Getting ready to install Win XP Pro.................

[CrownPrinceBandar]

I have never installed an OS while trying to keep all my data intact. I'm assuming that XP will do this, but no process is foolproof. Anybody have any advice, short of data back-up, that would make the process seamless? What I'd like to hear is mistakes folks have made and have learned from.

Thanks in advance.

edit: I am upgrading from Win2K Pro

[idiosyncratic]

1. Why would you want to downgrade your computer from Win2K Pro?

That said, the ONLY way I would put XP Pro on my computer is by unhooking the original hard drive, installing a second hard drive, and installing the new OS to that drive.

That way everything stays intact on the other drive and IF everything goes well with the upgrade, you can partition that new drive, and install all your programs on it.

After I was sure everything was fine with the new drive, I would hook up the other one in the "slave" position. All your data stays intact for moving over later.

This was what I did when I changed over from Windoze 98SE to Win2K Pro. I didn't lose any data and I was able to get the new drive very organized.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

2. The main reason is I would like to have access .................

to the Win 95 & 98 compatibility emulator (or whatever its called). There are a few older programs that I like that only run on Win98, and 2K lacks the capacity to "roll back" to the earlier set up.

A buddy of mine installed XP Pro on his PC and has had not one complaint about it. I don't think XP is a bad OS, I really think that many of the bells -n- whistles that MS has put out to "enhance" the program are fubar. Essentially (!) XP and 2K are the same NT based OS's.

[idiosyncratic]

3. That makes sense

Before I made the jump to Win2K (last summer), I downloaded all the drivers I was going to need for my old scanner, printer, external modem, etc.

I burned these to a CD that also included a bunch of programs I had downloaded, including the latest versions of Grisoft AVG Antivirus, Zone Alarm, and Opera. I learned to be prepared like this after a little hiccup in an otherwise easy transition from Windows ME to Win2K on a friend's computer.

Her modem wouldn't work until it had the new driver, and without the modem we couldn't download the driver . . . :crazy:

[CrownPrinceBandar]

4. Drivers.....................

I'm figuring I'll probably spend a portion of this evening downloading all the necessary drivers. Luckily, I believe some of the drivers I have now for all my compy stuff are compatible with 2K as well as XP.

The only thing giving me pause is the debacle around the stability of XP SP2. I downloaded it onto my XP Home-running parents PC and it completely destroyed their internet connectivity. I checked everything I knew and couldn't find a resolution, so I uninstalled it. They've had no other issues since. However, there are tons of people out there running SP2 without a glitch.

Ultimately, if XP goes all screwy on me, I still have my Win 2K disk, and by gosh I'll use it! :P

[idiosyncratic]

5. You are very brave . . .

It is a long process . . . this change of OS business. Last summer I only did it on my computer because an ankle injury had me imobilized for a few weeks.

As for SP2, if a major reason for that Service Pack is fixes to IE, I would REALLY recommed not ever using IE and switching to Firefox, or my favorite browser, Opera.

The alternative browsers are so much more secure . . . and may remove the necessity for security patches from M$.

[CrownPrinceBandar]

6. That's good news about SP2..............

because I wouldn't touch IE with a 10' pole! I've been using Firefox since 0.7!

Brave? Foolhardy may be more the case!

Thanks for the input.