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computergeekett
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March 12th, 2004 19:00
upgrade vs clean install
I bought my dell dimension 8200 back in 2001 and as soon as I received it win xp pretty much came out and dell started to send out upgrade disks at peoples requests. Okay well I still have win ME on this thing and I am not considering putting win xp or win xp pro on this thing. I have heard that doing an *UPGRADE* was really not the best thing that a clean install is what is best.
Okay I have never formated a drive before, but that is where I figure I am headed my question is this.
Can I do a clean install with the upgrade disk that Dell sent me, Or am I going to have to go out and buy a copy that you can do a fresh install with since the HD is going to be formated....... now when they sent me this disk it has the COA and numbers on it, now I don't know if that makes any difference in what I do? I was told that the upgrade disk would not be bootable from the CD drive...... well I know i can change that in the bios just prior to doing the install etc and then format then and continue on........ It's bad enough I am not thrilled with doing this, but if I am going on a new adventure with something I have never done, I sure want to do it the correct way....... I have no problem getting the new drivers etc that I would need, I can burn them and make that cd an xp upgrade driver disk myself although with the upgrade they (dell) did send the disks with utilities etc with the new drivers, but I am sure and know there are many more recent ones than what was two years ago.
I will also be leary about the bios...... I never touched that either, I have read here that some say leave the bios alone unless I have problems and then change it, or change it while doing the upgrade.... and then I have to find that bios and which one in the downloads around here..... I have been having a time lately with finding things on here, I noticed the upgrade stuff won't show me memory anymore...... says can't find anything and this is with putting my tag number in and everything.
Anyway if someone here can help me out I sure would appreciate it.......
I am sure I will have many more questions as well.... I am just preparing, not in big hurry to do this, ha ha.
Karen
Win Me, 512 mb ram, 1.7 GB Pent 4 40 gig HD ultra ada, nvidea geforce2 mmx4 with tv out, still using a modem, cough cough.
I am also considering win xp PRO and if that is the case, I will be out buying a new program anyway.
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Posted March 12th, 2004 20:00
Thank you. Someone on the other board mentioned about the bios. Truthfully I don't even know what I have now but I did go and get the A09 as someone had suggested and it now resides on a floppy diskette just in case. You are probably correct that I wouldn't need xp pro, I just doodle on aol and do art work and waste the day away, LOL.....
I spend many days here when I got this puter almost 3 years ago and you have helped me many times. I was just under a different screen name then. I sure have a hard time finding the files I need, it doesn't seem to bring things up like it used to do...... Anyway thanks for the link for a fresh install, I did find some stuff here yesterday as well that I bookmarked that went through step by step on how to install fresh that I will have to print out.... I will check out your link as well. I am assuming that I could use the discs that dell sent me for the updated drivers still if need be? although I would like to go and see if I can find things that are a little more recent. Already got the one needed for my video card, in fact I just upgraded the drivers on the card for this ME yesterday, I was starting to have lots of problems and so far so good.
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Posted March 12th, 2004 21:00
@computergeekette wrote:
Okay now I am running into something I am not sure I understand. I am at that link you sent me.
1) I have sound blaster live......... there are two other listings there... so does this mean I don't need the upgrade or which do I choose.
I don't know which of the two cards (Live! 5.1 Digital or Live 512V) you have. You will need one or the other of these.
2) same with my modem, it's not listed there either, athough close. this is what I have Conexant HSF V92 56K RTAD Speakerphone PCI Modem
I have the same modem on my XP system. The driver installed is from Conexant and its version is 3.5.18.8, dated 8/17/2001. Check your Device Manager, I suspect you already have that driver and it is on your upgrade resource CD.
3) heck even for my nvidea card there are newer upgrades than what are listed on dell...... someone else uses it has the same card I do and told me where to find that one.....
If you were pointed here that is where the latest NVidia driver for XP is. NVidia always has newer drivers than those available from Dell because Dell validates them on Dell systems before they post them and that takes some time. I have always updated from the NVidia site and have never had a problem.
roxio cd creator,kthey sent me the disk for that. I can see why I am not all that crazy about doing this........
You will find that the inconvenience is worth the effort. XP is a far superior operating system.
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Posted March 12th, 2004 21:00
Okay now I am running into something I am not sure I understand. I am at that link you sent me.
1) I have sound blaster live......... there are two other listings there... so does this mean I don't need the upgrade or which do I choose.
2) same with my modem, it's not listed there either, athough close. this is what I have Conexant HSF V92 56K RTAD Speakerphone PCI Modem
3) heck even for my nvidea card there are newer upgrades than what are listed on dell...... someone else uses it has the same card I do and told me where to find that one.....
roxio cd creator,kthey sent me the disk for that. I can see why I am not all that crazy about doing this........
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Posted March 12th, 2004 21:00
Kewl, thanks Denny.216
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Posted March 12th, 2004 21:00
Windows XP will automatically install serviceable drivers for that Conexant modem and the Sound Blaster card. You may have to contact Creative for the SB applications, but XP will have drivers for the card. The Windows XP video drivers from NVidia's site will work fine for that system/card.216
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Posted March 12th, 2004 22:00
computergeekette wrote:
Okay now I am running into something I am not sure I understand. I am at that link you sent me.
1) I have sound blaster live......... there are two other listings there... so does this mean I don't need the upgrade or which do I choose.
I don't know which of the two cards (Live! 5.1 Digital or Live 512V) you have. You will need one or the other of these.
well maybe I will use their disc they sent me for this as well............ I am lookiing and mine just says sound blaster live value on the original disc that came with me.... Geek says in green LOL so maybe the live 5.1 digital would be it,
2) same with my modem, it's not listed there either, athough close. this is what I have Conexant HSF V92 56K RTAD Speakerphone PCI Modem
I have the same modem on my XP system. The driver installed is from Conexant and its version is 3.5.18.8, dated 8/17/2001. Check your Device Manager, I suspect you already have that driver and it is on your upgrade resource CD.
Mine says date 7/25-01 file version 4.903000 I have never done anything to this but this is what it says in device manager ???
3) heck even for my nvidea card there are newer upgrades than what are listed on dell...... someone else uses it has the same card I do and told me where to find that one.....
If you were pointed here that is where the latest NVidia driver for XP is. NVidia always has newer drivers than those available from Dell because Dell validates them on Dell systems before they post them and that takes some time. I have always updated from the NVidia site and have never had a problem.
Oh way ahead, they ae up to 53.0 on the driver
roxio cd creator,kthey sent me the disk for that. I can see why I am not all that crazy about doing this........
You will find that the inconvenience is worth the effort. XP is a far superior operating system.Well if something goes really bad when I do do this, I have my old puter so that I can at least get online and find some help. but someone said xp has some of the drivers already when I do install. but wow, those are almost three years old, ha so I guess I am going to see what happens here.
Appreciate all the help from everyone.
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Posted March 12th, 2004 22:00
Thank you Flooby..... I even ran the system profiler and it doesn't seem to be seeing what i bought, ha ha, I don't remember having 4 sticks of 128 ram in this thing, I know they gave me a free upgrade to 256, I ordered a 256 stick and put that in myself after removing that dummy stick that was in there. it tells me my slots are full that I have none. well I think I have two empty ones inside here..... Darn if I have to go look although right now I am not going to put more in but I am thinking about that too.
Doesn't list my drives, just says removeable media not present........ I am not even going to there....Like I said, this is going to be an experience............. rolling eyes............ and praying.
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Posted March 12th, 2004 23:00
You bought your computer around the time I did. At that time they were installing Soundblaster Live! Value. If you look here http://us.creative.com/support/downloads/ it's about 3 or 4 below the "digital dell."
Denny Denham
2 Intern
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18798 Posts
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Posted March 12th, 2004 20:00
Most of your questions are answered here. Formatting is done as a part of the installation, you can do a clean install with an upgrade CD, and you may not have to upgrade the BIOS of an 8200 (although I don't have that system so I am not certain of this). If it is required, the Flash BIOS update is available through the Downloads tab above the forum. Before doing a clean install make sure you back up all your perishable data (e-mail folders, address books in e-mail programs, My Documents folders, your Desktop, Favorites, Web browser bookmarks, and any other data that has been created by specific applications).
Unless you need the special security features of XP Professional there is no compelling reason to get it.
Message Edited by Denny Denham on 03-12-2004 02:11 PM