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Issues to consider before upgrading to XP

By: lowster11

Issues to consider before upgrading

Microsoft Windows XP introduces major advancements in consumer operating system technology. While there is much excitement surrounding Windows XP and its rich feature set, anyone considering this upgrade should do so carefully. Upgrading to Windows XP is not recommended for all PCs, especially where the base platform has not been tested and qualified for use with Windows XP. In such situations, the upgrade experience may not be very satisfying and could diminish the functionality of the PC. Under these circumstances, a new PC with Windows XP pre-installed is the preferable choice.
However, if wishing to upgrade to Windows XP from your current operating system to address specific needs, I recommend that your PC satisfy the minimum system requirements outlined below and be qualified for use with Windows XP (refer to compatibility table below). While the upgrade process may still be a complex task, it should be a successful one.

Recommended minimum system requirements

I recommend the following minimum system requirements if considering upgrading your Desktop PC to Microsoft Windows XP, although greater capacities may offer better performance:

128 MB of RAM memory
5 GB of free space on the hard disk drive
600 MHz microprocessor
Windows Millennium Edition (Me) operating system preinstalled
System qualified as a Windows XP Ready PC
Internet access (bly recommended)
NOTE: Microsoft's specified minimum system requirements may differ. All PCs sold with the Microsoft Windows XP operating system also come with built-in drivers that allow most products to work with Windows XP right out of the box. This option will allow the use of, at minimum, the basic feature set of most peripherals without additional software.
Setting up the peripherals
Disconnect the peripheral cable.
Shut down the PC.
Reconnect the peripheral cable (USB or parallel).
Turn on the peripheral.
Turn on the PC (the driver will automatically install).
PC Trouble

Here's the big-picture overview of Windows troubleshooting. You'll find out more about each of these pieces as this lesson progresses.
Will Windows boot normally? If not, try an alternative boot mode to get into Windows, and then fix whatever is wrong (if you're able to determine what that is). For example, roll back a bad driver update, remove a startup program that is causing a problem, and so on.

If you're unable to resolve the Windows problem, repair or reinstall Windows using the original Windows CD. If you don't have that CD, check your PC's documentation to see whether it came with a Recovery disc, and if so, what it does for you. If Windows is running slowly, look at the running processes. Remove any that aren't necessary or helpful. To fix this for the future, prevent unwanted programs and processes from loading at startup.

Working with alternative boot modes

Alternative boot modes enable you to start Windows in cases when it will not start normally. The alternative boot modes are not suitable for everyday operation; they're strictly for troubleshooting.

You can select an alternative boot mode via the Advanced Options menu. To display it, as your PC is booting, press the F8 key. It can be difficult to get the timing just right. You should press the F8 key at the precise moment when you hear the PC's speaker beep once at the beginning of the startup process. If you see the Windows splash screen (that blue clouds background image), you know you missed your window of opportunity and need to try again.

One method of getting to the Advanced Options menu is to start pressing and releasing the F8 key at 1/2-second intervals immediately after turning the PC's power on. That way you never miss it. You can't just hold down the F8 key, or you'll get a Keyboard Stuck error.

The choices on the Advanced Options menu are:

Safe Mode: Starts without any nonessential drivers and programs. You won't have access to any network components, any USB (universal serial bus) devices, or any CD drives.

Safe Mode with Networking:

Same as Safe Mode except it includes network drivers. Useful if the files you need to fix the PC are located on the network.

Safe Mode with Command Prompt:

Same as Safe Mode except a command prompt window opens within Safe Mode. Useful for the hardcore techie who knows exactly which command line utilities to run; not very useful for everyone else.

Enable Boot Logging:

Boots normally, but logs startup information in a file called NTBTLOG.TXT. You can then go in later under Safe Mode and look at that file using Notepad to see where the startup process is going wrong.

Enable VGA Mode:

Starts normally except it uses a plain VGA (Video Graphics Adapter) video driver. Useful if you know the problem is a bad video driver.

Last Known Good Configuration:

Copies the last good copy of the Registry over the current Registry files, reversing the most recent Registry edits. Useful if the PC stopped working after you installed a new application or driver. As an alternative, you can boot into Safe Mode and use System Restore.

Directory Services Restore Mode:

For domain controllers only; not used for ordinary PCs.

Debugging Mode:

For programmers only; not useful for end-users. For most people, Safe Mode is the best choice. Once you get into Windows via Safe Mode, figure out what's causing it to not boot normally, fix it, and then reboot normally.

Then what?

The hard part, of course, is not getting into Safe Mode, but figuring out what's wrong. Think back -- what did you do to cause the problem? Here are some ideas:

If you recently installed some new software, remove it. Use Add or Remove Programs in the Control Panel.

If you recently updated a device driver, roll it back. Go into Device Manager, view the device's Properties dialog box, display the Driver tab, and then click Roll Back Driver. Follow the prompts.

If you recently installed a new piece of hardware, shut down the PC and remove it. Reboot and see if the problem clears up.

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