upgrade versus clean install

[Monaco]

I've got a copy of XP here that I really want to install on my Win2000 machine, but I have waaay too much data on my drive to backup- I can't format and do a clean install like normal, so I was thinking of doing an upgrade install instead.

Are there any downsides to upgrading your OS instead of doing thre full reformat and install deal? My freinds say there is , but can't really tell me why.

Any opinions?

 

[SNIPER1M]

MS recommends clean installs. I did an upgrade, then later did a clean install and I really saw no difference. Though a clean install lets you rethink your disk organization and the amount of useless c##p computers accumulate. Most notably, program fragments and old dlls.

 

[DAGO]

Only recently completed a clean install, and for me it was worth it...The difference for me is peace of mind...with a clean install I know that things are clean and crisp and that there are no rogue files that will gum things up or cause problems. Backup can be a royal pain in the tail, but sure does require you to rethink all your saved files and I end up with a leaner, meaner computing machine...at least that is how it appears to me...It may all be a figment of my imagination, but the peace of mind is worth it...

My 2 centavos...

 

[David]

Documents can be saved, programs reinstalled.
IMHO updates are just havoc.

 

[cw823]

If I were you, I'd purchase (not download) a copy of Partition Magic 7....that way you create a 2nd partition on your HD, transfer all important data to the 2nd partition.....then format and reinstall Windows on your primary partition. Granted, it costs money for the progy, but you won't be missing any data either.


Upgrades seldom work as advertised, a clean install is ALWAYS the best route.

good luck

 

[Monaco]

Don't have enough space on any of my drives to backup the things I need to keep- it's either an upgrade, or lose all my documents etc when I reformat. No room for a new partition, although that was a good idea

I think I'll just go ahead and do it- I keep a close eye on my OS, it's not at all cluttered or full of old .DLLs anything. I don't think there will be any real problems, but I got my fingers crossed

 

[nikhsub1]

Wishing you luck. Every time I have UPGRADED an OS it has been major problems. I alway clean install now.

 

[Monaco]

upgraded my father's machine first, just to see what it was all about- was completely painless! Haven't had any problems with it so far whatsoever.

Now that I know it works I'm gonna do mine probably this weekend. I have maybe 20x more stuff on mine than he does, so it may be a dfferent story

 

[takiwa]

upgraded my father's machine first, just to see what it was all about

...that was sooo wrong...LMAO

 

[Monaco]

heh I guess it's a bit underhanded

but his is an HP, and it came with a repair disk that can reset the whole box to factory fresh in 10 minutes. Easy to fix if something goes wrong

 

[Oni]

You could ask to borrow a friends' hard drive for a few hours . .

 

[Monaco]

also a good idea, but I don't really know anyone with unused PC equipment.

Hey Oni, can you lend me a drive for a few hours....

 

[David]

heh I guess it's a bit underhanded

but his is an HP, and it came with a repair disk that can reset the whole box to factory fresh in 10 minutes. Easy to fix if something goes wrong

I remember out first family PC - it came with a floppy and CDROM that would, if you insert the Cd and boot off of the floppy, reformat and reinstall the OS. Now why can't windows 95/98/Me do that? Unattended, just leave for an hour or so.

 

[Monaco]

I remember out first family PC - it came with a floppy and CDROM that would, if you insert the Cd and boot off of the floppy, reformat and reinstall the OS. Now why can't windows 95/98/Me do that? Unattended, just leave for an hour or so.

because every non-prebuilt PC is completely different and requires different drivers, IRQ settings, etc, all that good stuff.

You CAN actually build a disc like that yourself, through elaborate usage of command line switches and batch files from DOS. I've seen it done, they called it a 'push' install. Although it really didn't seem worth the time and effort to make a disc like that unless you have like a couple dozen machines to do. Still, would be a pretty fun weekend project to build one

 

[David]

because every non-prebuilt PC is completely different and requires different drivers, IRQ settings, etc, all that good stuff.

You CAN actually build a disc like that yourself, through elaborate usage of command line switches and batch files from DOS. I've seen it done, they called it a 'push' install. Although it really didn't seem worth the time and effort to make a disc like that unless you have like a couple dozen machines to do. Still, would be a pretty fun weekend project to build one

Hmm. might look into that. Could be interesting....