Guest N. Miller Posted July 6, 2008 Posted July 6, 2008 I finally obtained a copy of the upgrade version of Windows XP Home Edition. The problem was with an old HP Pavilion 6745C running Windows Me. The OS is not geared to running a service, such as a mail server, with a long uptime. For whatever reason, Mercury/32 would cause Windows Me system resources to drop to 10%, or so, which, usually, locked up the computer, requiring a reboot. Since Windows XP does not appear to be afflicted with this problem, an upgraded seemed to be in order. To begin, I flashed the BIOS with new code, downloaded from the HP site before they pulled software for older products out of the support life. The flash was successful, but there was a problem on boot, where Windows Me was looking for new hardware, and hanging. So I figured to try and just install Windows XP by booting from the install CD. The XP installer did a few things, but failed to find Windows Me on the HDD and request that I insert the ME install CD. Alas, all I got from HP was the OEM restore CD, and the Windows XP installer did not like that. There was nothing on the HDD that I needed to salvage (all that stuff had already been moved to a new HP Pavilion a1440n a couple of year ago), so I just ran the restore CD and reset the HP Pavilion 6745C to factory condition. The Windows XP installer CD found the Windows Me system then, but choked on McAfee (normally I blow them off right away, but I was going straight to the Windows XP setup, so didn't worry about them). I stopped the install, blew of McAfee, and started over. With the original Windows Me setup in place, the Windows XP installer worked properly, and I reached the point where I had to choose between "Upgrade" and "New install"; I chose the latter. The next choice was to either use FAT32, or NTFS. The Windows XP installer wanted to put the new OS on the second HDD, leaving the Windows Me setup on the first HDD untouched. I didn't want that, so I read the onscreen instructions carefully. I was able to change the target of the install to the C: drive, which resulted in a warning that I would lose the Windows Me system. That was not a problem; didn't need to keep it around on this computer, so I approve the overwriting of Windows Me with Windows XP on an NTFS partition. Finally, the install finished, and I had a spanking new install of Windows XP Home Edition, SP2. I had already downloaded the Windows XP SP3 file. MSFT wants end users to visit the Windows Update site for this; but I have three Windows XP systems (counting the newly upgraded Pavilion), and all are at SP2 on the factory install. Not knowing if, or when I might need to restore them from scratch, downloading SP3 as an executable seemed advisable. So I just ran the SP3 executable on the new install before proceeding further. The final touch was to visit the Windows Update site repeatedly, until all patches post SP3 were in place. One application I wanted to install required adding the .Net Framework 2.0, which is not offered standard from Windows Update; so I also checked the site using the Custom button. Installed appropriate software (including Mercury/32 4.61, to replace the Mercury/32 4.51 install on the old Windows Me system), and things are running smoothly. Now why Home Edition, instead of Pro? I don't have a Windows Domain, and I have remote software to run this computer as a console to a remote system, if necessary. And I have my own web, FTP, and mail service software. So I did not need any of the extras that come with Pro, but are missing from Home Edition. Plus, Home Edition is about $100 cheaper for the upgrade. -- Norman ~Shine, bright morning light, ~now in the air the spring is coming. ~Sweet, blowing wind, ~singing down the hills and valleys.
Guest Malke Posted July 6, 2008 Posted July 6, 2008 Re: Uprading Me to XP N. Miller wrote: > I finally obtained a copy of the upgrade version of Windows XP Home > Edition. The problem was with an old HP Pavilion 6745C running Windows Me. > The OS is not geared to running a service, such as a mail server, with a > long uptime. For whatever reason, Mercury/32 would cause Windows Me system > resources to drop to 10%, or so, which, usually, locked up the computer, > requiring a reboot. Since Windows XP does not appear to be afflicted with > this problem, an upgraded seemed to be in order. (snippage) TL; DR What is your question? Malke -- MS-MVP Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic! FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ
Guest Bill in Co. Posted July 7, 2008 Posted July 7, 2008 Re: Uprading Me to XP Is this a story for the local newspaper, or what? I don't see any questions in here. N. Miller wrote: > I finally obtained a copy of the upgrade version of Windows XP Home > Edition. > The problem was with an old HP Pavilion 6745C running Windows Me. The OS > is > not geared to running a service, such as a mail server, with a long > uptime. > For whatever reason, Mercury/32 would cause Windows Me system resources to > drop to 10%, or so, which, usually, locked up the computer, requiring a > reboot. Since Windows XP does not appear to be afflicted with this > problem, > an upgraded seemed to be in order. > > To begin, I flashed the BIOS with new code, downloaded from the HP site > before they pulled software for older products out of the support life. > The > flash was successful, but there was a problem on boot, where Windows Me > was > looking for new hardware, and hanging. So I figured to try and just > install > Windows XP by booting from the install CD. The XP installer did a few > things, but failed to find Windows Me on the HDD and request that I insert > the ME install CD. Alas, all I got from HP was the OEM restore CD, and the > Windows XP installer did not like that. > > There was nothing on the HDD that I needed to salvage (all that stuff had > already been moved to a new HP Pavilion a1440n a couple of year ago), so I > just ran the restore CD and reset the HP Pavilion 6745C to factory > condition. The Windows XP installer CD found the Windows Me system then, > but > choked on McAfee (normally I blow them off right away, but I was going > straight to the Windows XP setup, so didn't worry about them). I stopped > the > install, blew of McAfee, and started over. > > With the original Windows Me setup in place, the Windows XP installer > worked > properly, and I reached the point where I had to choose between "Upgrade" > and "New install"; I chose the latter. The next choice was to either use > FAT32, or NTFS. The Windows XP installer wanted to put the new OS on the > second HDD, leaving the Windows Me setup on the first HDD untouched. I > didn't want that, so I read the onscreen instructions carefully. I was > able > to change the target of the install to the C: drive, which resulted in a > warning that I would lose the Windows Me system. That was not a problem; > didn't need to keep it around on this computer, so I approve the > overwriting > of Windows Me with Windows XP on an NTFS partition. > > Finally, the install finished, and I had a spanking new install of Windows > XP Home Edition, SP2. I had already downloaded the Windows XP SP3 file. > MSFT > wants end users to visit the Windows Update site for this; but I have > three > Windows XP systems (counting the newly upgraded Pavilion), and all are at > SP2 on the factory install. Not knowing if, or when I might need to > restore > them from scratch, downloading SP3 as an executable seemed advisable. So I > just ran the SP3 executable on the new install before proceeding further. > The final touch was to visit the Windows Update site repeatedly, until all > patches post SP3 were in place. One application I wanted to install > required > adding the .Net Framework 2.0, which is not offered standard from Windows > Update; so I also checked the site using the Custom button. > > Installed appropriate software (including Mercury/32 4.61, to replace the > Mercury/32 4.51 install on the old Windows Me system), and things are > running smoothly. > > Now why Home Edition, instead of Pro? I don't have a Windows Domain, and I > have remote software to run this computer as a console to a remote system, > if necessary. And I have my own web, FTP, and mail service software. So I > did not need any of the extras that come with Pro, but are missing from > Home > Edition. Plus, Home Edition is about $100 cheaper for the upgrade. > > -- > Norman > ~Shine, bright morning light, > ~now in the air the spring is coming. > ~Sweet, blowing wind, > ~singing down the hills and valleys.
Guest N. Miller Posted July 7, 2008 Posted July 7, 2008 Re: Uprading Me to XP On Sun, 6 Jul 2008 23:03:51 -0600, Bill in Co. wrote: > Is this a story for the local newspaper, or what? I don't see any > questions in here. I apologize for my stupidity, in thinking that one could post a positive, non-problem in these groups. I'll never pester you folks again. -- Norman ~Shine, bright morning light, ~now in the air the spring is coming. ~Sweet, blowing wind, ~singing down the hills and valleys.
Guest Anteaus Posted July 7, 2008 Posted July 7, 2008 Re: Uprading Me to XP Your problem with XP being on the wrong partition happened because you omitted to make the desired partition the active one prior to install, BTW. You do this with DOS / Fdisk. -------------------------- "This is a wonderful computer. It''s 20yrs old and absolutely reliable. And, in all that time it''s only had four mobos, six processors, two cases, seven OS''s ...." "N. Miller" wrote: > On Sun, 6 Jul 2008 23:03:51 -0600, Bill in Co. wrote: > > > Is this a story for the local newspaper, or what? I don't see any > > questions in here. > > I apologize for my stupidity, in thinking that one could post a positive, > non-problem in these groups. I'll never pester you folks again. > > -- > Norman > ~Shine, bright morning light, > ~now in the air the spring is coming. > ~Sweet, blowing wind, > ~singing down the hills and valleys. >
Guest Malke Posted July 7, 2008 Posted July 7, 2008 Re: Uprading Me to XP N. Miller wrote: > On Sun, 6 Jul 2008 23:03:51 -0600, Bill in Co. wrote: > >> Is this a story for the local newspaper, or what? I don't see any >> questions in here. > > I apologize for my stupidity, in thinking that one could post a positive, > non-problem in these groups. I'll never pester you folks again. > You don't need to be sarcastic and you certainly can post here again if you need help with a technical issue. You misunderstood the purpose of technical support newsgroups is all. This isn't a forum or chat room; it's Usenet. These links will help: http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/page2.html#Usenet http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375 - How to Ask a Question Malke -- MS-MVP Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic! FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ
Guest Bruce Chambers Posted July 7, 2008 Posted July 7, 2008 Re: Uprading Me to XP N. Miller wrote: > Long-winded anecdote snipped... Was there a question in there, somewhere? -- Bruce Chambers Help us help you: http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx/kb/555375 They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety. ~Benjamin Franklin Many people would rather die than think; in fact, most do. ~Bertrand Russell The philosopher has never killed any priests, whereas the priest has killed a great many philosophers. ~ Denis Diderot
Guest N. Miller Posted July 8, 2008 Posted July 8, 2008 Re: Uprading Me to XP On Mon, 7 Jul 2008 00:44:03 -0700, Anteaus wrote: > Your problem with XP being on the wrong partition happened because you > omitted to make the desired partition the active one prior to install, BTW. > You do this with DOS / Fdisk. No. The issue is that the Windows XP install wanted to create an NTFS partition on the second drive in order to preserve the Windows Me partition on the first drive. The setup utility run for the Windows XP install defaulted to setting up the NTFS partition on Drive 1, but allowed me to change to Drive 0; as long as I was willing to accept the overwrite of the FAT32 partition during the install. -- Norman ~Shine, bright morning light, ~now in the air the spring is coming. ~Sweet, blowing wind, ~singing down the hills and valleys.
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