Techie Question

[JonC]

I've currently got Windows 98. Someone is bringing me a <cough> copied disk of XP to install on my computer.

If I install Windows XP, will it wipe off all the files I've got saved on My Documents etc? If so, is there any way to keep them?

 

[Goodfella]

Well if you got a cd/dvd writer, just save them to disc in case.

 

[Mr C]

You planning on "upgrading" or running them side-by-side?

 

[Robot Chicken]

I've currently got Windows 98. Someone is bringing me a <cough> copied disk of XP to install on my computer.

If I install Windows XP, will it wipe off all the files I've got saved on My Documents etc? If so, is there any way to keep them?

I upgraded to XP and the installation doesn't touch the My Documents folder. Even so I copied the most important onto a CD...just in case.

 

[Cian]

Just note that an "acquired" copy of Windows XP won't let you install the security updates under most circumstances, and your machine -will- be f***ed within twenty minutes of going on the net without them, unless you have a firewalled router. At best, you'll be able to install Service Pack 2, and then the WGA authentication won't let you get a lot of the newer updates, which fix gaping gaping holes.

 

[Barnet Seagull]

NEVER upgrade.

save yourself the trouble and get a new harddisk with each new OS install

 

[Cian]

NEVER upgrade.

save yourself the trouble and get a new harddisk with each new OS install

Or use a seperate hard disk (NOT PARTITION!) for OS and for data.

 

[Marc]

Just note that an "acquired" copy of Windows XP won't let you install the security updates under most circumstances, and your machine -will- be f***ed within twenty minutes of going on the net without them, unless you have a firewalled router. At best, you'll be able to install Service Pack 2, and then the WGA authentication won't let you get a lot of the newer updates, which fix gaping gaping holes.

you could always change the serial number

either way going from 98 to XP you wanna do it on a fresh disk (formatted to NTFS)

 

[Cian]

you could always change the serial number

Yeah, not like -every single serial number- you'll find on a cracks site hasn't already been locked out of WGA.

Agree about the NTFS bit, Windows 2000 and XP don't play well on FAT disks.

 

[Marc]

Yeah, not like -every single serial number- you'll find on a cracks site hasn't already been locked out of WGA.

Agree about the NTFS bit, Windows 2000 and XP don't play well on FAT disks.

ya FAT sucks on XP, I found out the hard way early on!
current install of XP has lasted 18motnhs without a serious error or fuckup...gotta be a record!

 

[JonC]

Just note that an "acquired" copy of Windows XP won't let you install the security updates under most circumstances, and your machine -will- be f***ed within twenty minutes of going on the net without them, unless you have a firewalled router. At best, you'll be able to install Service Pack 2, and then the WGA authentication won't let you get a lot of the newer updates, which fix gaping gaping holes.

I don't install the security updates on Windows 98. I've had no problem.

 

[Marc]

I don't install the security updates on Windows 98. I've had no problem.

different game altogether with XP, you *WANT* to do the updates!

 

[Robot Chicken]

I don't install the security updates on Windows 98. I've had no problem.

Cue MYOB having a heart attack

 

[Cian]

I don't install the security updates on Windows 98. I've had no problem.

Windows 98 is a number of exponential levels of security safer than XP is. On XP, you don't install the updates, you don't get back into Windows first time you reboot. Believe me, I charge people an awful lot of money to get back into Windows when they forget that.

 

[Cian]

Cue MYOB having a heart attack

If theres any OS where you're safe without installing the patches, its Windows 98, because it predates Windows having a powerful networking stack that could be easily exploited, and it predates people having always-on internet connections that worms really need to propogate.

 

[JonC]

So what do I do then? I'm not buying a new hard drive, computer etc and I'm not buying a legal version of XP (too expensive). I do need XP though to run some software I've got (Adobe CS).

What can I do to make my computer run safely and properly with this copied XP? How do I change the serial number etc?

 

[Cian]

You can't, basically. Theres also a good chance that the machine is too damn old to run XP - Windows 98 stopped shipping on desktops in 2000 generally, and very of the machines it came with can run XP well or even at all.

Also, software piracy is not legal, and I'm not going to tell anyone how to get around it (I work in this industry...). But I can tell you that currently - use an illegal Windows, no software updates.

 

[Dropkick Turnip]

.......I can tell you that currently - use an illegal Windows, no software updates.

Not true:

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/07/28/microsoft_genuine_ad.html

 

[Cian]

Not true:

http://www.boingboing.net/2005/07/28/microsoft_genuine_ad.html

loooooooong since fixed, stopped working within about, oh, 24 hours of that being posted.

 

[JonC]

You can't, basically. Theres also a good chance that the machine is too damn old to run XP - Windows 98 stopped shipping on desktops in 2000 generally, and very of the machines it came with can run XP well or even at all.

Also, software piracy is not legal, and I'm not going to tell anyone how to get around it (I work in this industry...). But I can tell you that currently - use an illegal Windows, no software updates.

The machine is new - only just got around to getting a copy of XP.

I love your morality - but I bet that doesn't stop you using P2P networks. If you can assure me that you never use illegal file sharing, then I would be delighted to hear you are such a bastion of common law.