How do I move from XP to Windows 8, 32bit

You buy Window 8 either regular version or pro and either run the advisor or start setup from the disk. Then follow the instructions. While you can purchase the upgrade version you will actually be performing a clean install. Make sure you make a backup and have all your other program installers handy.

insert disc, follow instructions... seriously it is that easy.

On a more technical note, be sure to back up any user files (documents, pictures, music, videos, etc.) to a different drive/device before performing any major upgrades. Depending on the type of upgrade/install you do there is a chance that you could accidently format your HDD, and *poof* all of your files go away.

While it is super easy to upgrade form XP to win8 there are a few things to know;
1) Some/many of your programs will not transfer through the upgrade process, though most of these can be reinstalled without a problem so long as you have the install disc/file. I have only run into a few XP based programs that refuse to run in win8
2) While the convenience of upgrading is appealing, especially if you have had your computer running for years, upgrades are rarely as trouble-free as fresh installations. I highly suggest that you backup your files, and then do a fresh install of win8 instead of the upgrade. It takes longer to find all of your install programs to repopulate everything, but you end up with a nice clean system that literally runs like new.
3) Have all of the latest drivers for your system ready on a CD or flash drive. While win8 has a lot of built in drivers that simply work without a fuss, they are general drivers, and tend to lack the full functionality of the OEM drivers. Some older equipment may not have drivers at all, and so you may have to force some drivers via compatibility mode (win8 pro only) which may or may not work.
**If you have a prebuilt system like a Dell, HP, ASUS, Acer, or other system then please make sure your hardware is compatible with win8 before installing it.
4) Have your old winXP media on hand just in case something goes terribly wrong and you need to reinstall winXP. More likely than not everything will work fine (win8 is suprisingly backwards compatible), but much better to be safe than sorry.
5) If at all possible get win8 64bit. It will run faster, allow the use of bigger programs (like CAD and video editing software), and allow installation of more than 4GB of ram which is important for modern computers. Only use the 32bit version of win8 if your hardware is not 64bit compatible, or if there are no 64bit drivers available. A 64bit OS runs 32bit programs just fine. It is merely a way to address more memory, take advantage of more of the processor by the OS, and allow the use of programs that are made for 64bit environments. No one of these things are big deals on their own, but considering the price is the same you should go with 64bit whenever possible.



If doing an upgrade, simply load into WinXP, insert the CD or download win8 from MS and run it. It will do a compatibility check before installing to let you know if there are any potential hardware or software issues with upgrading.

If doing a fresh install then boot from the CD and then follow the instructions on doing a fresh install. The only down side to a fresh install is that everything goes away, so be sure to have all drivers/programs/files ready on another device to load back on your computer.

At this point in time I would advise going to the Windows 8 x64 version instead of x32. There is really little point anymore to go x32 over x64 unless your hardware can not support x64.