Looking for advice clean install of XP or OS upgrade

farmerdd

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Feb 27, 2014
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I have a Dell Inspiron E1705 Laptop Intel Core 2 T7400 @ 2.16 GHz, 2 GB Ram, 32 bit. I bought this when either Vista or XP could be installed, I chose XP Media Center Edition for stability reasons as I was finishing college. I am considering a clean install of XP, but Microsoft recently announced they will not support XP for Microsoft Security Essentials Antivirus software. I like this antivirus software because it is free but also that it doesn't bog down my system. My mom uses this laptop now for web browsing, checking email, streaming a youtube video here and there. I am considering the clean install because some old software is on there taking up around 16GB of space. Most of it taken up by Visual Studio and a series of additions. I can't remove these because I no longer have the install disks. 16GB seems so small now but it represents 16% of the hard drive (roughly 100GB ). I don't want to spend to much money on this. So I am wondering do I clean install XP, if so what antivirus can I use that is free and works well. What OS should I upgrade to if I were to upgrade? If I go this way, do I have to use a 32 bit version or will 64 bit versions give me the option of selecting a 32 bit install?
 
Solution
$280 laptop bundle:

This isn't necessarily the one you'd buy, but just look at what you can get for $280:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-x551ma-rcln03-laptop-internet-security-software-sleeve-mouse-flash-drive-package/9999220100050019.p;jsessionid=0EA166150CB84D75D7D80D48D0939D78.bbolsp-app04-197?id=pcmprd219000050019&skuId=9999220100050019&st=categoryid$pcmcat302900050006&lp=1&cp=1

Conversely, Windows 8 OEM and a new hard drive comes to about $150 plus all the HASSLE of installing and no guarantees you won't have problems.

Here's a nice laptop for $330:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/15-6-laptop-4gb-memory-750gb-hard-drive/3782018.p?id=1219093517478&skuId=3782018&st=categoryid$abcat0502000&cp=1&lp=12

Also note a modern laptop has an...
1) Don't reinstall ONLY to save space. That's a big hassle and there are other ways:
a) Delete Hibernation file to save space
b) Set PAGEFILE to 1GB max and min
c) Run CLEANUP
d) Manually delete files

2) Microsoft isn't ONLY dropping support for MS Security Essentials. It's also not creating Security patches to fix holes in their software that get found and exploited by hackers.

However, if there's no CRITICAL data on the laptop, only you can decide if buying a new OS is worth it.

3) Buy a full OEM version of Windows 8 64-bit.
It should work fine with that laptop, though you may have to manually hunt down some drivers from other sources.

32-bit W8 would also work but since the W8 license is TRANSFERABLE (W7 OEM is not) you might as well buy something you can use in another PC later if you wish.

4) UPGRADING INFO:
You can only keep your PROGRAMS when upgrading to the next version of Windows, so an UPGRADE does not make sense for you.

5) 32/64-bit:
You can buy OEM Windows 8 in three different ways for a small price difference:
a) 32-bit only
b) 64-bit only
c) 32-bit AND 64-bit in same package (can only register one of them)

6) Where to buy?
Try pcpartpicker . About $90 USD.

SUMMARY:
I actually don't recommend buying a copy of Windows and upgrading if things are working fine now. I suggest either staying with what you have, or buying a NEW laptop completely.

Why?
You really do want a new hard drive at some point, and adding the cost of Windows brings you to about HALF the cost of a brand new laptop (about $300 or so).

If you decide to go ahead with installing Windows, then PLAN it out carefully:
a) backup files/passwords etc
b) Install Windows 8 32 or 64-bit OEM
c) Find any missing drivers or software (W7 drivers may work instead; can try Intel, Realtek, NVidia etc as applicable).
 
My understanding is that MSE will still continue to get updates, but you will simply not be able to install it after that date if you do not already have it. Could be wrong though, so you should check their website. Either way, getting off of XP is probably a good call because I am pretty sure there are all sorts of fun hackers out there just waiting for D-Day to arrive when they can use their exploits without worry about MS patching them.

Step 1: Figure out what your options are. Visit dell's website and see if they have any 64bit drivers for your laptop. If it supports Vista 64bit then there is a very good chance it will run Windows 7 64bit just fine, and a decent chance that win8 64bit will work. If there are no 64bit drivers, then consider the 32bit flavor of either win7 or win8.

Step 2: How do you feel about win8? I personally like it, some people can't stand it. MS keeps promising fixes for metro to work better with keys and mice... but obviously no guarantee there. If you like (or can deal with) windows 8, then go for it. It is noticeably faster than win7 on older systems, and will obviously be supported longer than win7 will. If you can't stand win8 (or your mom can't stand it) then go find a copy of win7 while you can still find them.

Step 3: How much money do you want to throw at this laptop, and how long do you expect it to last? HDDs tend to last 3-5 years under moderate to heavy use, and upwards of 7 years with light use. If your laptop uses a SATA HDD (like I think it does) then you may want to breathe some new life into it with a new SSD. This will make your laptop considerably faster, and you should be able to pick up a 120-128GB SSD these days for ~$75. If you have an empty ram slot (Dell typically installs single 2GB sticks, leaving one slot empty) then you can upgrade to 4GB of DDR2 for ~$30 which will also help speed things allong. An OEM copy of Windows 7 or Windows 8 is going to cost $100-140 depending on the version (home/basic, or pro/full).
You may also want to look into a newer, higher capacity battery to bring battery life back up to par, because I am sure a laptop that old is not holding a 3-4 hour charge anymore. that will set you back an additional $30-40.
All told you are looking at ~$200-250 in upgrades to get on a modern OS, a newer/reliable/fast SSD, and enough Ram to not have to worry about resources. If the rest of the laptop is in good shape, then this could be money well spent as it could probably last for another 5-7 years... but if it has been through some abuse over the years, and has been having other issues, then it may be time to simply look for something newer rather than throwing good money after bad.


Hope that helps!
 
$280 laptop bundle:

This isn't necessarily the one you'd buy, but just look at what you can get for $280:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/asus-x551ma-rcln03-laptop-internet-security-software-sleeve-mouse-flash-drive-package/9999220100050019.p;jsessionid=0EA166150CB84D75D7D80D48D0939D78.bbolsp-app04-197?id=pcmprd219000050019&skuId=9999220100050019&st=categoryid$pcmcat302900050006&lp=1&cp=1

Conversely, Windows 8 OEM and a new hard drive comes to about $150 plus all the HASSLE of installing and no guarantees you won't have problems.

Here's a nice laptop for $330:
http://www.bestbuy.com/site/15-6-laptop-4gb-memory-750gb-hard-drive/3782018.p?id=1219093517478&skuId=3782018&st=categoryid$abcat0502000&cp=1&lp=12

Also note a modern laptop has an HDMI output that enables you to connect to an HDTV, or to an external Monitor (Monitor can also use DVI via HDMI->DVI cable or adapter).

**I really think upgrading the old laptop is a waste of money. Either keep it without upgrading or buy something like the above.

SECURITY UPGRADES:
I'm not sure if I was clear before. Microsoft periodically released updates via MICROSOFT UPDATES that include Critical security fixes to prevent malware or other bad software from easily exploiting software to sneak onto your system. This part has nothing to do with Security Essentials which is a separate issue. In fact MSE isn't that big a deal as you can find similar, free software elsewhere.

However, again though, if there's nothing CRITICAL on the laptop then it's not that serious even if you do get hacked.
 
Solution