Question: I've heard a lot of good things about Windows XP. I use Windows 98. Should I upgrade? What is involved?

I'm not surprised you've heard a lot about Windows XP since almost all of the new PCs which have been sold for the home user for more than two years now have routinely included XP as their operating system. XP is manufactured by Microsoft and its core code has been under development and in use as Windows NT for approximately ten years and is therefore well developed.

Microsoft have carefully made sure that, on the surface, it continues to look like the old operating systems you are already familiar with in order to make it more palatable to the majority of users. XP is in every way better than its predecessors; Windows 3.1, Windows 98, Windows 98SE and Windows ME. If your computer already contains one of these, the upgrade edition of Windows XP will yield a huge improvement in the use of your machine particularly in the area of stability.

Although it is possible to piggy-back the upgrade edition of XP on top of your existing Microsoft operating system, in practice is it much better to carry out a ‘clean install' after which you can add back in your data files, e-mails and e-mail addresses. A clean install means starting off with a brand-new or empty reformatted hard drive and building the system up from there. You'll also need to have on hand the software for the programs, other than the operating system, which you normally use in your computer, such as MS Word. XP includes the latest version of Internet Explorer and Outlook Express.

If you feel up to it, I recommend that you carry out the clean install since it gives you all new code thus getting rid of any remaining detritus from previous program installations and removals and also gets rid of outdated programs and spyware which may be mixed in with your current installation.

Clearly, although the clean install route is better it is also more complicated, since it involves reformatting the hard drive using the Windows XP CD. Formatting the hard drive is actually pretty straightforward to do but it can be a bit scary if you're not familiar with the procedure and remember, there's no possibility of changing your mind or recovering the data once you are committed to it.

The upgrade involves buying a copy of Windows XP and running the compatibility wizard as a first step, then downloading any drivers that are indicated as desirable and carefully following the onscreen upgrade instructions. In the unlikely event that you choose to revert to the previous operating system, XP archives your old operating system so you can roll back the clock if you want to.

Either way the job often takes several hours but is quite straightforward and at all times you are guided through the process by on-screen prompts. The whole exercise is certainly worth doing and yields many improvements.

Check first to see if your computer has or can handle at least 128mb of RAM as XP won't run on less. In practice I don't recommend using less than 256MB of RAM.

As soon as you have your first new stable XP desktop, install your antivirus software, re-create your Internet connection using the wizard available under Communications and go online to the Windows Updates site. Let Microsoft automatically examine the state of your installation and recommend the XP and driver updates which apply to your machine, download and install them. Don't be surprised if in total there are more than 70 applicable updates in three categories. Microsoft is constantly making changes and evolutionary improvements as well as closing security weaknesses as they become known.

The process of downloading these updates can be a slow one if you are using a dial-up connection, with DSL it's not too bad and it is completely necessary to do it.

One final important point is that, unlike the operating systems it replaces, XP must be ‘activated ‘one time on the web or over the telephone directly with Microsoft. Failure to carry out this simple step will result in the system closing down in 30 days.

Question: I read everywhere that I should use anti-virus software on my computer. I think there used to be some on it when I first got it. Would it still be valid? What should I do? How can I keep my virus checker up to date?

Every computer that connects to the Internet must have up to date anti-virus checking software. The two main companies that supply this are Norton and McAfee. If your computer was manufactured by a reputable computer then it will come with anti-virus software already included. However, often these factory installations are only good for three months. If your computer is more than a year old, unless the software has been set to automatically update itself while online, it is certainly out of date and may now be vulnerable to new viruses lurking on the internet. The best and most economical action to take is to buy a new anti-virus package, install and configure it and thereafter routinely acquire all the new updates online. Usually for the price of the software you will get a free year of automatic updates. I prefer Norton products because of their understandable menus. Right now you can get a copy of Norton AntiVirus 2004 for about $57 in town. For myself and my customers who don't mind the extra cost, I use Norton System Works 2004 which sells for about $85. NSW includes the full antivirus software as well as many invaluable easy-to-use tools. NSW has a disk optimiser and a particularly excellent Registry Checker and repair tool which can be very useful.

Any good antivirus software will check your e-mails going in and out to make sure you aren't unwittingly sending out any viruses. Practice safe computing.

James W. Lapsley of ComputerWorks, specialises in PC repairs, upgrades and advice for the home and small office user. ComputerWorks welcomes your questions and comments.

Send your PC questions by e-mail to: computerworks@logic.bm or by phone to 293-0992.

Copyright 2004 James W. Lapsley