View Full Version : WindowsXP and broadband
Anybody on BT broadband thinking of changing to WindowsXP, a couple of tips to make it easier for yourself.
1 Get the latest driver from Alcatel before starting. WindowsXP is NT based and uses a different driver to 98.
2 Uninstall Norton Systemworks 2001 before starting. It cannot be used in XP although 2002 can, however uninstalling clears your email addresses through norton any allows them to be used again.
Finally, with XP my mouse is b***erd, after I startup with a Code10 message. Uninstalling it and reinstalling clears the problem but it reappears next startup. Any ideas?
Overall view after 10hrs use; I like it.
spannersatcx
26th Oct 2001, 22:45
Any ideas? Never buy an operating system on release day! (sorry) :confused:
PPRuNe Pop
26th Oct 2001, 23:27
Well my 'guru' says that it is the business. But somehow I just cannot bring myself to invest in it yet. Spanners is probably right as usual.
I can get it from the US as a "gift" for £20 less than here. And trolling round the net tonight it seems that Amazon are selling the XP Home upgrade for £84.99 - but still only a fiver saved.
I think I might wait for the comments to arrive here.
So all you brave ones who have purchased XP in all it's forms - your opinions will be welcome.
What_does_this_button_do?
27th Oct 2001, 01:22
The cheapest I have found it for (and I haven't ordered it or called in about it) is from www.misco.co.uk (http://www.misco.co.uk) - providing you upgrade from Windows 98.
MICROSOFT WINDOWS 98 TO WINDOWS XP PROFESSIONAL UPGRADE 53191 £39.00
And there was I thinking that i got a bargain at UK£75.00 for the Upgrade home edition....
My initial impression is that it looks good, but I will get back to you when I finish downloading all the new drivers.
Mutt. :)
What_does_this_button_do?
27th Oct 2001, 10:06
Mutt: Where did you get your copy from then?
I have been using XP for about 2 months now. It is by far THE most stable, and well put together OS I've ever used. If you're using WIN 2000 I wouldn't run right out and grab it, but if you are on 98 I certainly would. It really works well.
Advice. Stay away from "upgrading" your current OS... load it from scratch for optimum stability and a reduction in headaches as you sort out driver issues. Upgrading an installed OS has always been... well, it kinda works..lol My last bit of advice, make sure you have enough RAM. I would say 256 at least. (ram's super cheap right now btw)
WDTBD
Sorry, I should have said, it was purchased in CompuMe, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Mutt :)
777AV8R
28th Oct 2001, 09:52
:D Mutt....How much did you pay?
http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/aircraft/FMSbeer.gif
upupnaway
28th Oct 2001, 11:07
On a different note i believe you have to contact Microsoft to activate XP and they only allow this on one computer. How can i get installed on both my home pc and laptop, will Microsoft let you do this ???? any one come across this yet.
What_does_this_button_do?
28th Oct 2001, 12:11
up: you will need to purchase two copies.
Welcome to the world of legal software. By virtue of your post you have illuded to the fact that you may or are currently illegally licensed.
What_does_this_button_do?
28th Oct 2001, 12:12
777 if you read up a bit you will see Mutt posted:
And there was I thinking that i got a bargain at UK£75.00 for the Upgrade home edition....
777AV8R,
Would you believe me if I told you that I actually purchased a LEGITIMATE copy of this program for 399 riyals??
This is actually ground breaking stuff for me, its the first legitimate operating system that I have EVER purchased!
WDTBD, 777AV8R is an ex resident of this part of the world, I guess that he knows that the going rate for ANY software CD is usually around a tenner!
Mutt :)
upupnaway
29th Oct 2001, 04:01
Buttons, No, My Toshiba laptop has the liscenced copy of 98 that came with it, my desktop uses a liscenced full copy 95. I would like to upgrade, but in this age of mobility why should i have to buy 2 copies.
Can't companies pay a surcharge to install on multiple machines???
sanjosebaz
29th Oct 2001, 07:03
upupnaway: Yes - we have a "site license" - installable from network servers, but I doubt such a thing is available for only 2 machines. Site licenses are extremely expensive, too. Convenience comes at a price!
[ 29 October 2001: Message edited by: sanjosebaz ]
What_does_this_button_do?
29th Oct 2001, 10:23
http://www.misco.co.uk/features/Microsoft/xp/images/upgrade/version_table.gif
You can't upgrade from 95 - you have to buy the full version!
Feret
29th Oct 2001, 12:18
For the info of those using Optus Cable in Oz, I emailed Optus asking when they would provide a software update to support XP. Their reply:
"Unfortunatley Optus@Home does not support XP, and at the moment there is no ETA on the time or date we will support XP."
Cheers.
upupnaway
IANAL, but in the past you have sometimes been able to legally install one copy of software on two machines, a desktop machine and a laptop, under the logic that you aren't going to be using both at the same time. More frequently however companies just turned a blind eye to what you did and left licence complience up to you.
MS have now woken up to the fact that they can make a lot more money by making users buy two copies to install on two machines. It's not really new - if you're a games player then you'll often have to buy two copies of a game in order to frag your mate across a LAN, because the game will not run unless the CD is in the drive. MS dont do this, but instead force you to register the copy with them in order for it to continue running after 30 days (I think) are up.
Once you register your copy, MS will send you an "unlock" code which is based on your existing hardware configuration. Up to 6 "minor changes" are every 120 days are OK, IIRC, although the meaning of "minor" is a bit unclear. The exact limits are defined on a server somewhere in MSland and can be changed at any time as they see fit.
Change your machine completely and you have to go through the process again. I'm not sure how they force the old machine to uninstall a registered copy.
[ 29 October 2001: Message edited by: Evo7 ]
Tartan Giant
29th Oct 2001, 23:21
Hi Guys,
I'm running Win Me (which I hate because of the instability) and would upgrade to the XP but I read from page 308 of "Computer Shopper" (issue 166, Dec 2001)
QUOTE
The upgrade prices require you to have a retail version of Win 98, SE, Me, NT, 2000.
A 'Restore CD' supplied with a PC do NOT qualify.
UNQUOTE
Reading some of the posts, it appears nobody has had a problem going from a pre-installed (Restore CD only) machine to XP - is that the experience ?
£180 is a bit of a sod, seeing as I bought in good faith Win Me pre-installed with only the 'Restore CD' available should it go tits-up (which it has more than once!).
Any advice more than welcome.
Cheers
TG
Tartan Giant
If you can wait a few days, I can tell you exactly what happens. I've got a new PC arriving with 98se pre-installed (long story), so I've gone out and picked up a copy of XP home. I'll see if it barfs when trying to install over a "restore-only" installation of 98, but I actually own a full copy of 98 anyway so it will install one way or the other.
What_does_this_button_do?
30th Oct 2001, 12:45
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/images/hllProUP.gif (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/advisor.asp)
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtob uy/upgrading/advisor.asp (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/pro/howtobuy/upgrading/advisor.asp)
From what I can see and have read from MS the license you bought when you purchased your machine does qualify for an upgrade.
[ 30 October 2001: Message edited by: What_does_this_button_do? ]
Buttons
Sorry to disappoint you, Misco is now selling at £139.99 for an upgrade to Prof. Should have brought it when it was offered.
Found something else that doesn't work on my windowsXP. Left clicking a link opens a new window but leaves it blank with no web page in the address. I have to right click, then select create shortcut and paste into the address line before getting the page.
I thought that they had checked this stuff before launch. The Microsoft website is so overwhelmed that the promised 4 hr response is now 4 days.
"Hibernate" doesn’t seem to work either, other that what Bill Gates is doing at the present time.
[ 30 October 2001: Message edited by: sky9 ]
Sky9
Found something else that doesn't work on my WindowsXP. Left clicking a link opens a new window but leaves it blank with no web page in the address. I have to right click, then select create shortcut and paste into the address line before getting the page.
I had this problem yesterday and thought that it was a result of finger trouble. Uninstalling IE6 and reinstalling it didn’t work. I ended up using the "System Restore" function to go back two days to my initial installation. This solved the problem.
Some of the other things that have annoyed me are:
1: Norton Anti Virus 2001 doesn’t work with XP, you must upgrade to 2002 at a cost of around US$30.
2: Older CD Writer software doesn’t work, updating this comes at a cost of around US$100.
Apart from those annoyances, I'm extremely happy..... so far.. :)
Mutt
Mutt
I cannot restore because I have never had full use of the left button.
Still waiting for Microsoft help to come out of Hibernation. :rolleyes:
Tartan Giant
31st Oct 2001, 04:23
Hello there EVO 7,
I'll certainly remain in the hold, whilst you do the business.....thanks !
One way or the other I want to get this machine of mine on an even keel and stable, so if your "upgrade" works I shall follow you good example.
W-D-T-B-D,
Many thanks as well.
I'll wait and see what EVO 7 reports in with, before I take the plunge.
Thanks chaps,
TG
TG
Machine should be turning up in the next couple of days - I'll whack in the upgrade and see what happens. Let you know then.
Mango3
2nd Nov 2001, 18:02
For what it's worth, 'XP Home Edition' works well for me, but...
1) Intel PC Cam no longer usable.
2) External USB modem as above.
XP doesn't like sites that offer downloads that may utilise driver upgrades from either 98SE or Win2000. I attempted this once and ignored the warnings. Bad move, and I ended up scrubbing the time consuming downloads despite the recommendations that these sites promote being XP compatible.
hassel
3rd Nov 2001, 02:02
For what it is worth I have just installed XP on my laptop (300 with 125K) it runs much faster sound better but modem not recognised and USB dongle (I run some funny software) does not work. These I am sure will be resolved soon. These aside I am impressed so far!
Tartan Giant
Bad news, I'm afraid. When I booted the new machine off the WinXP CD it claimed that no valid O/S was found on the hard disk (preinstalled with Win98se) and wouldn't accept the recover CD as valid either.
However, it happily accepted my Win98 CD, so I guess that pre-installed versions of Win98 really aren't accepted. One thing that I didn't try was to boot into Win98 and then run the upgrade from the CD. That might still work.
First impressions are very positive, although I haven't run it for long enough to see how solid it is. It flies, but then again a P4-1.8GHz with 1Gb of memory should... ;)
upupnaway
4th Nov 2001, 16:44
Toshiba inform me that i can't install XP on my notebook as they don't have drivers ready yet. It can be installed but sound etc. won't operate.
Evo7
So you are saying that anyone that purchased a new PC with loaded Microsoft software CAN’T upgrade to XP? I’m glad that I didn’t try loading XP on my laptop!
Mutt
[ 04 November 2001: Message edited by: mutt ]
mutt
Not saying that you can't, but I couldn't. I had a preinstalled, happily bootable copy of Win98se on the hard disk but the XP upgrade would not install on my machine. Just said that no valid OS was found for upgrade. It wouldn't accept the recovery CD as qualifying either.
Your milage may vary, of course.
Tartan Giant
4th Nov 2001, 21:33
Hello there EVO7,
Many thanks for the info on the upgrade.
Sounds like I'll have to buy the full version then....bit of a pity.
I think I'll wait and see what offers of new machines come along at Xmas.
Your machine sounds like lightning....I don't know anybody with 1GB of memory......phew !!
Thanks again ;)
I hope that I have solved the mouse problem
A usefull update buried in the Microsoft website give an intellimouse update that is very good. http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/mouse/download.asp?FinishURL=%2Fdownloads%2Frelease%2Easp%3FReleas eID%3D32611%26redire ct%3Dno
Also for those updating from Norton Systemworks, don't attempt to update until you have uninstalled 2001, update XP then install 2002.
As a matter of interest walking down the Tottenham Court Road I managed to buy an upgrade of NSW2002 for £29.99 at MicroAndvika http://www.microanvika.co.uk/
In other shops the update was not available and full product about £60.
Whooaahh
5th Nov 2001, 20:35
Upandaway,
I think you will find (certainly with previous versions of Windows ) that you were permitted to install it on multiple machines but they couldn't used simultaneously.
This could answer your "Can I install it on my home system and my laptop?" question. However, if your downroute using the laptop and Mrs. Upandaway is at home using the desktop then this is classed as a breach of the licencing agreement.
They would have a pretty hard time proving it unless their is more to XP than MS are letting on, which would not be unheardof from our friends in Redmond.
Whooaahh!!!
Mango3
6th Nov 2001, 17:46
mutt: I installed XP Home Edition Upgrade from 98SE. Apart from my previous posts, all went well, unlike my attempt with ME! Having said that, if yourself or anyone else reading this is running a web cam based on 98, then XP probably won't accept it, despite what cam sites state. Retailers I have spoken to recently are furious that their stock of good quality PC cams are not suitable to XP, and that consumers (like self!) run out and purchase this new OS "because it was there"...
Mango3,
I hope that you enjoy XP, I have, its a nice interface.
But like you, I have ran into driver problems with a cheap webcam, CD writer and Norton Anti-Virus.
The Norton problem is the only one which I have really solved so far, I purchased Anti Virus 2002.
The CD writer is annoying me, the required/desired software is available for a 90 trial, but carries a $99 purchase price. This leads me towards the idea of buying a NEW CD writer which will have the software bundled in.
I'm going shopping over the weekend in the Dubai Duty Free for a Nikon Coolpix 990, which will be used on a new Dell Laptop with XP. (Not for me) It will be interesting to see if this top of the range camera comes with the proper drivers!!!!
Good Luck.
Mutt. (Dreaming of the Guinness tent at the DXB airshow...) http://www.stopstart.fsnet.co.uk/smilie/guin.gif
spannersatcx
16th Nov 2001, 23:52
upupnaway On a different note i believe you have to contact Microsoft to activate XP and they only allow this on one computer. How can i get installed on both my home pc and laptop, will Microsoft let you do this ???? any one come across this yet.
Found out this today - Within 30 days of installing the OS you must activate it with MS. Windoz XP sends a numeric identifier generated from 10 of your pc's components to MS's server, which in turn sends you a certificate activating your copy of XP on that machine.
If you try to install XP on a different pc, producing a new hardware identifier, a dialog box will pop up asking you to call an operator and explain the discrepancy. If satisfied with your response (MS says it will give users the benefit of the doubt), the operator will issue a new certificate.
If you have a network card and leave it alone, you should be able to remove or replace upto 6 other signature elements without triggering activation, MS says, otherwise, you can change up to 4 other elements before having to contact MS. Adding components never triggers a challenge.
Importantly, WPA resets after 120 days, using whatever you have then as the activated configuration. So after 4 months you can install XP on a second PC, activate it and keep the first one operating without falling foul of WPA.
Doing so would violate the licence, but MS is probably wise in cutting some slack here.
Hope that you find that useful. ;)
FL310
17th Nov 2001, 02:56
Just for some who face problems.
The Win XP CD is a bootable one. This is also given with the upgrade version! :D
If you face the problem that "no valid OS found" or, as it happens at a friends machine, your original Win 98 is a HP version (maybe any other operator) than this Win CD is NOT ACCEPTABLE as XP cannot find the Windows directory when asked to provide the original upgradeable version...
:eek:
You nee a clean Windows 95/98/ME or whatsoever and than it does it.
:rolleyes:
While we are at it, make sure that you have backed up everything before upgrading. There is a good chance that it does some kind of "clean" install, it whipes all off the disk and you have a NTFS file system, no FAT anymore...makes it a bit more interesting to find one of the sometimes so useful unformat or undelete programs.
:( :rolleyes: :eek: :confused: