Since I've never upgraded, I don't have first hand knowledge about it, but from what others have posted on this and the Dream Machine thread, upgrades first check to see if the old version is found, and if it isn't, asks for a peek at the old version's CD. A long time ago, someone posted exactly what the upgrade was looking to find, and how to create it, saving some disk swapping.
The debate is endless between those who feel it's better to upgrade an existing system and those who feel the best thing to do is wipe the disk clean of all the old stuff and install the new software from scratch. Frankly, I fall into the wipe clean and start fresh camp, even if it's much more work. However, don't wipe clean unless you have all the resources needed to re-generate your system. Many have posted troubles caused by not having the drivers and utilities supplied by their system's manufacturer. Don't fall into this pit: It's deep and unfriendly.
However, I'd still strongly recommend having a backup of the system before messing with upgrades. At least you'll be able to return to a functional system if things go really wrong. Another good idea is to create a dual system. This will give you a chance to experiment and learn, while still being able to return to firm ground. When a comfort level is reached with the new system, the old can be discarded. I believe Mark is travelling this path at the moment with Win2000 and is sharing his experiences and observations on this thread.
Again, I'd like to plug PowerQuest products. Partition Magic and Disk Image can save a vast amount of time when doing this work, but the frustration you're spared makes these packages even more compelling. They only need to be used once to more than offset their initial cost. (I have no connection with PowerQuest beyond being a very happy purchaser.)
I hope the installation gets off the ground without additional difficulty. I've experienced the process and I don't enjoy it at all. Sometimes the prompts, answers, choices, displays, and selections become overwhelming. I hope I've made the task easier -- or at least possible.
Cheers, PW.
P.S. Be sure to prevent Florida chad from entering your system. |
