Upgrading a Previous Windows Version

To upgrade to Windows XP, start your current version of Windows, insert the Windows XP CD, and choose Install Windows XP from the Welcome To Microsoft Windows XP menu. Do not boot from the CD and try to perform an upgrade; that won’t work. (If you prefer working at a command prompt in Windows, skip the CD menu and type d:\i386\Winnt32.exe, substituting the correct letter of your CD-ROM drive for d.) On the first page of the Windows Setup Wizard, select Upgrade (Recommended) and click Next.

If you choose to upgrade, the Windows Setup program asks you to enter a few pieces of information, including the product key; the remainder of the process continues completely unattended. Setup replaces your existing Windows files, but it preserves user settings, such as desktop appearance, color schemes, network connections, and so on. It also retains the programs you have installed and all their settings. The Upgrade Advisor report identifies any programs that are incompatible with Windows XP. After several reboots that typically require no attention from you, the upgrade installation completes, and you’re ready to pick up where you left off—with Windows XP as your new operating system.

After the upgrade is complete, run through the following checklist to confirm that the process went smoothly and to clean up any loose ends:

Reset passwords for migrated user accounts: When upgrading over an installation of Windows 98 or Windows Me, Setup adds an account for each user that had a profile in the previous operating system, but discards the passwords for each such account. As administrator, you can manually add each user’s password.

Run the Network Setup Wizard: The upgrade should preserve your network and Internet settings. The Network Setup Wizard helps set up file sharing and configures Windows Firewall, among other tasks.

Check that all essential programs and devices work properly: Don’t assume that the Upgrade Advisor was 100 percent accurate. Be sure to test each of your programs and devices to make sure they’re operating as you expect. If you encounter serious problems, you can try to fix them or uninstall Windows XP and restore your previous operating system.

Consider upgrading your system drive to NTFS: Upgrade from Windows 98 or Windows Me, the Setup program does not automatically convert drives to NTFS but leaves them in FAT32 format. If you’re satisfied that your system is working properly, you can significantly tighten security by using the Convert utility to change the format to NTFS.

Save your Administrator password: Upgrade to Windows XP Professional, you’re necessary to set a password for the fitted Administrator account (in Home Edition, this password is deliberately left blank). Write this password down and squirrel it away in a safe place. (And, no, a sticky note on the side of your monitor is not a safe place!)