OS help, please!

2002-06-13 09:00:59

Discovered my system restoration disk 1 is defective or scratched- can't see a scratch. Have the Windows ME (embarassment- didn't know better at the time) OS. Now, Gateway (may they rot in ...)- tell me not responsible for replacing it- kind of hard to reformat without it. So- alternatives? If can't get a copy- better to go to last Windows 98(Se?) or 2000 or XP? I've been told, 98 won't be offered after June 30th, so need to decide kind of soon. Would be a complete install, not an upgrade. Anyway, value any ideas from everyone here. Thanks once again- cadabra3
Oh- have PentiumIII/1000MHz/512 SDRAM memory/master/slaved drives total 140GB. Hope that's useful- thanks again.

OS help, please!

Reply #1 – 2002-06-13 12:18:31

Win XP, definitely. Win 2000 is also reliable and stable, but misses some useful/necessary drivers and functions (some of which you can add or improve with service packs and other updates... Ultra-DMA 66/100 support, game compatibility...).

So, for a fresh installation, coming from the 9x line, i'd recommend XP without a doubt. 9x and ME are out of the question for this.

OS help, please!

Reply #2 – 2002-06-18 08:49:30

Thanks CiTay. Just not sure I want to get into Windows XP- keep reading so many horror stories on other sites ('XP ate my cd-rw drive')- okay, maybe a slight exaggeration, but you get my drift. Could be, I'm just hesitant to move on from something I've gotten used too. Thanks for the advice- no doubt the correct viewpoint! -a wavering cadabra3

OS help, please!

Reply #3 – 2002-06-18 12:39:44

I recently moved from Windows Millenium Edition to Windows 2000 Pro and I'm very very very very very happy.

--
GCP

OS help, please!

Reply #4 – 2002-06-19 09:28:04

Thanks Garf- I keep reading more and more about problems people are having with XP. I'd just really like something that doesn't lock up all the time, and offers more stability. That's why I was leaning towards 2000 to begin with. I guess a lot depends on software you want to use/ chipset, etc. I've gotten so many different opinions recently, still... I am impressed by how very, very...happy you are with 2000! Thanks, I'll ponder some more- cadabra3 :eyebrow:

OS help, please!

Reply #5 – 2002-06-19 11:25:31

IMO, it's not worth installing 2k now, if you're coming from 9x. I don't even believe that 2k has much of an advantage over XP, concerning stability. Both versions are extremely stable, compared to 9x. It's just that you have to update lots of stuff in 2k, to get it to the level of XP (what i mentioned before).

And if it's the different interface that's holding you back from trying XP, remember, you can configure it to look exactly like 9x/2k with a few mouseclicks.

OS help, please!

Reply #6 – 2002-06-20 04:21:42

Either Windows 2000 or XP will do... Both are way better than Windows 9x/Me...  If you're into Direct3D gaming you might notice a small performance loss, but it's worth it... Trust me...

OS help, please!

Reply #7 – 2002-06-20 08:35:26

Thanks everyone for the input. Looks like it would be hard to go wrong either way. Just read that first major service update (I know that's not the word I'm searching for) for XP, will be coming out soon- will include any court mandated changes to OS. Thanks again- cadabra3