Upgrade from 98 to XP?

[kyle1234567890]

I have a Compaq presario 5150 that we got back in '98 and it seems to just be slowing down. I am thinking about upgrading to xp by just doing a clean install and maybe that computer would be a little faster. If I had XP on all of the minimum settings would it be faster than 98?

[sea69]

5150- check the BIOS date on that '98 (if you're lucky)

I personally have tried installing winXP on a 1998 Compaq Presario 5150 for a customer (when I was doing pc work)- won't work.

WinXP really must have BIOS of year 2000 or better to work.

I would advise a new (fresh) clean install of win98se-- in fact- why not use your "Quick Restore" CD's - that model has (2) of them. This will speed you up to how the computer was when you first got it.

**Note: Be sure to back up any files you want prior to doing a 'Quick Restore', as that will wipe the drive completely

;)

[kyle1234567890]

Well I lost all my install CDs, but i have the product key paper so I should be able to just do a clean install right?

[sea69]

i have the product key paper

huh??

I'm not sure what that means-- but yes, if you have a win98se CD and the correct key for the CD- a clean install would be the way to go. Please do NOT do an install over what you already have there- that would defeat your purpose of 'speeding it up'-- you will have to reformat the HDD. I would start backing up drivers for your modem (pctell software modem came with it), your NIC drivers (if you have one installed), and since that model has onboard sound and video- you should back up or be ready to obtain the drivers for those as well...

a little bit to it- too bad winXP won't work on that, one of the great things about XP is the driver support whereas win9x just about always involves driver searches.

;)

[kyle1234567890]

so if I were to do a clean install, I would have to find pretty much every driver for that system including the chipset drivers?

[sea69]

yes, most likely-- as I recall, that model had a {D} hidden partition which contains a copy of your system restore. I personally however was not succesful in being able to do a restore from that location. I had him send away to Compaq for the (2) CD's, but he was too impatient and had the $$- so hired me to install win98se fresh- I had to get the drivers for modem and all from searching on the web-

here's a thought- contact me via email and I may be able to snailmail those (2) CD's to you!

I have them- the 5150 that went with them has bitten the dust. No quite sure how he blew it up?!?



;)