- which leads me to believe that the files were taken from Windows 98. This won't do you much good if you have an NTFS drive. 14. When was the last time you forgot your password? Uh, don't forget it for Windows XP until you create a password recovery disk. Under Related Tasks in the User Accounts Control Panel applet, click Prevent a forgotten password. 15. The Kodak Imaging Application that came with other versions of Windows has been replaced by the Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. It has a few built-in options, but you can't easily view the image at its full size. While this replacement is good enough, I miss the Kodak app already. 16. People think XP doesn't support plug-ins. That's not true -- it stopped supporting Netscape-style plug-ins, but Apple updated its QuickTime control within days of IE6's release.17. Yes, you can hide inactive System Tray icons, but why on Earth didn't they line up the double-arrow indicators with those in the main Taskbar area? Another oversight by the design team, I'm certain.
18. Window transparency works much better in XP than it ever did in 2000. Again, this speed difference could be attributed to the video driver being used. 19. Microsoft should have licensed Quicktime and RealMedia decoders. Every one of these companies wants to install its jukebox on my system. Bah humbug! At least they included the classic 6.4 player (accessible by entering MPLAYER2 on the Run command line). 20. Passport is all over the place in Windows XP. However, you don't have to sign up for a new email account if you don't want to. Just use your current email address, and make a Passport password for it. Since I'm not sure what Microsoft plans on doing with Passport, I just used my secret Hotmail account. You can change this any time via the User Accounts applet in the Control Panel. 21. Managing file associations is a dream. Right-click on a file, locate the updated Open With cascading menu (which now uses a program's default icon), then click Choose Program if you want to change how the file is opened. Plus, if you don't know what program to associate a file with, there's a nice hyperlink included in the dialog to take you to a helpful Microsoft webpage. 22. The desktop properties dialog is extensive, but scattered. For instance, the Themes tab is the first one you see, yet you have to flip to the Appearance tab in order to change how your interface works. 23. The volume mixer looks weird. Call me a stickler for details, but the Main play control is not the same width as the other controls. Not to mention, they didn't replace the yellow speaker icons for the other controls. And as if that wasn't enough, you can no longer tap ESC to quickly close the window. They should have left well enough alone. 24. Are you the type of person who notices speed increases (and decreases)? Well, as far as file operations are concerned, this is the snappiest version of Windows I've ever used. In Windows 2000, I'd select a few files on the desktop, delete them, and then two seconds later, their icons would disappear. When I do the same thing in XP, the removal is immediate. Likewise, it takes far less time for me to open the Recycle Bin when it's filled with items now. 25. The default search "doggie" is annoying for power users; thank goodness the new TweakUI will allow you to easily switch back to the "classic" Windows 2000 search feature. I don't know if this is a bug I uncovered; when I browse for a folder when I'm doing a Search, it shows me two My Documents folders. They each have the same folder structure inside of them

Here is Mun, she thinks this is
the way reboot her Computer

No6- -XP released, but do you need it?Microsoft officially launches the newest version of its operating system in New York. But consumers and analysts are unsure about demand for the software.October 25, 2001
NEW YORK--Microsoft officially launched Windows XP, the newest version of its operating system and what could be the company's most important product in more than six years. The long-anticipated operating system, which Microsoft said improves performance, reliability and ease of use, is available at retail as of Thursday. Microsoft ushered in Windows XP with a lavish extravaganza in New York on Thursday. Microsoft, chipmaker Intel and PC makers combined, are expected to spend more than $1 billion on marketing for Windows XP. Chairman and Chief Software Architect Bill Gates accompanied by PC industry executives and New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani announced Windows XP at Times Square's Marriott Marquis Theatre. "Today is a great day for PC users and a great day for the PC industry," Gates said. (Complete coverage) Other Windows XP news: A new technology meant to prevent illegal copying of Microsoft's latest operating system is stopping many people from buying it, according to an informal survey of CNET News.com readers. Windows XP touts improved security, resistance to crashing and a raft of new features. But it also comes with a technology called Product Activation that forces the customer to register the product with Microsoft, something that many people are reluctant to do for privacy reasons. (Complete coverage) Windows XP will not surpass previous versions of the operating system for at least two more years, a market research firm predicts. About 10 percent of new consumer PCs shipped in 2001 will include Windows XP, even after one full quarter of shipments during what should be the strongest sales period of the year. By comparison, Windows 95, which shipped in August 1995, was included with 30 percent of Windows PCs shipped that year. (Complete coverage) The new Windows XP operating system Gates unveils XP Bill Gates, chairman, Microsoftdoes not play one of the hottest DVDs of the holiday season: Disney's re-release of its classic film, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs." The problem surfaced on the eve of the operating system's release, and comes as Disney is trying to boost sagging profits by selling one of the most popular animated films on DVD. (Complete coverage) Users trying to access Microsoft's MSN.com with a non-Microsoft browser are finding themselves locked out. On the same day that Microsoft released Windows XP, the company also redesigned its MSN Web portal--the problem is that several non-Microsoft browsers, such as Netscape Navigator, Opera and Mozilla, cannot access the site. (Complete coverage) On the antitrust front, the 18 states working with the Justice Department to prosecute Microsoft retained veteran attorney Brendan Sullivan of Williams & Connolly to lead their cause. Although the antitrust case does not formally include Windows XP, the government and other critics have recently raised concerns about the new operating system. (Complete coverage) In an announcement with eerie similarities to Microsoft's first major salvo in the browser wars, the software giant revealed that 150 companies will support Windows XP's media technology and formats. Although the company has offered a rudimentary media player with Windows since version 3.1, the player is fully integrated into XP and has strong ties to the company's MSN Web properties. The practice, known as "bundling," served as the second beachhead in the browser wars, after Microsoft integrated Internet Explorer into Windows 98. (Complete coverage)

No7- -Windows XP urban legends and myths--debunked! David Coursey,Executive Editor, AnchorDeskWednesday, October 24, 2001 Hello from New York City, where the Marriott Marquis theater will host tomorrow's formal introduction of Windows XP. Amid tightened security--make sure you have two photo IDs--Microsoft is doing its best to whip the media, especially the non-tech media, into a Starbucks-quality foam. And just in case Microsoft can't do it alone, they've hired recording artist Sting to do a concert on Thursday immediately following the XP introduction event. THOUGH WINDOWS XP isn't even in stores yet--excepting the hardware on which it's been preinstalled--it's already spawned an urban legend or two. Urban legends are scary or cautionary tales with some basis in fact upon which an elaborate fiction is built. Not surprisingly, Microsoft's Windows XP product activation--an unpopular and controversial means of cracking down on casual software piracy--is the basis for one of these legends, which also draws on Microsoft's plan to sell software on a subscription basis at some time in the future. I generally receive this urban legend as a question: "Can Microsoft 'turn off' my software? Will they disable Windows XP when I'm ready to upgrade to something else?" Or as a bewildered statement: "I've heard Windows XP expires at some point and you'll force me to buy new software." AS IT STANDS, Microsoft has ended support for some older software. As a result, the user fear boils down to this: If (and when) Microsoft decides to create the successor to XP, they might either (1) turn off the XP I'm already using in an effort to force me to upgrade, or (2) stop providing activation codes to XP users, essentially rendering it unusable. Microsoft says it's a baseless fear--they can't and won't do the things described. But just as some urban legends are hard to absolutely disprove, I guess we will never be sure about this one until Microsoft is ready to phase out Windows XP, the way it already has with Windows 3.x and Windows 95. Since Microsoft's End-User License Agreement doesn't provide for this, I can't imagine it happening. Still, I've gone to Microsoft for the official word, here presented by Mark Croft, a lead product manager on the XP team. According to Croft, Windows Product Activation has a 30-day grace period during which the user must activate that copy of Windows. If the user hasn't activated by the 30th day, they'll be able to boot their PC but won't be able to launch Windows without first calling to activate their copy of the product. If users activate XP prior to the 30th day, they may do so online or via phone, said Croft. "Also," said Croft, "there is no mechanism for Microsoft to 'reach out' and turn off (or otherwise change) user's Windows installations. The activation period is simply a local counter on the installed PC." Here are some more activation-related questions, with answers also provided by Microsoft's Croft. I work in corporate IS. How does activation affect me? Do I need a separate install disk for each computer? "No. Beginning with a minimum of five PCs, corporate customers may take advantage of Microsoft's volume licensing programs. For these customers, Microsoft will provide a Volume License Product Key that allows users to bypass product activation. Customers can then use Microsoft's documented deployment tools, such as Custom Installation Wizard (CIW) in Office XP and unattended setup in Windows XP, to automate product key entry into network and custom CD install images, so that end users are never prompted to enter a product key during product installation." I like to rebuild my computer occasionally--wipe the hard drive and reinstall the OS. Will I have to call Microsoft for an activation code each time? "No. If the hardware remains the same, then Product Activation will generate the same key that will map exactly to the existing key held at the clearinghouse--so users can just use the Web-based activation. No call required. Also, if the PC came with XP pre-installed (via an OEM), then activation only inspects part of the BIOS--so the user can wipe-and-load and change all the hardware (except the BIOS) without needing to call. "If the PC has been upgraded using retail media and hardware gets changed, then the technical market bulletin located here documents the hardware changes that may be made before triggering the need to reactivate. "To summarize, if the PC is not dockable and a network adapter exists and is not changed, six or more of the 10 components (see the link above for the 10 components) must be changed before reactivation is required. If a network adapter existed but is changed (or never existed at all), modifying four or more of the 10 components will result in a need to reactivate. "Microsoft has also recognized that certain users may wish to change components frequently. As a result, Microsoft recently implemented time-based reactivation. Every 120 days, the current configuration of a user's PC will 'reset to zero,' so to speak. Starting from that 120th day, users may swap out hardware components as described above. After another 120 days passes, the PC 'sets to zero' again, and users once again may swap out hardware components. This time-based reactivation is designed to provide users with greater flexibility to change their systems." What happens if my hard drive fails and I need to reinstall the OS? How much questioning will I have to undergo before you let me activate again? "No questioning should be involved, as no call should be required. All you'll need is Web-based reactivation. The new hard drive will mean the activation key has been modified, but it will compare within tolerance with the existing key on the Clearinghouse. Also, if a user does call, Microsoft will always err on the side of the user. If you provide to the support representative a simple explanation of why you need to reactivate, that should suffice." (Back to you, David.) Will Windows XP be compatible with my old software? I am becoming concerned about Windows XP compatibility with older applications, especially games and DOS apps. This is based on some reader feedback I have received from people who find that XP won't work with some of their more ancient--but still important--applications. While Microsoft has done lots of compatibility testing, if you are dependent on some old apps, then I'd want to make sure they really do run under XP before upgrading. And every upgrader should download and run Microsoft's free Upgrade Advisor before spending his or her money for an OS that may still lack drivers for some hardware or not work with certain apps--the Adaptec/Roxio Easy CD Creator is a prime example. Note from David: Join AnchorDesk, ZDNet News, and CNET Radio and Broadband tomorrow for complete coverage of the Microsoft XP announcement. I'll be on the scene in New York and will have a report on the festivities in Friday's edition of AnchorDesk; I'll also be providing some radio reports throughout the day tomorrow. Do you think fears about Windows XP really are urban legends--or are they justified, based on past MS experience? TalkBack to me.

No8- - Here is how Ive been running my scandisk and defrag on my ME. I found it as Q186978 in http://support.microsoft.com/support/kb/articles/Q186/9/78. This has allowed me the go through maintenance without the dreaded system restore that takes my computer back further than I desire. Below is quoted. Dan

No9- -CLEAN BOOT THE COMPUTER A clean boot is a method of reducing problems that may occur because of you computers environment. Many problems that may occur when you run Windows or other programs can occur because there are conflicting drivers, terminate-and-stay-resident programs (TSRs), or other settings that load when you start your computer. Windows Millennium Edition (Me)

Duhhhh Give me your e-mail
address so I can send you
your test results. That realy
sounds like a few doctors today.

N010- -Follow These Steps to Upgrade To XP Upgrading your operating system is easy with these handy instructions. By Greg MeltonOctober 25, 2001 Before you upgrade to Windows XP, you're going to have to determine if your PC is ready for the upgrade. If you're unsure or need a little refresher, read Are you Ready for XP?. Upgrade vs. clean install As with other versions of Windows, you have the option of performing a clean install or an upgrade from a previous version of Windows. The upgrade pack will allow you to do both. But, you must have a copy of the full version of your current operating system if you want to perform a clean install using an upgrade disk. A clean install is a nice way of saying that you'll be erasing the entire contents of your hard drive and starting over from scratch. Chris Pirillo only recommends a clean install if -- for some reason -- the upgrade fails. Formatting a hard drive and starting over isn't a complicated process once you know how, but it does require extensive patience and time to follow through from beginning to end. I won't be covering how to perform a clean install of XP in this article. We're saving that for tomorrow. However, I will cover what you need to do to successfully upgrade you current PC to XP.

No11- -XP Upgrade: Before You Start After determining your upgrade eligibility, it's time get down and dirty with XP. Just like previous releases of Windows, Microsoft is selling XP Home Edition Upgrade for $99. This release was designed with the average user in mind. It doesn't feature some of the more advanced networking options and remote file-sharing capabilities. Pick up a copy of XP Professional Upgrade for $199 if you're looking for those features. Back up all data and settings The first step along the upgrade path is to back up all your data, settings, and anything else you can't compute without. Our Backup Basics story will give you everything you need to know about performing a backup on your system. After you've fully backed up all your important files and settings it's time to begin. Insert your upgrade disk into your CD-ROM. You'll notice the CD-ROM will automatically launch the installation menu. For now, minimize the menu. We're going to look at something else: Read1st.txt. Read first file The Read1st.txt file is located in the Docs folder of your XP CD-ROM. Start by locating this file and examining its contents. The Read1st.txt file will contain last-minute information that didn't make it into other documentation and a roadmap on which to find other useful XP information. Now that you've become close to all of XP's readme files it's time maximize the installation menu and proceed.

No12- -XP Upgrade: Step-by-Step Instructions Look at the installation menu. It offers three main options: Install Windows XP Perform additional options Check system compatibilityEven though it doesn't specifically say "Upgrade to XP" anywhere it is there. Here's a general roadmap for performing an upgrade to Windows XP: 1. Insert the disk. This should automatically launch the installation menu. 2. Next, click the green arrow or text next to it labeled "Install Windows XP." This will launch the first process titled "Collecting Information" which quickly identifies if you're eligible for an upgrade. 3. Next, you should see a popup window welcoming you to the Windows setup. 4. Make sure the "Installation Type" pull-down menu reads "Upgrade (Recommended)." 5. Click the Next button. 6. Click the radio button next to "I accept this agreement." 7.Click the Next button. 8. Enter your 25-character registration code. 9. Click the Next button. 10. You'll be prompted to display an upgrade report after the installation. Leave the recommended setting alone. Choose one of the other two options if you need to have more complete or no information at all. 11. Click the Next button to proceed to "Dynamic Update."Dynamic update The dynamic update will go online and download updated installation files that have been released after your copy of XP was made. Choose to download files from the Internet only if you have a broadband connection. Otherwise, just skip this section and choose to update after your install. 1. Choose the dynamic update option that best suits your needs. 2. Click the Next button to proceed to "Preparing Installation."Preparing installation After a few minutes you should receive a read-out of how much time is estimated to complete the installation process. This would be a good time to take a break if you need to, because you're about to be bombarded with all the wonderful new features inside XP. You'll soon witness the installation beginning to copy all its setup files. When this is completed your computer will automatically restart itself. You'll then be prompted to choose an installation of Windows you'd like to start. Don't worry. You don't have to choose anything; Windows will automatically proceed with the correct version within a few seconds. You should now see the beautiful XP logo while your computer is booting up. The installation will finish copying all setup files and then restart itself. After restarting you'll be into the next phase, "Installing Windows." Installing Windows You will notice a slight difference in your display properties. The setup will continue copying installation files and other components over to your hard drive. If you're paying attention, you'll notice that your screen may flicker a few times during this process. That's OK and a good indication that the setup is almost ready for you to name your computer. Next, you'll be asked to come up with a wonderful new name for your computer if the old name doesn't meet the new standards. Pick a name and then click the Next button to continue copying all the Network components. Finalizing installation If you've reached this phase you're done. Congratulations on a successful upgrade to Windows XP. You should now see the "Tour Windows" screen. Click the Next button at the bottom to proceed to the activation process. Windows Product Activation (WPA) is the last step along the XP upgrade path. We recommend holding off on the product activation until you've finished installing any other additional hardware. This will bypass having to activate your product again after making any changes to your hardware configuration. Click the Finish button to proceed to setting up your user accounts. Final step The final step is to name your user accounts. Do this now and then click the Next button to finally see your new desktop. You're done.

No13- -What Should You Back Up? This may seem quite basic, but it's a key question: What should you back up? The answer is simple if you're a business. Buy big tape drives and back up absolutely everything all the time. When the inevitable hard drive collapse happens, the system administrator can restore the works in a matter of minutes. For businesses, where every minute of downtime means dollars lost, that might make sense. But most individuals aren't willing to pay the money or take the time to back up everything all the time. For the rest of us, there's one essential rule of backing up: Make a copy of anything you can't otherwise replace. In other words, make copies of your personal data. Don't make copies of Windows or your applications, unless you no longer have the master disks. If your hard drive crashes, you'll have to take a few hours to rebuild the applications from the original program disks, but that's not the end of the world. Though I talked smack about them above, I still back up using Zip disks. I automate the backup process using a fantastic piece of $30 shareware called Second Copy. It automatically backs up the My Documents folder every week. I rotate the disks, keeping one at work and one at home. The software also works with CD-RW discs or any kind of removable storage.

This page was last updated on
11/03/2001 at 9:15AM EST By
Mr BOOTS

PC-HELP #13