Upgrading ME...

HI all,
I am responsible for at least 4 computers on a daily basis. None of them are networked. (I think I would have a constant nightmare!) 2 of them are running Win 98 with no problems at all. my home system is running Win XP Home. But the problem system is running Win ME.
It is giving me a headache, it started a few months ago when my secretary at work began having problems with everyday tasks causing the blue screen of death. So being an HP factory unit I just did a backup and a complete system restore. Well it didn't help at all, so I thought I would do a windows update from the start menu. Ok that was a mistake!!!
In the meanwhile of all this I have a couple of friends on staff at two local businnesses both in IT in their respective companies and both told me the same thing...Don't upgrade to XP go to Windows 2000 professional.
So I go to my friendly local Staples store and picked-up a box with Win2K pro in it, The warnings on the box indicate that it is for upgrading Win95, Win98, NT3.x and NT4.x ONLY!!!!!

My question is will it install on my WIN ME or should I just return the box (before I open it!!!) to my local Staples superstore for another OS????
The software burden on that particular machine is just Quickbooks Pro. and Office XP Pro. (mainly Excel and Outlook)
It has just under 200MB Ram and is running a celeron processor.

Thank you in advance,
Michael

 

The warnings on the box indicate that it is for upgrading Win95, Win98, NT3.x and NT4.x ONLY!!!!!

That may only apply if 2K Pro is installed on top of ME. And with ME ( or any OS ) giving that many problems I would not recommed upgrading over existing with anything.

Been there. Done that. And was not one of my better ideas believe me.

It could possibley go in with a clean install just using a 98 CD as proof of ownership of a previous version.

And with my own short experience with ME, I would not put anything over top of it even if it were capable of it.

Again from short experirnce XP is even better than ME.

BillyBob

 

One of these friends of mine had at one time told me that even though I would purchase the upgrade version it should erase the harddrive and rewrite the new OS??? Why then does Microsoft offer two different packages, with different prices???
I think I am getting confused.
Michael

 

I have never heard of an upgrade version of an OS formatting the hard drive and then installing windows when doing an upgrade over an existing installation of windows. Changing the file system from FAT32 to NTFS is a different story.
I think M$ gives folks a break for owning a previous version of windows when buying a newer version. Both the full and upgrade will do an full install. You need a copy of the previous version when installing on a formatted drive.
Here is a question. If owning a OEM 95 CD and an 98SE upgrade CD, and I bought a XP upgrade. Would the 98SE upgrade qualify as a previous version to the XP upgrade?