Loading windows XP

I bought this laptop recently (used) and was wanting to replace the os from 2000 to XP. For some reason, it doesn't want to do it. It says something to the effect of, you already have an os installed and to continue may destroy world harmony. Just joking on the tail in but you get my drift? I thought XP would/should load on top of 2000 just as 98se does 98. Am I wrong and if so, what do I do?

 

Do a clean install. Don't forget to go to the manufacturers site for the XP drivers.

 

You won't be able to install XP "on top of" Win2000. The two operating systems are not different version of one operating system, such as the 98 and 98SE are. Actually, 98SE stands for something like "98 Second Edition ". It is more or less like adding service pack 2, to XP, with 98SE being the service pack for 98, etc. 98 SE can run alone and 'be' 98; if XP is run alone it is not W2000; it is much different.

You will have to (1) back up everything that is not part of the operating system, or at least, everything you wish to save, such as bookmarks/favorites, install programs which you don't have other copies of, data which is contained in program folders, etc. Then, (2) Do a "clean install" of XP. That will "clean off" your disk drive, at least in a partition if you don't want to do the whole drive, then, it will install WinXP.

If you have a hard disk which has enough free space to hold everything from BOTH operating systems, you may also be able to put WinXP in another partition and keep your existing Win2000 installation. Then you will have a "dual boot" system, where you can choose which OS to boot up when you first turn on the computer. But, one thing to remember: EACH PARTITION MUST HAVE ITS OWN COPY OF EVERY PROGRAM, ALL DATA, ETC., WHICH YOU INTEND TO USE IN THE OS INSTALLED IN THAT PARTITION OR FOLDER. My experience has been that just having multiple copies of programs, data, etc. on the system can cause problems with some software. For example, some software tries to be as easy to use as possible, so, if you enter a folder where a file or program is supposed to be, but it is not there, the software will go looking for it. It may find the "other" copy which is on the other OS and use that. Perhaps the next time, you will change something in how you call up that software, and it will find and use the "other" file(s) on the OS you are not using. You can see, just by noticing how confusing this explanation is, how confusing and possible risky it is to have multiple OS's on the same system, BUT, it is possible and, if you are very careful and make certain you are addressing the correct files and so forth when you are on one OS so you don't use the other copies of files, you may do fine with it.

In my case, I ultimately backed up everything using some software I found on the internet which used ZIP files for the backup; that way, if one file became corrupted, I would lose only that one file and not thousands of others embedded in one giant compressed file that you cannot break into if you are not the guru of all guru's and know everything there is to know about all of this.

My suggestion, which is probably what you well hear from many others: back up your files and everything of value (I just back up the whole mess so I can do whatever I want later on !, and after you have a complete backup, format the drive (a 'quick' format will do), so all the original stuff is GONE, then, install XP, and finally, put the backed up stuff back on your computer. You will have to re-install your programs, data, etc., so this is also a good time to 'clean up' all of that and also to eliminate files, data, etc., which you no longer want on the system. (no, Windoze does NOT fall into that category!
If you are gonna run commercially available sofware, or stuff from the internet, etc., you gotta use windoze. I long for something else but alas, linux is not compatible with my most important software and I don't know of much else other than the Mac, which also will not run the software. I know the new Macs will run Windoze, but, that is not the point. They will have the same problems as windoze will, because all they do is provide hardware which will run windoze, not a new OS which run windoze apps. Darn darn darn! !!!!!

You can tell from the length and tone of this "explanation" that this is not a simple process, unless you follow the above suggestion, which is so much simpler than the rest that is explained, which mirrors the relationships of these methods in 'real life'.

good luck

Larry

note: this is my first message herek, using this editor, etc.; I apologize if there are errors in formatting, etc. I have very poor eyesight (especially at 2 a.m.) and can't go back over it too much. I just try to get it right the first time!

 

Thanks for the responses, especially to Kosimov. I think I have a pretty good idea what to do now.