Upgrading to 2k from 98SE WITHOUT Formatting etc

Hey, heres my problem. Basically I have three computers I need to upgrade. I however am a doctor and so have lots of information and data on patients and software installed. Is it possible to simply install Win2k on the computer with out touching 98 or any of the files/software apps installed?

Hey let me just add a few things to clear it up. I only have One hard drive. Now my friend has a second hard drive he is willing to lend me that he'll hook up and transfer all my data to and then says to install 2000 over the 98 and just transfer the data back. I think someone else already mentioned this. Is it safe to do you think?

 

Yes!

When win2k install begins it will see this and ask you if you want to upgade say no! You should chose to dual boot (or it may say add or install new OS) and keep the win98! I've saw it a 100 times but I don't remember the exact sysntax! If you put win2k on the same drive as win98! Abosolutley do not chose to install NTFS! Keep the fat32.

If so you will be prompted on boot to chose the OS Win98 or 2k!

I personally reccomend doing this to a whole different dirve if possible!

Absolutely have a backup before you do anything!!!!!!!!!!

Doc, I would advise a professional here!!!!!!

mike

 

Heres what I would do since it has been my experience that the 98 to Win2k upgrade goes south more than it works.

Go buy another hard drive and remove the drive with the valuable data. Get win2k up and running without the critical hard drive installed.
Then put the critical drive in as a slave and copy the data over to the new drive. You can then either leave that drive in the machine for redundency or take it to the next machine and do the same thing.

 

Hi SSmith

We crossed in the mail!

I don't mean to correct, so no offence!

But he wants to be able to run both until he is comfortable with 2k and is sure it is compatable with all his programs and can easily get back to win98 in an emergency to get things done !

Switch HD would not allow that. Yes he could xfer data etc. But he would also have to immediately reinstall all his application software that accesses his data! But they better be compatble!

Now he could do this if he wanted to entirely switch the HD to get back to win98!

Additionally a can of worms because the old HD is a primary partition and he would have to rejump it etc! He just does not sound that experienced in systems or he would not even have to ask this question! No offence Doc!

Again I reccomend a Pro here Doc!

Mike

 

I agree and disagree
If he has a problem he can throw the old HD in as a master and be right back where he was.
If he does a clean install without the origional HD present, booting won't be an issue because the Win2K boot.ini file will only know about one OS.

 

Belt & suspenders answer akhan -

1. Get a complete image made of your existing drives. Ghost or similar. Then, worst case you can wipe a drive and restore the Ghost and be just exactly where you were before you started any of this.

2. Get a 2nd Hard Drive for each PC. They aren't expensive these days and compared to the problems of losing data (or losing time since you should be able to get 3 large drives for about 15 minutes of your income or some such) they are well worth the effort.

3. For clarification:
a. If you upgrade 98 to 2K, you will (if all goes well and it should) have the new OS operating your existing programs just fine and all the data they are accustomed to. However, if it goes poorly (which can happen) you have a nice, rectangular paper weight.
b. If you install 2K someplace else (different drive or partition) you won't be touching the existing 98 install but you also won't have any of your current programs ready to run with 2K. They will all need to be installed afterwards.

4. If your stuff is essential to your business and you want to avoid down time, pay a pro to do the work. Just tell him clearly what you want.

In my opinion, mixing "friend ", "lend ", "how do I ", and "lots of patient data" makes for a very nervous-making combination.

 

Hey Doc

Did you edit your original message and add the last paragraph?

I don't remember that and I have photograpic memory! Of course I'm out of film!

If you did edit in a full paragraph it would better to enter a new message/answer, helps with the flow!

I now go with Newt's suggestion to do an upgrade this way you will not have to reinstall your applications! In your original message you asked how to install them seperately and that is what I answered!


Mike

 

hey thanks alot all for your replies, your answers have helped alot.

 

Thanks for letting us know!

Good luck,

Mike

 

akhan

My thought and opinions on the subject.

MY first QUESTION would be.

Hey Doc ! WHY do you need to Upgrade.

And couple that with a recommendation that you look ( carefully ) before you leap.

Does the Existing System Show signs of having a heart attack. ( OS going bad )

Is its blood pressure getting too high from stress and over work ?

And, IF the machine is loaded to the point of running out of room a new OS IS NOT going to help. That is another thought. Is there room enough on the existing machine(s) for a second OS ? This would be a deffinte to check first item. I think ( but do not know ) that 2K uses considerably more disk space than 98SE.

Win98 SE and 2K are two quite different OS.

One thing that I have not seen mentioned is the fact that all new ( or most ) drivers may need to be obtained.

Depending on the age of both Hardware and Software both may need to be upgraded.

And if the Software does need to be upgraded, will the existing files be usable with it ?

These would be another thing to check on.

My ( non-professional ) recommendation would be NOT to mess with the existing AT ALL My own Medical Doc had his office machines upgraded ( by a professional ) and thank God that all records were backed up off site.

Even though all of the previous suggestions are good ones, and will work, ( if all goes well ) there is absolutely NO WAY one can tell what the results of putting two ( entirely different ) OS on the same machine will be.

Dual Booting that was referred to does work. But if anything goes wrong it can KILL both OS. As a home user I might suggest having a go at it. But for Professional use such as yourself NO WAY would I recommend it.

I have done it and had good results.

I have done it and had to use the most powerful PC medication there is available. Its name is Format.

BillyBob