Windows XP Questions

[WickeDKlowN]

Well i just got a copy of Windows XP from my dads friend. i guess its a beta version. and he says that he installed it on 2 laptops. and i was wondering if i would be able to install it without kiling my comp. i am running the upgrade advisr right now to make sure that i can run XP. but i had a rew questions:
1.should i format and do a clean install, and just upgrade
2.will i be able to install it, even though he put on 2 laptops.
3.should i use NTFS, or FAT32
4.any other things i should now before installing?

[WickeDKlowN]

ok upgrade advisor just finished and here is what it said:
Hardware that might need aditional files
D-Link DMP-110 MP3 Player(dont really care cause its broke)
scanners or dighital cameras that might not work
Polaroid Digital 320 Camera
Software That Does Not Support XP
Desktop Architect
Intel Graphics Technology
Java Plug-in 1.3.1
Software Incompatable With XP
Norton 200 and 2001 software
Norton AntiVirus
ZoneAlarm
Software That Might Not Support XP
DesktopX
Software That Must Be Reinstalled
Direst CD 3
Easy CD Creator 4
Logitech MouseWare Drivers
Music Match Jukebox
QuickLink III
Network Connection Protocall
NetBEUI

Does This Mean I Can't Upgrade?

[User]

1.should i format and do a clean install, and just upgrade

It is always better to format and do a clean install, but upgrading worked fine for me, but I upgraded over a beta of XP.

2.will i be able to install it, even though he put on 2 laptops.

You should still be able to install it, but if it's the beta, keep in mind the time limit for activation, because activation keys can only be used once I think, and you MUST activate XP if the time limit passes. The betas of XP required activation between 30-120 days, depending on the build type and number.

3.should i use NTFS, or FAT32

NTFS has been proven for better stability and a more "secure" filesystem, but with FAT32 I believe I read that the speed is a bit faster. NTFS would be better overall in my opinion. Less crashes and such at the sacrafice of a small change in speed.

4.any other things i should now before installing?

Again, keep in mind that if it is the beta, and if it's not already modified to bypass time limit, then you MUST activate Windows to keep using it. This may or may not work depending on your CD-key and if it's been used in the actual activation process before. If it's the XP Corporate release, you can use the key and have no time limits as often as you want.

In response to your second post, I'd recommend looking for driver/version updates BEFORE you install XP, just in case something can't be used. For most of what I see on the list, you may just be required to download or purchase an updated version that supports XP, such as Norton 2002 or ZoneAlarm 2.6 update I believe, but some you might not be able to use at all if you upgrade, and end up having to wait for updates.

I wouldn't recommend making anything other than XP Corporate or Retail versions your primary OS. Small jumps in build numbers can equal great performance and problem fixes. If you want to experiment with XP, I'd recommend getting something like Partition Magic, partitioning your drive, and installing XP on it's own space instead of overwriting your current OS.