System upgrades

[HayZee518]

system upgrades

Nowadays the main processor can compile data faster and with less heat.
At one time a 486 and a 386 processor would run an XP program.
Try the 486 and 386 on a Vista program and will not run!
My Dell optiplex 330 has a dual pentium processor and runs Vista without a problem.
A spare Compaq [Hewlett-Packard] just squeaks by with Vista running on it but it is very slow.
You may be able to upgrade to a higher operating system but you can't back engineer to an older system.
Windows 3.1 will work on a 386 and 486. The next step below that is an ANSI system using DOS 6.2.
3.1 and DOS doesn't partition the hard drive. XP does and everything upscale of it.
Not sure if it will work, but if your existing system has the fdisk or format command, you may be able to reformat your hard drive so that a bootup with a clean cd with the newer operating system will install itself with autorun.
A "blue-screen" or "black screen" may pop up giving you the option to retain an existing partition or reformat with a new partition.
That's all established in the BIOS chip. BIOS means Basic In Out System.

[pinecone]

Our DD had some issues a while back and the tech forum seemed to help. Sorry, I don't know much to help you. How timely. One article says "goodbye to WinXP" 2014. Still using Win98 here. Fingers crossed I can upgrade soon.pineyoops, can't post links yet. techsupportforum dot com

[Speedbump]

Windows 2000 is older than XP. It can't be installed if XP is on the computer. You can only go forward with newer operating systems. Besides 2000 probably won't recognize most of your hardware. If you want to jump ahead, I would go with Win 7.

[ba_50]

upgrades

HayZee,I thought that by upgrading to 2000 it would be supported so that won't work. Wish they had better directions for re-installing xp.

[HayZee518]

op upgrade

it may be difficult because microsoft isn't supporting anything except the newest operating systems.
even the windows vista business, like I have, isn't supported any more and hasn't been since two years ago.
next thing your processor may be too slow for an upgraded op system.
I managed to install windows vista on a compaq computer, but is it slow!

[ba_50]

Thinking about upgrading my XP to 2000. It has enough memory. By copying over will it make a new system out of it (no viruses etc)? Since XP updates won't be available it might mbe a good idea. How difficult is it? Dell helped me re-install XP a few times and I thought i t was difficult. Thanks.