Switching From ME to XP

[Guest The Electrifyer]

I want to switch my current operating system from Windows ME to Windows XP, but I have a question. If I do install XP, do I have to un-install ME first? And also, what happens to the files currently on my computer? Like my folders, movies, music and games, will they sstill be on my computer?

[Guest Eagan469]

"If I do install XP, do I have to un-install ME first?"

 

no

 

"what happens to the files currently on my computer? Like my folders, movies, music and games, will they sstill be on my computer? "

 

yes, all your settings and personal preferences will be carried over from ME

[Guest MarvinisaLunatic]

They say that its best if you do a clean install of XP but I didn't have any problems with just upgrading it. And you gotta do it. ME sucks so bad..its like night and day difference wise..

[Guest TheGame2705]

Make sure it says upgrade though. Some don't have the option to upgrade. I did mine illegally and had to tweak the setupp.ini file.

[Guest Lil Naitch]

My install got so f*d up that I had to go into what was left of ME and delete a file so it would be screwed up enough to install XP again. I'd go for the clean install if I were you.

[Guest RobJohnstone]

I'd go with windows 200 if I were you, but that is just my preference.

 

--Rob

[Guest The Man in Blak]

You can upgrade over ME with Windows XP, but I'd really recommend the clean install just because, if for no other reason, you could switch from FAT32 to NTFS.

[Guest The Electrifyer]

Whats FAT32 and NTFS??

[Guest The Man in Blak]

NTFS and FAT32 are the partition formats that determine how data is stored on your computer. FAT32 (File Allocation Table, 32 bit) is derived from the old FAT16 system that was the format behind all of the 95/98/ME series, while NTFS has been the format for Windows NT/2000.

 

Now, Windows XP is the first MS OS to give you the choice between both of them, but I'm a little more partial to NTFS.

 

Here's the primary perks with NTFS:

 

1. NTFS is slightly more efficient at using disk space due to differences in how it clusters data on your hard drive. Larger hard drives with a ton of files would see a minor slowdown in disk speed with FAT32, while NTFS is perfectly scalable in terms of performance.

 

2. There's an inherent "recoverability" feature that's built into NTFS that is meant to ensure that users should never have to run a disk repair utility for damaged data sectors. How it does this exactly is a huge blast of technical jargon that I won't inflict upon you, but, to summarize, it keeps all access of the data on the drive consistent by keeping a constant log of all data transactions.

 

3. There are security benefits built into NTFS that FAT32 simply doesn't have. Access rights can be set on files and folders, allowing different users different levels of access to specific data. In addition, I've also been told that NTFS drives are a little less susceptible to damage from virii (due to the different data clustering format), though that could just be an urban legend.