A question of upgrades, full versions........etc.

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Yes, you *could* treat it as an Upgrade.

But Upgrading from Win98/98SE/ME or even 2K to XP is a poor choice. It
quite simply doesn't have a good track record, and getting your previous
system back later, particularly if the XP installation doesn't go well,
has a low probability of complete success, also. The better choice is to
install to a new partition or disk. Various ways to do this, including
Hiding the 98 system from the XP one using a boot Manager like BootIt
NG, or simply letting XP install the boot files to the Win98 side,
leaving the rest of that partition alone, and having a dual-boot system.
If you don't already have space for such a partition, then BootIt NG is
also good for resizing and/or rearranging your current partitions to
make room for an XP partition. You'd better have lots of free space to
start with, though.

Provided you have a Windows 98 CD, of any flavor (so long as it's a
"normal" one and not some "Restore" CD) the upgrade version of XP will
install just fine if you don't even have it installed. If Setup can't
see an installed, eligible, OS, then you simply show it the 98
installation CD when asked. If there is an installed 98 system on the
machine, then the matter is straight-forward, whether you're upgrading
"in place" (overwriting the 98 system--actually installs to a new folder
IIRC) or installing clean to a new partition.

--
Gary S. Terhune
MS MVP Shell/User
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/cleanboot.htm
http://www.grystmill.com/articles/security.htm

"PSYCHOPIXIE" <PSYCHOPIXIE.1m30zy@news.win98banter.com> wrote in message
newsSYCHOPIXIE.1m30zy@news.win98banter.com...
>
> Hi
> Could someone please tell me the answer to this one...If my pc had a
> clean install of win98se done and then later a win98se cd was used to
> install windows back over itself(to correct a game installation cock
> up) which the pc treated as an upgrade would it then be possible to
> upgrade to xp home edition using an xp home upgrade cd(question mark).
> All these full versions, upgrades, oem or whatever it is called
> versions really confuse me. And I am right in thinking if it all goes
> screwy you can have your old windows back 'cos xp stores it
> somewhere(question mark). Thanks in advance.
>
>
> --
> PSYCHOPIXIE

Archived from groups: microsoft.public.win98.gen_discussion (More info?)

Jack E Martinelli wrote:

> Windows Product Activation (WPA) on Windows XP
> Version 3.0.1 — Last Updated February 28, 2005
> by Alex Nichol, MS-MVP
> © 2001-2005 by Author, All Rights Reserved
> http://aumha.org/win5/a/wpa.htm

"WPA asks for ‘votes’ from each of these ten categories: ‘Is the same
device still around, or has there never been one?’ Seven Yes votes
means all is well — and a NIC, present originally and not changed,
counts for three yes votes!"

It's not 7 votes - it's 5.

Frequently, if you update the video driver you will lose the graphics
adapter vote.

"If you change the device in any category, you have lost that Yes vote
— but will not lose it any more thereafter if you make changes
in that category again."

And if you replace the missing device, you will get it's vote back -
assuming that you haven't fallen below the required 5 votes.